Mysteries of the Winter Sky: Snowbirds and a Total Solar Eclipse

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A solar eclipse as seen from Hawaii.
A solar eclipse as seen from Hawaii.
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The dark-eyed junco spends its winter across most of the U.S. north of Georgia.
The dark-eyed junco spends its winter across most of the U.S. north of Georgia.
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A total lunar eclipse only happens on a given part of the earth once every 360 years.
A total lunar eclipse only happens on a given part of the earth once every 360 years.
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Snow buntings can easily withstand temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Snow buntings can easily withstand temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Eclipsed Season

If you’re getting just plain sick of winter, perhaps some fine February and March birds and eclipses can help brighten things up a bit. By making the heavens, birds, and nature in general an important part of your life, you’ll be following in the footsteps of a number of the men whose lives we are supposed to collectively celebrate each February on Presidents’ Day.

Snowbirds 

February is often the snowiest month in many parts of the U.S. The swallows may still be many weeks away from returning; what birds can we look for to cheer us up? There may be chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, and of course brilliant cardinals and blue jays at our feeders. But there are two other kinds of birds which may bolster us against wintry weather partly by virtue of their own incredible hardiness in the face of cold and snow. I’m referring to the “snowbirds”: juncoes and snow buntings.

Juncoes

  • Published on Feb 1, 1998
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