NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/725550
16 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2016 Stocking Up By Paula Hoppe, Certified Master Naturalist The harvest is upon us, and the combines are out in the field bringing in the ripe crops. Gardens are bursting with produce that we preserve for the coming winter. Wildlife are also taking advantage of this season of bounty, preparing for the leaner days of winter or their coming migration. They spend more time foraging afield, and the open canopies and farmland of fall afford us a clearer look at their habits. • Fall wildlife viewing can be as easy as looking out your window at the backyard bird feeder. Birds increase consumption as winter approaches, and many of the extra seeds are taken and hidden in "caches" under bark, in needle clusters or even in man-made crevices. Blue jays are able to carry food in their throat in an area called the "gular pouch." With 2 or 3 in the pouch, one in the mouth, and another in the tip of the beak, they may leave the feeder with 5 or 6 seeds which they secrete away. • Eastern fox squirrels are busy gathering and storing nuts, but you also may observe them gathering leaves. They prefer to nest in tree cavities and will use the leaves to line the nest in preparation for the winter weather to come. If suitable cavities are not available, squirrels may also construct nests (called "dreys") made entirely of leaves, which can be seen in the tops of trees as the fall progresses. • The white-footed mouse has small cheek pouches that can hold close to a teaspoon of food. Prairie voles stockpile as much as two gallons of tubers and roots at a time in underground chambers near their nests. • Look for deer as they are out browsing in the fields and along shelterbelts at dawn and dusk. Acorns are plentiful in the fall, and a favorite, but the main source of food for deer are leaves, twigs and fruits of shrubs and trees. • Beavers are busy stockpiling branches for the coming winter, and the well-worn paths to and from their lodges are easily observed. • Many animals migrate southward as winter approaches, and increased eating is important to sustain them on their journey. Though we often associate migratory behavior with birds, migrant species are diverse, and include some bats, dragonflies, monarch butterflies and others. With cooler weather and fewer insects to deal with, fall is an amazing time to get outside and watch as the wildlife of Nebraska prepare for the coming of winter. ■