Written by Rachel Putnam, Kroening Nature Center Naturalist
With leaves down from the trees and summer birds already on their way south, North Mississippi Regional Park may seem quiet and deserted, but many animals are active in the park year-round. Without leaves on the trees, the big leafy nests of gray squirrels suddenly become highly visible. Squirrels use these leaf nests as shelter in the summer, but if they are not able to find a hole in a tree they might use it through the winter as well. Fall is also a great time to look for other nests left behind from the summer nesting season. Birds do not use their nests once their young are grown, but sometimes a mouse will take over an old bird nest, cover it with warm fluff, and use it as a winter home.
A good way to find evidence of the park’s year-round residents is to take a walk along the river. Beavers are active in the park and you may find their tracks leading in and out of the water. The tracks from their webbed hind feet may be almost as large as your hand, but those tracks are often hard to see because a beaver’s large flat tail drags behind and wipes away much of the tracks. Some signs of beaver activity are easier to see: look for gnawed off branches and the pointy stumps and wood chips the beavers leave behind. Other river animals such as otter, mink and muskrat also stay active and will leave tracks on the sand as they pass through.
Another place to find a lot of wildlife activity is at the Kroening Nature Center’s birdfeeders. Chickadees, woodpeckers, goldfinches, juncos, nuthatches and house finches are all common visitors at the birdfeeders, while gray squirrels are busy on the ground underneath the feeders, looking for dropped seeds. Some birds, like goldfinches, have less colorful feathers at this time of year, while birds such as blue jays and cardinals are as brightly colored as ever. Birdfeeders are a great place to watch bird behavior and learn more about these residents of the park.
Visit North Mississippi Regional Park to check out one of the upcoming programs offered at Kroening Nature Center in November, or take a walk and look for signs of wildlife in the park.
Nature Tots: Turkey Time – Saturday, November 2, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Free, ages 2-5 with an adult (activity #9939). Get ready for goofy gobbles as we discover more about turkeys! Play games and have fun investigating feathers, tail fans and feet to learn more about these big birds.
Bird Watching: Feathered Fridays – Friday, November 8, 9-10:30 a.m. $5/person, ages 18+ (activity #10148). Learn distinguishing characteristics of birds in the park while strolling through the park with a naturalist.
Family Funday: Oh Deer! – Saturday, November 9, 10:30 a.m.-noon. Free, all ages (activity #10105). Learn all about how deer live, what they eat and where they go in our parks, and make some deer antlers out of natural materials to take home.
Homeschool Day: Marvelous Maps – Thursday, November 14, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Free for residents, ages 5-12 (activity #5027). Maps are both useful and fun! Learn about common map symbols and how to read a map, go on a map-reading adventure, and practice designing a map of your own.
Nature Art: Walking Sticks and Magic Staffs – Saturday, November 16, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free, all ages (activity #9819). Take a walk to find the perfect practical support or most powerful magic staff. Then bring your stick back to the nature center to carve, decorate and make it your own!
Animal Tracking with Bill Kass – Saturday, November 23, 10 a.m.-noon. 5$/person, ages 18+ (activity #10948). Join Bill Kass to learn about how to find evidence of animals, birds and insects that make the Mississippi Regional Park their home.
Nature in Focus: Dynamic Rivers – Saturday, November 23, 1-2:30 p.m. $5/person, ages 18+ (activity #10104). The Mississippi River is dynamic and constantly changing. Take a walk along the river to find evidence of water’s power to shape the landscape, then dive into hands-on discovery with a model river.