The more you know

2024 is a leap year which means we get an extra day on February 29 to keep our calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit which takes about 365.24 days. Every four years we add a day to make up for the extra time. Century years are only leap years if divisible by 400. Leap day is in February due to the ancient Roman calendar. Without leap years the seasons would slowly shift. Take time to enjoy the extra day with a walk or bike ride in the forest preserves.

Contrails are manmade clouds formed when hot, humid jet exhaust mixes with cold, dry air, creating ice crystals. Seen high in the sky, they resemble clouds and can last from seconds to hours depending on humidity. Contrails can spread wide, affect cloud cover, and even impact climate by reflecting sunlight and altering atmospheric chemistry. They’re most common in areas with heavy air traffic like the U.S. and Europe.

Most native bees in Illinois spend winter right here, resting in the ground, hollow stems, or under logs. Bumblebee queens hibernate alone after their colony dies, while solitary bees like mason bees develop inside nests and pause their growth until spring. You can help by growing native plants, leaving gardens “messy” for shelter, and sharing this info to support these vital pollinators.

Myths blend facts with exaggerations and misunderstandings. For example, the full moon doesn’t affect behavior; lightning can strike the same place twice; “heat lightning” is distant storm lightning; mother birds usually don’t abandon babies touched by humans; bats aren’t blind; daddy long legs aren’t venomous spiders; not all bees die after stinging; it’s never too cold to snow; and fawns have faint scents to avoid predators. These myths are widely believed but often untrue.

While many animals hibernate in winter, bald eagles begin nesting. In northern Illinois, pairs start building or fixing nests in November or December. Eggs are laid in February and hatch after 35 days. Both parents take turns incubating eggs using a special brood patch. Nesting in winter helps eggs stay warm and times fledging with peak food availability in late spring. Other birds like owls also lay eggs in late winter or early spring.

Several blue birds live in northern Illinois, including the blue jay, eastern bluebird and indigo bunting. Blue jays are larger forest birds with crests and bold markings. Eastern bluebirds are smaller grassland birds with red-orange chests. Indigo buntings are bright blue, with females a muted brown. While all are blue, each has unique traits. Blue jays stay year-round, while some bluebirds migrate. Other blue jays and bluebirds live in different U.S. regions.

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are colorful light displays caused by solar wind interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. Colors vary by altitude—blue, green, or red. Best viewed near the poles, they can occasionally be seen farther south during solar storms. Unlike predictable celestial events, they’re harder to forecast but peak during solar cycles, with activity expected to be high in 2024–2025. For the best view, head away from city lights and look north around midni

Owls hoot to communicate when trying to defend territory, warn others of danger, or when attracting mates. Most are crepuscular or nocturnal, hooting at night, dawn, or dusk. Their calls fall into one of three categories: hoots, toots, or screeches. Each species sounds unique: great horned owls hoot softly, barred owls ask, “Who cooks for you?”, and barn owls shriek. With practice, you can ID them by sound.