© 2025 The Duluth-Superior Area Educational Television Corporation (WDSE)

The North 103.3 FM is licensed to The Duluth-Superior Area Educational Television Corporation (WDSE)
Locally Curated. Community Owned.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Backyard Almanac
Backyard Almanac: Nature’s Weekly Rhythms with Larry WeberEvery Friday morning at 8:20am, Backyard Almanac brings you the latest observations on the changing seasons, wildlife activity, and natural phenomena of Northern Minnesota. Hosted by Luke Moravec and featuring naturalist Larry Weber, this segment explores the rhythms of nature—from migrating birds to blooming wildflowers, shifting weather patterns to the quiet transformations happening all around us.Backyard Almanac – Fridays at 8:20am – Only on The North 103.3FM.

Backyard Almanac: Quite cold, but maybe we've had the "January thaw"

American Goldfinch
WARREN BIELENBERG
/
Flickr
American Goldfinch

The week has had some of the coldest days this month, but Tuesday was unseasonably warm. Larry wonders if maybe that was the "January Thaw" that he sees happen every year. Despite the long nights, the clear skies allowed the full moon to shine on the fresh snow to make things very bright overnight.

In addition to the birds Larry usually sees at the feeder these days – the “same seven” (chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, and blue jays) – he was pleased to see several turkeys stop by. And finches, usually late arrivals at the feeders in winter, have returned; he saw seven goldfinches one day, and three redpolls yesterday. Owls will likely begin appearing in a couple weeks.

Chris Harwood is the former Production Director/Program Director of The North 103.3, and the host of Soul Village. He is also a musician, a music historian, an audio engineer, and an avid record collector.