It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone, but I’m more than ready for 2026! I’m looking forward to more ice fishing this winter, hearing woodcock “peent”-ing in the spring, watching monarch butterflies teeter among wildflowers in summer, crunching through freshly fallen leaves in autumn, and everything in between.
There’s so much to explore and experience in the year ahead, but for now, let’s take a moment to appreciate the present. Join me on a quick virtual stroll outside to see the beauty that’s unfolding right now.
Hoarfrost on an early December morning
If you enjoy the cold, and the sight of snow doesn’t stir feelings similar to those of Ebenezer Scrooge, you might agree that this winter has been pretty amazing so far. It truly feels like a Wisconsin winter, and I’m soaking up every bit of it.
Recently, we had a warm, foggy evening followed by a very cold night, which led to some fantastic hoarfrost (pictured above). These incredible ice formations form when water vapor in the air freezes, creating intricate and incredibly fragile crystals that coat nearly every surface. As the sun rose in the distance, I couldn’t stop taking photos, even though they hardly do justice to the beauty of the hoarfrost.
Tundra swans in the sky
While lakes across southern Wisconsin are beginning to freeze over, there are still pockets of open water remaining. These areas attract geese, swans, and other waterfowl by the thousands. I recently visited the shore of Lake Mendota after hearing a chorus of honking, quacking, and bugling, and I was amazed by just how many migrating birds had gathered there.
Most notably were the tundra swans (pictured above), easily recognized by their inquisitive “who-who-who” calls echoing overhead. It truly feels like a privilege to live in a place where these birds pause during their long journey from the high Arctic of Alaska and Canada to their wintering grounds along the Mid-Atlantic Coast near the Chesapeake Bay.
Mouse tracks in the snow
One of my favorite parts of all the snow we’ve received so far is discovering little secrets in nature that might otherwise go unnoticed. While visiting Westport Prairie after a recent snowfall, I came across what looked like a tiny mouse highway winding across the snow’s surface (pictured above).
These tracks were likely left by deer mice or white-footed mice, both of which are known for hopping through the snow and dragging their long tails behind them as they move. If you look closely, you can see two small circles where the feet landed, with a thin line down the middle made by the tail.
Hawk’s wing print in the snow
Lastly, I’ll leave you with something I’ve been searching for every winter for as long as I can remember—and this year, I finally found one. It’s the snowy wing print of a hawk that had been hunting a small rodent. With so many mouse highways crisscrossing the snow, it seems like the perfect place for a predatory bird to hunt.
Over the years, several readers of my Nature Now reports have shared their own sightings of owl and hawk wing prints. Despite how much time I spend outdoors, I had never seen one myself until now. It felt like a fitting way to close out an adventurous year in nature, and I hope the new year brings many more memorable moments for us all.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside. I’ll see you next year!