Odd sculptures of driftwood, deposited by winter storms, adorn the barren shorelines. The dry, brown marsh grasses that glisten with morning frost accent meandering wetland streams. For many, it is the season to stay indoors and sit in front of a warm fire. But in this winter starkness, nature reveals itself to us. Trees bare of leaves may look lifeless but, like other living creatures, they are merely in a dormant state.
Twigs hold tightly packed buds that contain next spring's foliage.
The buds of each tree species are distinctive and, like the bark, can be used as an identification tool. Trees in winter no longer hide wildlife from our view. A red-tailed hawk perched on a bare branch is easily spotted. Naked trees also unveil last year's nests. A clump of leaves in an oak is the treetop nest for a gray squirrel.