Ken Lassman has been keeping this almanac for over a decade, He invites you to share your observations and photos in the comments section. You can find his book Wild Douglas County at The Raven Bookstore and The Community Mercantile in Lawrence.
Coon Breeding Moon – November
As you drive down roads this time of year, be aware of the raccoons who are crossing, especially at night. Look for their human-like footprints in the mud and it will clarify why they held such an important place in local storytelling lore.
This month is peak waterfowl migration and the eagles are returning to cottonwood trees along the river. Their white heads and black bodies with large flat wingspans can also be seen in the blue skies, and if you lay on the ground and watch the sky for a while, chances are that you’ll see some migratory bird flocks fly by, sometimes at very high altitudes.
Most leaves are migrating to the ground, with most trees becoming mostly bare in the first week of the month or so. It’s time too get your bird feeders going and this month is when some hunting seasons begin–check the Parks and Wildlife website for details.
It really is a great time to take walks, with insects gone and wildlife made more visible by the leaf drop. The longer nights can draw you into watching the winter constellations which are beginning to rise in the east, with some of the prettiest and dramatic stars of the year, whether you are looking through binoculars, a telescope or your eyes.
I hadn’t really considered soil temps and burrowing as Dawn and I were talking about how the ‘bunnies’ survive the cold last night. I have realized that the earth keeps the bottom of my little garden pond ‘warm.’ Amazing to me that the soil can insulate at even such shallow depths. I presume that the burrowing takes place before frost makes the ground hard?
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Yep, I think most animals are pretty hard wired to have a place ready to get into by the time extreme cold comes around, unless their strategy like grasshoppers and annual plants is to “plant the seed” in the fall and leave continuation of the species to the next generation. Birds have been known to burrow into snow drifts at night, using the igloo approach to insulation as well…. ________________________________________
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We are lucky to have a snow “blanket” during this bitterly cold spell. This is why we need some good hard freezes during the winter to kill off some of those grasshoppers.
Thanks for your almanac. I’ve really been enjoying reading it. I’ve noticed the lengthening daylight in the evenings. But as my Dad used to say (one of his many weather sayings): As the days begin to lengthen, the weather begins to strengthen.
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