Not so many years ago the sighting of a bald eagle was an uncommon to rare occurrence in North Dakota. Now, of course, these magnificent birds are much more frequently observed, even during the winter months. You may have missed it, but eagles have been the news recently, and all is not well with them.

As most North Dakotan’s know, the Red River and its tributaries flow into Hudson Bay while the Missouri River and its tributaries flow into the Gulf of Mexico. It might surprise you but there are several major drainage basins in the state. The maps I have seen vary somewhat, but often place the Missouri Coteau within the Missouri River drainage and the Prairie Coteau and Turtle Mountain in the Hudson Bay drainage even though they are largely pothole country with closed drainage.

Most of us are familiar with the hooting of great horned owls. But we hear them a lot more than we see them. It is amazing that they can stay so well hidden. But if you have an interest in seeing them, now might be a good time to begin looking for them in earnest. That is because they have started to nest, and the young should start hatching in about a month or so. With the deciduous trees still bare, the owls are about as observable as they get.

Here we are in the last days of February. A walk in the woods or across the prairie might give us the impression that there is not much activity this time of year. It may not be conspicuous the casual observer, but many of the mammals have been quite active for some time already. And there is not much leisure time in their future.

We have had our fair share of cold weather this winter, with temperatures well into the twenty to thirty below zero range. Although many among us are more than ready for warmer temperatures, we also seem to fall back on that old saying that the cold temperatures “keep the riffraff away.” Those cold temperatures might also be helping keep the emerald ash borer away.

If you enjoy nature, consider getting involved with a citizen science project. You will learn more about nature and at the same time help scientists collect important information. Citizen scientists are helping monitor the water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams, monarch butterfly migrations, snowpack in the mountains, and reptile and amphibian populations and movements, to name a few.

If you have been noticing some flocks of what looks to be sparrows getting up in front of your vehicle while driving through the country this winter, you might want to take a closer look next time. Many among us dismiss these flocks of small sparrow-sized birds as, well, sparrows. But rather than being brown, these flocks of small birds may be quite white. If so, there is a good chance they are horned larks or perhaps snow buntings.

I noticed a tunnel through the snow recently that the casual observer would likely attribute to the activity of a mouse. It might surprise you, but there are around twenty small mammals that the casual observer may simply dismiss as “a mouse.” Most, or perhaps all, are active throughout the winter months.

We have had a few days this winter when the sundogs have been quite prominent in the morning and evening sky. Although not rainbows, the basic principles are similar. The scientific name for sundogs is parihelia (singular parahelion). They often appear during cold winter days when ice crystals are abundant in the atmosphere and the sun is low in the sky.

Most North Dakotans know that the Red River forms the border between North Dakota and Minnesota. But other aspects, such as knowledge of the source of the river, and where it goes after flowing into Manitoba are perhaps less well known.