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Winters at Red Oak may be quiet, but our wildlife friends are still plenty busy
Though our winters of late have been milder than usual – and with less snow, at that – the season still packs occasional blasts of cold weather.
Winter arrived early this year, which wasn’t a total surprise. We realized it might happen based on the behavior of our feathered friends like the Dark Eyed Junco, who showed up early this year, arriving in October. Considered to be a herald of winter, the Junco clearly knew something we didn’t.
Regardless of the weather outside, there is still much to see at Red Oak.
Seeing Red Tailed Hawks and Bald Eagles soaring along the river is worth a little shivering. Both the adults and the immature Eagles can occasionally be seen diving into the Fox River in search of a tasty fish to feed on. That is, of course, if they can find an open spot in the gaggle of geese now residing on the near frozen river.
But that’s not all. It wasn’t too long ago that flocks of Sandhill Cranes were spotted noisily migrating south for the winter as well as Hooded Mergansers and Goldeneye Ducks. Be sure to stop by the Observation Deck with your binoculars and bird books to see if you can spot any more of our unusual visitors on the river.
Don’t forget our forest habitat too! As you hike our trails you will see yet another busy place this time of year as Fox and Gray squirrels, Red Fox, deer and many other mammals that stick around are constantly in search of food at our two bird garden areas. We don’t mind helping to keep our furry friends pleasantly plump and warm until the spring weather returns.
Enjoy the season! There’s always something to see at Red Oak, where new discoveries await with each visit.
What to see at Red Oak
