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A rove beetle is proof that something you might first take for a nondescript creepy crawly creature has astounding capabilities. It all has to do with their wings.

The Hermit Thrush blends well into the winter landscape. Its head and back are medium-brown and are accented by a warm, rufous tail. Its breast is patterned with brown spots that appear slightly smudged.

Small winter stoneflies are an intrepid group built to emerge as adults in the winter. To survive the chill, they create their own antifreeze. In fact, they’re so acclimated to the cold that they estivate—which is like hibernating—in the summer. 

Chipmunks are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. You will see this pocket-sized Townsend’s chipmunk quietly scampering over the forest floor as it curiously searches for food.

The white-crossed seed bug (Neacoryphus bicrucis), like a lot of true bugs, lives through the winter as an adult and this one, at least, was living at Mount Pisgah last week. Where it spends the rest of the year is anyone’s guess.