February 28 - River Otter

RiverOtter - River Otters are 3-4 ft long, and weigh 15-20 pounds. They can be found in the US and Canadian waterways, and live up to 15 years in the wild, 25 years in captivity. They are most active in the evenings and early mornings, and are still very active in the cold Alaskan winters.

February 27 - Melt Water

Perigee - On February 27, at it's annual perigee (closest distance), the Moon is 221, 757 miles (356,884 km) from Earth.

February 25 - Ice Crevice

IceWedge - Rocks split when ice melts into crevices and then expands while refreezing. Repeated thaws and freezes generate a force powerful enough to shatter granite.

February 24 - Mackerel Sky

MackerelSky - A sky filled with rows of cirrocumulus or small altocumulus clouds.

ThermalSoaring - Hawks conserve their fat reserves by floating on daytime's thermal updrafts.

February 23 - Alto Cumulus

AltoCumulus - Mid-level clouds that may appear as parallel bands or rounded masses. Altocumulus clouds usually form by convection in an unstable layer aloft, which may result from the gradual lifting of air in advance of a cold front.

February 22 - Rabbit Husk

Pollux - Is a red giant with an apparent magnitude of 1.14.

Castor - Actually comprises two stars, Castor A and Castor B. One has an apparent magnitude of 1.94; the other, 2.92.

February 21 - Bobwhite

Bobwhite - The bobwhite quail is one of the most popular quail in aviculture. Due to it's extensive range across southern and eastern US and Mexico, and the growing success of breeding in captivity for release back into their natural habitat.

February 17 - Snow Slide

Lengthening light of longer days begins to liquefy ice.

February 16 - Pheasant Nide

PheasantNide - The nest or brood of pheasants.

February 15 - Rafted Floe

StarColor - Stars shine in a spectrum of colors based on their temperature: red-orange-yellow-white-blue. Red is the coolest; blue is the hottest.

February 14 - Fish Crow

ChickadeeLoners - Fiesty overwintering black-capped chickadees choose to roost alone in tiny holes.

February 13 - Hunger Moon

WinterCrown - The season's last snowstorm
Snow now covers half the land.

February 10 - White Ash

Blizzards
Sleet: raindrops that freeze into ice pellets.
Freezing rain: rain that turns to ice on contact with subzero surfaces.
Snow flurries: light snows that fall for short durations.
Showers: snow that falls at various intensities for brief periods.
Squall: a brief, intense snowfall with strong gusting winds.
Blowing snow: wind-driven snow that reduces visibility.
Blizzard: blinding snow with winds over 35mph (56kph).

February 9 - Spotted Owl

SpottedOwl - As a result of declining habitat, there are fewer than 100 pairs of Northern Spotted Owls in Canada, 500 pairs in Washington, 1200 pairs in Oregon and 560 pairs in Northern California.

Lifespan - They may live up to 10 years in the wild, or 15-20 years in captivity.

February 8 - Penguin Creche

PenguinCreche - These Emperor Penguin chicks huddle together in a large group (creche) for warmth, guarded by adults for protection.

MercuryJoinsMarsSaturn - From February 8 until about March 6, Mercury can be seen in the evening sky.

February 7 - Eagle Aerie

EagleAerie - The nest of an Eagle which is built in elevated place, usually high on a cliff or mountain.

February 6 - Brown Creeper

BrownCreeper - Small brown bird streaked and spotted with buff, gray and white which perfectly camouflages it against the bark of trees. The Brown Creeper forages in such a unique manner as it creeps along tree trunks and branches in search of insects and spiders for it's winter food.

February 3 - Sugar Maple

WarmFat - Brown fat converts to heat directly, without shivering. Some animals slowly burn off half their bulk during winter.

February 2 - Spring Tail

Animals huddle, shiver, or withdraw into near-death sleep to survive the year's lowest temperatures.


Did you know that Ladybugs hibernate too?
One of the few insects who hibernate during the winter, Ladybugs pile up to keep warm and sleep.

February 1 - Sable

ElkDawn - Elk and some deer are crepuscular - out and about in the twilight hours of dawn and sunset.