Astronomy
The Moon is near Jupiter on the 22nd, and is full on Tuesday the 26th. This full moon is called the COLD Moon, because it comes in the depths of winter. Look for Jupiter through these two weeks high in the southeastern sky after nightfall. Before sunrise on the 4th, look in the northern sky for the Quadrantid Meteor Shower.
Birds
Some birds, like Eastern Bluebirds, Meadowlarks, Indigo Buntings, and Turkey Vultures, are present at Afton in the summer but leave in the winter to go farther south.
Other birds, like Dark-eyed Juncos, Tree Sparrows, and Red-breasted Nuthatches, spend the summers farther north and spend the winters at Afton, while others like Cedar Waxwings, are transient at Afton, meaning that they pass through in marauding bands at all times of year searching for berries and seeds.
And still other birds, like Bluejays, Northern Cardinals, Downy Woodpeckers, and White-breasted Nuthatches, are at Afton all year round.
Mammals
Winter snow cover provides a good opportunity to learn to identify tracks. Two common animals at Afton who leave tracks that are relatively easy to identify are rabbits and deer. Rabbits’ large hind feet leave large prints that are usually side by side. Their smaller front paws may either step right next to each other, so that they sometimes blur together into one track in the snow. Other times one front paw stepped slightly in front of the other. The tracks from the hind feet are about three and a half inches long, and those from the front feet are about one inch long. Deer tracks are sort of heart-shaped, and two-and-a-half to three inches long.
Trees
The Norway Spruce is not native to the New World, but they are easy to find in the woods at Afton. The bark is reddish-gray in color. Like all spruces they have single needles attached directly to
twigs; those of the Norway Spruce are generally less than a half-inch long. The cones are papery and
break apart easily, and hang down from branches. The cones range from two to seven inches long.
Red Squirrels and other animals often pick the scales off the cones to get at the seeds.
Weather observations
Here are some weather observations from the Afton State Park area from past years.
| Friday, December 22 | 1983: record low of 20 below zero |
| Saturday, December 23 | 2020: record snowfall of 8.7 inches |
| Sunday, December 24 | 2009: record snowfall of 5.2 inches |
| Monday, December 25 | 2018: bare ground, no snow cover |
| Tuesday, December 26 | 2011: record high of 52° |
| Wednesday, December 27 | 1971: record snowfall of 6 inches |
| Thursday, December 28 | 2013: record high of 47° |
| Friday, December 29 | 1999: record high of 53° |
| Saturday, December 30 | 2019: record snowfall of 4.9 inches; 2004: record high of 51° |
| Sunday, December 31 | 2010: freezing rain and light snow |
| Monday, January 1 | 2017: high of 32° |
| Tuesday, January 2 | 1999: record snowfall of 6.1” |
| Wednesday, January 3 | 2013: high in 20s |
| Thursday, January 4 | 2023: record snowfall of 8.4 inches; 2019: record high of 47°; 2014: temperature falls through day from 20s to single digits |
Photo/Image credits
All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:
- Travis Bonovsky, MN Conservation Volunteer: Bluejay
- Michael Furtman, MN Conservation Volunteer: Dark-eyed Junco
- Dean Lokken: Meadowlark, Turkey Vulture, White-breasted Nuthatch
- Bill Marchel, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer: Deer, Deer Track
- Gary Sater: Cedar Waxwing, Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting, Northern Cardinal
- Stan Tekiela, MN Conservation Volunteer: Downy Woodpecker
