Ripples by Nancy Nabak, communication coordinator

The air was black, chilled to a nice 41 degrees, and silent. So incredibly silent. But my friend and I were grateful to be one with nature while participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count.

We were looking and listening for owls in a semi-rural area.

The evening was still, but more than that. You know that type of still where the silence is almost deafening? It was that still. But we were also gifted the cusp of a full moon – so bright that everything was perfectly visible before us.

We marveled at its power, its ability to freeze us in place, leaving us staring into the night sky and pondering… Our special moon was a Cold Moon. A Cold Moon only happens every 18.6 years – when it reaches the extremes of its orbit around the earth.  The moon rises and sets at its most northerly and southerly positions on the horizon. (Thank you, Dr. Hensley, UW-Platteville!)

This majestic orb also had a glowing halo. The halo you sometimes see is an optical illusion caused by the refraction of moonlight through ice crystals in the clouds.

It was a silent night. The wish of an owl was unheard, yet it was a holy night.

The next morning, we walked through the stills of a frosted forest and prairie. We counted American Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed juncos, a few types of woodpeckers – the usual birds found here in winter. Two Red-tailed hawks were screeching at each other – one landing near the other in a tree. During courtship, it’s common that these two will call-back with each other, so there’s a good chance that we discovered a “couple.”

What we stumbled upon next was completely unexpected. We found 4 or 5 holes in the ground about the size of a baseball and some a bit bigger. The site was stunning, as it had brilliant crystals surrounding the perimeter of the holes. My buddy said, “Oh, I know what that is. A little critter in there caused this with his breath.”

There was a pond not too far away from these holes, so we did some research to figure out what it could be. The best guess we have is a mink. Mink can have dens up to 12 feet long with multiple exits. They also like to be near ponds and shorelines for fishing. Regardless of what animal caused this frozen phenomenon, it was pure art.

During this season of magic, go out where you haven’t in some time. Mark your calendar for the next full moon and really witness it. Use the birds as an excuse but take in the awe from the heavens to the earth.

photo – Nancy Nabak