November 10-16, 2024
This year's long and drawn-out approach to winter
It seems like this has been a slow week, either because the weather hasn't been great for getting outside or else animals aren't very active right now.
Week in Review
As an example of how animal activity has seemed to taper off, the week started with over two dozen trumpeter swans on Big Twin Lake but by week's end the swans were nowhere to be seen.
There are still a few animals around, but on one long 4-mile hike in the hills the only animal I saw or heard all day was a single pine grosbeak. And, on another 8-mile outing I don't recall seeing a single animal, though I think there was a raven calling somewhere in the far distance.
However, with the arrival of snow in the mountains, and wet mud in the valley, you can still find evidence of animals in the tracks they leave behind. We are lucky in the Methow Valley that we have so many excellent trackers here, plus the Nature Notes Facebook group is a great place to share photos of tracks and learn what you're seeing.
Despite the change in the seasons, it's been fun to find hints of fall colors persisting on the muted landscape because they add a nice, subtle touch to the season. That said, most trees are now bare, and the ground is thickly carpeted with leaves in areas where there are deciduous trees.
Observation of the Week: A Closer Look
Most of the week was cold, raining, and dreary, so during a few hours of weak sunlight I took advantage of the moment to bundle up and do some writing on the patio. It didn't take long before I spotted a rove beetle scurrying across the concrete, so I grabbed my camera and lay down to snap a few close-up pictures.
Getting close to the concrete, I suddenly realized that the patio was buzzing with life that I had totally overlooked. The day wasn't dead and quiet like I had imagined, it was actually a hive of activity with springtails, spiders, ants, beetles, flies, and mites all over the place!
Of course, all these invertebrates weren't there because of the patio. They would be just as active, and probably even more numerous, in the grass and leaves, but it's just easier to see them when they wander onto the open concrete.
I ended up spending over an hour laying on the concrete, photographing as many invertebrates as I could and admiring their energetic lives. It was a delightful reminder to slow down and take a second, much closer, look at the world around me.
