It’s Groundhog Day, the mid-point of winter and a very special time in western Pennsylvania when a rodent named Punxsutawney Phil comes out at dawn and tells us what to expect outdoors for the next six weeks.  He saw his shadow today so – as the legend goes – there will be six more weeks of winter.  We believe it.

Chuck Tague’s prediction is much more detailed and was ready online before Phil woke up:  a western Pennsylvania phenology for early February.

Here’s a hint of what Chuck says to look for outdoors in the coming weeks.  Click here for his full report.

• We’ll have snow and ice, quick thaws and flooding.
• The bird population is at its annual low, but don’t despair…
• When the Great Lakes freeze we’ll see more gulls and waterfowl on Pittsburgh’s rivers.
• Peregrines start courting this month!  (my own addition to the list.)
• Bald eagles and great-horned owls are on eggs now.  Watch an eagle on her nest at the Friends of Blackwater NWR Eagle cam.
• Watch for animal tracks in the snow.  You’ll be able to see where they go.
• And if you’re lucky, by a creek in the woods you’ll see pepper on the snow.  They’re springtails, nicknamed “snow fleas.”  They’re not related to fleas; they’re just that small.

(photo of Punxsutawney Phil from his very own website.  Click on Phil’s picture to read all about the Groundhog Day celebrations in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.)