A delight during winter for many nature lovers is witnessing the arrival of dark eyed juncos. A delicate-looking, tiny, dark bird, this species is able to manage migrating from Canada, at the beginning of each winter, to make it back to our woods, where they enjoy our milder winter season, right alongside us.
Juncos are actually a type of sparrow. They are commonly seen foraging for seeds, and they also eat insects during the time they are raising their young, to supplement protein needs. They can live 3 to 11 years in the wild, and usually make their nests on the ground. Juncos breed and raise their young farther north of here. Young juncos can fledge when they are only 13 days old, and while they are in the egg, only need to be incubated for 10-13 days. There is thought to be a population of over 600 million juncos.
Yet another favorite winter pastime in Missouri is hunting for shed antlers. Deer lose their antlers around this time each year, and those who take the time to walk around, and diligently search for where they may have fallen, can enjoy some very exciting results! Finding a set of fallen antlers is a treat, as they are a great souvenir, and can be a great addition to any décor.
What accounts for this phenomenon? Blood flow between the antlers and the rest of the body ceases at some point during this time of year, which is when the antlers will fall off. The fallen antlers, if not found by people, (and most are not,) are chewed on by lucky rodents, or they decompose, adding their abundant supplies of calcium and phosphorus back to the soil, enriching it. Antlers will grow back in the spring, and be back at their biggest and strongest, during the rutting season in the fall, once again, when they will be needed to fend off competition for their desired mate. From late January into March is the best time to hunt for antlers.
Read more in the Wednesday, Feb. 8 edition of the Marshfield Mail.
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