A snowy day on Peaks Island greets the Christmas Bird Count ‘counters’. Poor visibility does not discourage the enthusiasm of Dan Nickerson (Raven Watcher) and Kathryn Ostermier. Every bird that dares to peek out from their shelters is identified and counted. Did anyone notice these intrepid searchers peering at your bird feeders? Dan knows where all of Peaks Island bird feeders are located and he takes advantage of the species found there. During their long search – 6 hours

The full moon on December 13 is 2016’s brightest and it is the ‘highest-up’ at midnight. Some Native American cultures call this moon the Full Cold Moon – announcing the approach of winter. Others call it the Long Nights Moon because it occurs near winter solstice. (1) On Peaks Island this full moon provides delicacies for the gulls and ducks. But, how? The full moon creates higher tides than normal, and they rise from their normal 8-9 feet to nearly 12 feet (11.8 to be exact