February
usually means snow. By the time the month starts the hillsides are covered with
a couple of feet beneath the hardwoods. Under the boughs of the softwoods there
is always noticeably less. Temperatures are cold, often going for days without
a temperature as high as freezing and many nights dipping well below zero.
This
February has been no different. There certainly is two feet of snow in the
woods, but this year there is no base underneath. The snow is fluff all the way
to the ground. This makes excellent roosting snow for ruffed grouse and tough
snowshoeing for humans.
On
cold nights ruffed grouse will dive into the snow to take advantage of the snow’s
thermal protection. Snow has an R value of about 1, which is nearly the same as wood.
Twelve inches of snow has the same insulating value as a two by four wall
filled with fiberglass insulation.
I
know of people who have been out snowshoeing and a grouse suddenly burst from
the snow and startled everybody. There are stories of grouse diving into the
snow and breaking their necks on hidden stumps or logs, but I have never seen
that. I’m sure a predator or scavenger would clean up any evidence as the snow
melted come spring.
By
the end of February the days are noticeably longer, which is a welcome change.
March will bring on bigger changes.
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| An abandoned ruffed grouse snow roost. |