Dave Hallock, Peak-to-Peak. Winter can be downright brutal around Nederland! Snow, persistent wind and cold, and short days and long nights make it an environment not overly conducive to the weak at heart. Humans have found ways to make it more hospitable: heated dwellings, food from all over the world, and books, movies and TV to get through the dark nights.

What about all the other animals that don’t have the benefits we use to get through these six months? Well, like a lot of humans, many of the animals leave for warmer places. Over 70 percent of the bird species that breed here in the summer migrate to South America, Central America, Arizona or just down to the foothills of Boulder for winter. Elk, deer and mountain lions also head down to lower elevations. Come to think of it, humans, beginning around 1859, are the only large mammals over 100 lbs. to live year-round in the high mountains, except now for moose, without hibernating. The evidence suggests that the previous 13,000 years of human occupation of our area was primarily seasonal. To think, we call them “primitive.”

So how do the animals that remain survive? Well, a lot of them don’t. The evidence suggests there is high mortality of animals during the winter, particularly those in their first year. Local bird counts indicate that the numbers of mountain chickadees drop in half way between early winter and spring.

Our resident birds, such as chickadees, nuthatches, creepers and woodpeckers, have learned to do the best they can. For food, many are insectivores and like to search for insects under the bark on trees. They have beaks specialized for this. They will also use holes in trees for winter shelter. Large, dead trees generally have the greatest number of cavities for winter shelter. One researcher found 50 nuthatches snuggled together in one tree-cavity; instead of a 3-dog night, we now have the 50-nuthatch night! Of course, many resident birds are now taking advantage of the food we put out in feeders.

The mammals that do not leave the area use a variety of methods to survive. Black bears, marmots and ground squirrels hibernate underground or in burrows under rocks or downed trees. Chipmunks are dormant for most of winter but will periodically awaken to eat food in the den. Pine squirrels will have nests in trees and well-stocked food caches on the nearby ground. Other species follow a similar pattern of dens or lodges with food caches, including pika, and beaver. Raccoons are active all winter but may sleep during bad weather for extended periods. Pocket gophers, voles, mice and shrews live under the shelter of the snowpack, either underground or just on top, and often have dens with food caches. Montane voles will actually breed during winter; their round nests made of grass are evident as the snow melts in the spring. Cottontails and snowshoe hares stay on top of the snow, though often use the shelter of a shrub or downed tree; they will feed on the needles, twigs and bark of trees and shrubs. Coyotes, foxes and bobcats will feed on the shrews, mice, voles and gophers under the snow, or the rabbits on top.

Several of our winter residents will change color to white in order to blend in with the surroundings. White-tailed ptarmigan and snowshoe hares both turn white and stay still to avoid predators, thus reducing the expenditure of energy. Ermine and long-tailed weasels also turn white in winter so they can easily sneak up on their prey.

Butterflies have yet another strategy for making it through the winter. While a few species, such as monarchs, migrate south, the vast majority overwinter in some developmental stage, and eventually evolve into a butterfly the next spring or summer. A few species, such as mourning cloaks and commas, overwinter as adults. They are some of the first butterflies seen in early spring, and may even emerge during a mild period in winter.

Last but not least is a new strategy for winter survival: taking up residence in our homes. And who can blame them. Warmth, shelter, maybe even some food. Mice are probably the most common. Packrats are probably the most notorious. Weasels, raccoons and foxes have also benefited. You can learn fascinating tidbits about their ecology. For instance, did you know that some animals snore? We once had something in our wall that periodically snored. How would we ever know such exciting things if we did not share our places with them?

So as you are sitting there in your semi-insulated cabin, eating ice cream and watching a movie on a cold winter’s night, take a moment to ponder how it would be to survive without any of that.

Following, are some of the February nature happenings in the Nederland area. Great horned owls are conducting courtship and mating activities; listen for their calls at night. Northern pygmy-owls begin establishing territories in February and March; their calls are a monotonous series of breathy, hollow whistles given at a rate of 1-2 whistles per second.

Northern saw-whet owl calling activities also begin in February but peak in April and May. Beavers are mating through March. Foxes and Coyotes are mating through March; young are born about two months later. Black bears are giving birth while in hibernation; litter size is two or three. This is the peak breeding time for raccoons. Bobcats have their highest reproductive activity in February and March.