As we come to the last Friday in February 2024, Larry Weber notes that the notable lack of snow contrasts sharply from this time last year when we were building up to a record for the winter. Though not the warmest February on record, this may be the driest. Larry expresses some concern about the upcoming wildfire season, and an early start to tick season.
Just a few weeks away from vernal equinox, we are approaching the 11-hour mark for daylight. Many raptors are on the move northward, so we have a good chance of seeing them in the sky in the coming days.
The lack of snow has made tracking ground animals more challenging, but the little snow Larry has seen has revealed evidence of foxes, coyotes, mice, squirrels, and deer. He saw evidence of squirrels chewing on sugar maple branches, likely in search of sweet, spring sap.
An early spring has already brought the appearance of some crane flies and wooly bears (caterpillars), and crocuses have begun to break through the topsoil in his yard.