Birds
By December, fall migration has decidedly ended, and the brief celebration that follows the arrival of winter juncos, kinglets, and creepers has faded. Woods and brush can feel eerily quiet, punctuated by the sharp warning calls of Northern Cardinals and the quick flitting of sparrows.
The most common sparrows that visit the Piedmont in winter—often lingering into early spring—include Fox, Swamp, Savannah, White-throated, and White-crowned Sparrows.
Fox Sparrows, with their rusty tails, are often seen kicking and scratching beneath winter feeders. Shy Swamp Sparrows—gray-cheeked, with an unadorned gray chest and russet wings—may be observed dipping their heads into shallow water in search of macroinvertebrates (for example, insect larvae such as stoneflies and dragonflies). Savannah Sparrows, with heavily streaked breasts and yellow marks between the eye and bill, cavort in open habitats and are known to return to their specific birthplace somewhere in Canada or the northern United States each summer—a phenomenon called natal philopatry.
The common White-throated Sparrow also shows yellow near the bill, but its clean breast, white throat, and bold black-and-white head stripes easily distinguish it from the Savannah Sparrow. White-throated Sparrows often flock in winter and may continue to croon their “Oh sweet Canada” song on crisp days. White-crowned Sparrows also have black-and-white head stripes, but they lack the yellow markings of White-throated Sparrows, and their throat and chest are a consistent medium gray. They, too, tend to flock and will scatter into shrubs as hikers approach.
Butterflies
Even in December, an occasional butterfly may be on the wing. In the Piedmont, species recorded in December include Black Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Checkered White, American Lady, and several sulphurs.
Reptiles and amphibians
Red-backed Salamanders can sometimes be found in surprising numbers on Piedmont roads in December. Chorus frogs are also occasionally heard calling mid-month, especially during warm spells.
Other insects
On warm December days, large American bird grasshoppers may spring to life. Sensitive to the heat of North Carolina summers, they often move northward in summer. They prefer grasslands and forest edges, feeding on grasses, leaves, and other herbaceous plants. Eggs are laid in a mass in the soil, where nymphs gradually work their way to the surface.
Meteor showers
Three meteor showers occur in December:
- Phoenicids (around Dec. 5; ~25 meteors/hour)
- Geminids (Dec. 13–14; up to ~60/hour)
- Ursids (around Dec. 23; ~20/hour)
The Geminids are often a highlight. In general, viewing can begin around 10 pm on Dec. 13, with activity commonly strongest in the hours after midnight and into the pre-dawn period of Dec. 14 (exact visibility depends on clouds, moonlight, and light pollution).
In bloom this month
Be on the lookout for these December fruits and flowers.
In bloom
Witch-hazel – Hamamelis virginiana
Frost asters – Symphyotrichum spp.
In fruit
Persimmon – Diospyros virginiana
Beautyberry – Callicarpa americana
Hearts-a-bustin’ – Euonymus americanus
American holly – Ilex opaca
Passionflower – Passiflora spp.
References
Cook D. 2001. The Piedmont Almanac. Chapel Hill (NC): Mystic Crow Publishing.
LeGrand HE Jr. 2009. Notes on the Butterflies of North Carolina.
Wheelwright NH, Rising JD. 1993. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). In: Poole A, Gill F, editors. The Birds of North America, No. 45. Philadelphia (PA): The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington (DC): The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Sense of Place 