February in New Hampshire can be a bitter time, weather wise. In some places, layers of ice and snow still weigh heavily on conifer limbs, and on the souls of even the heartiest of New Englanders. But at last, the days are noticeably longer. So take heart winter-weary friends. The first pulses of springtime arrive in the smallest of signs. Today on Something Wild, w e embrace the here and now but also turn our sights to the brighter days ahead. Late February is when many people really start noticing these oh- so-lovely longer days. And with good reason: we’re gaining 1 to 2 minutes of sunlight every single day. Typically a minute earlier sunrise every morning. And it accelerates more in March. Changes in day length trigger a host of responses from the natural world--even with spring still several weeks away. The higher angle of sunlight and shorter tree shadows inspires early morning songs from chickadees and titmice, as well as the territorial drumming from woodpeckers. At sunset, You
view more