February 2026 Backyard Bulletin

View the full edition at this link.

I tend to consider "normal" a mythical concept in both social and ecological terms. Everybody's different, everybody's weird. Seasons come and go differently each year and we use averages paired with imperfect memories to create a concept of normal. So, you'll have to forgive me when I say that this February has felt remarkably normal. As spring approaches, high altitude sunlight finally mustered the strength to break through the January inversion and fill our southerly windows with warmth. A few quick storms have left the alpine peaks just a bit snowier than they were last month, and cool temperatures have kept us from diving headlong into mud season. Of course, the lack of snow on the ground at the beginning of the month doesn't match my search image for February, but there's a fresh skiff of white outside as I write this, convincing me to savor these last few weeks of winter before green grass grows once again!

Speaking of savoring things, and wintertime...scavenging is an important part of the winter food web. So, I'll just issue a soft warning that this month's bulletin highlights a few stories that us humans might consider un-savory. Read at your own risk!

~ Bridger Layton, Education Programs Manager

Photo: Josh Kennedy