Despite a rainy and very hot summer, residents of every Fire Island community made the most of the weather and continue to call the island a paradise. And there are those who will put aside the inconvenience of what nature has in store for them and will look forward to enjoying the beach even in winter. But only a few year-round residents will remain on Fire Island. There will be no groceries, hardware stores, or doctors, and there will be few ways to leave the island. It's a quieter, more peaceful time on the island. In winter, the beaches and dunes are covered in soft white snow and you can see the shapes of driftwood and storm fences poking out of the drifts. Those few people who remain are the ones who will experience the solitude and natural beauty of winter on the beach. Only the sound of the waves and the cry of the seagulls will be heard by those who are brave enough to spend the winter. But they are not alone. The seashore is full of wildlife in the off-season. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Harbor seals, harp seals, and hooded seals may sometimes bask on the winter shoreline interrupted only occasionally by a white-tailed deer slowly leaving tracks in the snow as you explore the beach. Mammals such as whales and dolphins sometimes swim close to shore. In the frozen crevices of the salt marshes of the Great South Bay, wild ducks will call it their winter refuge. Before winter arrives, September and October will be the season when thousands of birds and monarch butterflies will make a temporary home on the barrier beach as they rest and eat to refuel in anticipation of their journey south. Additionally, more than a third of North America's bird species stop to enjoy the abundant food on coasts and forested areas. The island's rich mosaic of marsh, forest and dune habitats are prime resting areas for fall migratory birds, of which 330 species have been recorded on Fire Island alone. The tiny, short-tailed masked shrew is common throughout the island. In winter, shrews are active in the air space between the ground and the snow cover. Their nests are built in an underground chamber or under a piece of wood or log and are lined with fur. Another rodent you may notice in the quiet of the day is a white-footed mouse hopping across snowdrifts. They are active all winter and are dedicated to building snow tunnels. They are equally skilled acrobats, able to climb the thinnest stems and branches of bushes using a semi-prehensile tail for extra support. Another winter visitor to Fire Island is the cottontail rabbit. They remain brown through the winter unlike their cousins, the snowshoe hares, whose fur turns white with the onset of snow. Cottontails are rarely seen outdoors during the winter months. They seem to realize their increased vulnerability due to the stark contrast of their brown bodies with the snow. If you have a keen eye you might be able to spot one. The red fox with its heavy copper-colored coat will venture out of their dens at the base of the dunes in search of food. They will feed on dead fish and small rodents such as the meadow vole. Their tracks cross flat beaches that end in miniature cliffs sculpted by the wind. They mate in the winter and then care for their young until the summer. After mating, the female will build a den in which the family unit will live throughout the breeding season. The snowy owl, surprisingly beautiful and somewhat mysterious,.