Kaw Valley Almanac

With dry weather across the state, the winter mushroom, the puffball, is fully mature and dried out, looking a little like a biscuit on the ground (left). Step on it (right) and you’ll see the “puff” of spores.

Conservation Reserve Program grasslands require periodic burns to slow woody plant incursion, as well as in native prairie remnants and brome pastures.

“This crocus was photographed on Feb. 21, 2016, and I have photos of the same crocus in the warm, dry year of 2012 on Feb. 5. This year it was March 1,” Ken Lassman writes.

Most years, opossums, bobcats, raccoons, cottontails, muskrats and coyotes are beginning to mate now, while foxes, squirrels and beavers are most likely already pregnant.

Another round of snow is in store for much of the state. Songbirds and squirrels have a harder time finding food, which is why it’s helpful to put out bird seed in your bird feeder or along your deck handrail.

Migratory waterfowl are the major vector for avian flu, and this winter, KDWP’s internal database has reported more than 18,000 wild birds suspected of having the disease.

Look for eagles flying overhead, perched in cottonwoods or even checking out their large nests. Current census estimates that there are 3,000 eagles in the state.

Snow remaining between grass clumps and on shaded and north-facing slopes, along with icy patches on gravel roads, will not be going away the first half of the week with frigid temps.

Recent ice, followed by a snow, followed by some melting has created ideal conditions for slick gravel roads in the mornings in parts of the state. Daytime melting can wet a road for refreezing at night.

A titmouse looks up from a birdfeeder full of black sunflower seeds. It is OK to feed the birds this winter despite the presence of bird flu because this disease affects primarily waterfowl.

Here is a wide angle sunset photo taken on the winter solstice, when the sun is as far south on the horizon as it will get. The horizon point of sunset/sunrise will slowly start moving north.

This immature redtailed hawk has perched on an eastern red cedar branch, looking for a rabbit or rodent to eat. The leafless trees make it harder for animals to hide, but also easier to see predators.

Probably goose down, this miraculous feather helped a goose keep its temperature a toasty 104 degrees while floating in water on a subfeezing day.