The winter solstice will occur on December 21. Its arrival will mark the shortest day of the year. With the arrival of the new season, we all should consider the opportunity to include evening outdoor activities as well as being prepared to make the most of the daylight hours available.
Here is a short list of winter outdoor activities to consider:
- Great Winter Hikes
- Christmas Bird Count (general info) and Christmas Bird Count (site-specific info)
- Clifton Park Winter Guide
- Saratoga Winter Guide
- Albany Winter Guide
- Prime Viewing of Grassland Birds
- Owl Prowl: January 23, 2015
- Owl Watch and Winter Bird Walk: January 24, 2015 February 14, 2015
- Winter Raptor Fest 2015
American Tree Sparrow
If you have bird feeders in your yard, winter will be a great time to watch them from the comfort of your own home. Here is a guide to the most common winter visitors to your feeders. If you do enjoy viewing birds at your feeders, consider participating in Project FeederWatch. For more info about winter bird feeding, please view my prior post.
Read about how snowflakes form. View the science of snowflakes. View a slideshow of photographs of snowflakes.
Speaking of snow, here are some recipes for you to consider:
- 12 Recipes Inspired by Snow
- 6 Recipes Using Snow (Not Just Snow Cones!)
- How to Make Ice Cream with Snow (5 methods)
- Snow Cream Recipes
If snowflakes inspire you, here is a short list of some indoor activities to consider:
- How to make 6-pointed paper snowflakes
- How to make paper snowflakes
- How to make a 3-D paper snowflake
- Make-a-Flake (online snowflake maker)
- Free crochet patterns for snowflakes
Happy trails!
