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Phenology with local naturalist Larry Weber every Friday morning at 8:20 on Northland Morning.

Backyard Almanac: Happy Perihelion! Larry Weber's year-end wrap-up

White-winged Crossbill
Scott Heron
/
Flickr
White-winged Crossbill

With the recent snowfalls the monthly total for December 2021 is now surprisingly above normal, which is interesting considering this year is more known for the drought conditions through the early summer.

Solstice was a week ago, and the sunsets are now shifting later into the evening, though the sunrises are not going to start shifting earlier until January 4, a day that also coincides with perihelion. The annual Christmas bird count in Duluth was earlier in the month, but in Carlton Country it was yesterday. Larry and about a dozen other volunteers took note of all the birds each of them could see on their walks, drives, skis, and at their birdfeeders. 35 species were observed, including white wing crossbills, pine grosbeaks, redpolls, chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, crows, and ravens.

It’ll be a bit colder this weekend, so today might be the best day to get out and get into nature!

Chris Harwood is The North 1033’s Production Director and (acting) Program Director, a morning/daytime host, and the host of Soul Village. He is also a musician, a music historian, an audio engineer, and an avid record collector.