November...A Time To Remember November is a time when large white birds–such as the herring gulls pictured above–make their presence known along the bay and lake. It is during these last few days of October, as this is being written, that the early morning sun so beautifully highlights those last remaining "hangers-on," the brightly colored leaves of especially the smaller red oaks, sugar maples and American beeches. These so-called marcescent (mar-SESS-sent) leaves will cling tightly to the trees for the duration of the winter. November nights are never complete until one has stepped outdoors to admire the star-studded sky. Colder air, unable to hold nearly as much moisture as warm summer air, means better viewing conditions, especially through binoculars or scopes. Don’t forget to look to the northern sky in hopes of there being a good display of northern lights. How clearly we recall the night of November 8, 1991 when long, flashing, red streaks extended from the northern horizon clear across the heavens to the southern horizon, a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-forgotten spectacle. One of our friends, Ed Altman, who was born north of the Arctic Circle in Norway, told of the brilliance of the northern lights being downright frightening and how his parents would threaten the children, "You’d better behave or the northern lights are going to come down and GET you!" Gradually the rafts of diving ducks are arriving to the "big water" from their northern breeding grounds. Expect to see canvasbacks, redheads, American wigeons, greater scaups, common goldeneyes, mergansers, buffleheads and oldsquaws. Also glass especially Lake Michigan for scoters. Word from across the bay to the west tells us of the first sightings of tree sparrows, northern shrikes, fox sparrows and even a Harris’ sparrow, blown off course from its more westerly environment. Take careful note of the "big" white birds you see along the bay and lake. This is the month when small flocks of tundra swans will be coming through, loafing and feeding in the shallow bays. North Bay and Mud Bay have always been good for this species. Naturally one can also expect to find small numbers of mute swans. Check your field guides and pay special attention to the birds’ bills. It was on the 20th of this month in 1991 that I witnessed the largest flocks of herring gulls that I’ve ever seen, thousands of them in the air at one instant, at Gills Rock. Neil Teskie’s tug, the Betty, was coming in to port and the always-hungry gulls, the "welcoming committee," were there for the usual handout. Take a drive one of these quite November nights on a road that takes you through swampy habitat. Stop, turn off the engine and listen for a while. Chances are very good that you will hear some owl conversations, most likely coming from the great-horned and barred owls. I wish I could tell you what all of these wonderful late fall vocalizations mean. One guess is that the owls are establishing their winter hunting territories, warning owls off in the distance to "go find your own woods. This one belongs to me!" We notice much posturing and calling among the white-breasted nuthatches and woodpeckers in our woods now. Apparently they are also setting up their winter feeding areas and also chasing the young of the year away from their home woods. Scattering of the flock helps to prevent inbreeding, thereby maintaining good strength in their race. Other species of songbirds also do this. The red guard hairs of the red squirrel grow longer in preparation for winter. The red squirrels are becoming redder by the day as their winter red guard hairs grow longer. Naturally these additional guard hairs will also provide the little rodents with more insulation. You will notice that these longer red hairs are gradually covering the black line that, during summer, separates the brown upper-body hairs from the whitish belly hairs. One tree species that is having a final say in the late autumn parade of color is the American tamarack. These narrow, smoky-gold, cone-shaped beauties of the swamps and bogs are still producing dazzling contrasts with the dark green evergreens and crystal blue sky. Few trees announce their glittering presence to the world in fall better than the tamaracks. All of us should be incredibly proud of the great natural beauty Door County has to offer. Do all in your power to help preserve it. Of special importance are open spaces and scenic vistas. Get out and enjoy them while you can. Make this a November to remember! Also see: 02/26/97: Albino Birds Not Unusual In This Area 12/03/99: Watching Cattle Egrets Can Make Good Comedy 02/26/99: Albino Birds Not Unusual in This Area 04/23/99: Nature's Controls Soon to Grip Waterfowl Parents 03/16/01: "Who" Is That Adaptable Bird Of The Night? This column appeared in the Door County Advocate on 11/02/1999. © Copyright 1999 Roy Lukes. All rights reserved.