Winter

  • Winter Sky

    Marsh at night after a snow

    Winter is often considered the best time for stargazing. You can see more stars when it’s cold because cold air tends to be clearer with less atmospheric moisture, resulting in a better view of the night sky with fewer clouds, making stars, planets and moon appear brighter and more visible. The moon, our nearest celestial…


  • Planet parade for January 2025

    Planet parade, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn & Venus

    We are starting 2025 with an astronomical phenomena known as a planet parade. A planet parade is celestial event where at least six planets are visible in the sky: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. The last two planet will require a telescope.


  • December 21, 2024 -Winter Solstice

    Winter Solstice Collage - 6 pictures

    The temperature is 21°. The frozen leaves crunch as I walk to the pond. It sounds like a marching army. I get to the pond at 7:35 AM. The sun rises in the south at 8:00 AM. I could hear about 6 different types of birds, including a crow. I only last till 8:05 AM;…


  • Night Walk in the Woods

    Marsh at night after a snow

    Ann Arbor got four inches of snow on January 30, 2024.  That night, I went for a night walk in the woods with my family.  We walked the loop trail and then the trail to Turnberry.  One of my favorite spots to see on the Turnberry trail is the view of the marsh from the…


  • The Pond on February 04, 2024

    Pond in Feb 2024

    Picture of the pond on February 4, 2024 taken by Sarah Redman. I love the depth of field in this image. From seeing the leaves in the ice at the bottom to the horizon.


  • New bird on the block

    Pileated Woodpecker at suet feeder

    Welcome the pileated woodpecker to Scarlett Mitchell Woods.  Manfred Schmidt is sure he saw one while working in the woods with a friend a few years ago, but now it’s official.  On October 20,2022, we spotted it in Scarlett-Mitchell Nature Area West, while walking through that area with Matt Spoor, Nature area Preservation’s current Park…


  • Winter Ice Storms

    Leaves encased in ice

    Ann Arbor experienced two severe ice storms in February and March of 2023. Though the storms were beautiful to see, the ice was very hard on the forest. Large branches and whole trees fell in the woods. Two trees fell into the pond. One can see a tree on the left lying in the pond.…


  • Loop Trail Walk in the Winter

    Loop trail entrance

    Contains sixteen photos of the loop trail. These photos were taken on January 26, 2023.


  • Why Don’t Birds Get Cold Feet?

    Cardinal Image by David Mark from Pixabay

    If you’ve ever ventured out on a cold day with your feet completely exposed, you know all too well how terribly it hurts.  What about bird’s feet in Winter? Bird’s legs are different to humans. Get more information in this article written by Ashish.


  • Weird Ways Reptiles and Amphibians Survive the Winter

    Dekay's snake or brown snake

    How do frogs, snakes and turtles make it through the winter months in places that see blankets of snow, iced-over lakes and sub-freezing temperatures year after year? Read this article by Mark Mancini.