Under Assault

For years, one of the feeders in my backyard was a fortress -virtually squirrel-proof. It sits in the center of the yard, far enough away from the lilacs, the mulberry and maple trees that squirrels aren't able to jump to it. A large baffle keeps the yard varmints from being able to schinny up the pole and into the feeder from the ground. A sanctuary for the mourning doves, chickadees, finches, and juncos who gather daily to feast on sunflower seed, cracked corn, and peanuts. And so, except for the rare occasion in winter when the snow would get deep enough so the squirrels could jump up into the feeder, it was the perfect squirrel-proof feeder. Until last week...

A new generation of squirrels have all the daring of Evil Kenieval and the acrobatic skills of the Wallendas. It took awhile to figure out how they were getting into the feeder, but using my superior observation skills (ha!), I figured it out. Imagine inching yourself out to the tip of a branch no bigger around than your pinkie finger. You begin bouncing up and down slowly, making the branch drop closer to the peak of the feeder. It's still a good five feet between the bobbing branch and the feeder, but you're a daredevil squirrel and with glee, you launch yourself off the branch. You land - SMACK - on the peak and now it's easy-peasy - let the feasting begin. At least until  a crazed human comes charging out the door to chase you from the feeder. 

This cycle of squirrels invading and me yelling went on for a few days. My brother-in-law joined the battle. He brought a pole saw and snip-snip (really more like saw-saw) the duplicitous branch was gone. Problem solved. Or so we thought. Jason wasn't gone a half an hour and - you guessed it - squirrel in the feeder. The next day the mulberry tree got a pruning. The branches closest to feeder were gone. 

You'd think it was the end of the war. For the squirrels, it was just a lost battle - the war wasn't over. These squirrels really want the seed. With the original branch gone, they switched to a higher one. Fewer squirrels are willing to risk the leap, though. Christmas Day the family watched as one squirrel after the other would scamper up the trunk, shimmy out on the branch and then debate how badly it wanted the seed. And in most cases, it would give up. But there are a few who dare. 

The war will continue. There will be days when a squirrel gets in. But not for long - my vigilance will be unending. And maybe come springtime, I'll move the feeder. There's only so many branches you can trim before you're left with a stick. 

What's in a name?

Prairie grasses run alongside the raptor mews at the nature center. The small hillside is usually unremarkable - it doesn't have the variety of forbs that the main prairie does. Most days, I walk past it and don't really think about what's there. So, that's probably why I noticed something unusual on the hillside today. During lunch, I noticed some of the grasses bobbing up and down much more enthusiastically than could be produced by the existing wind. Riding the stems and pecking at the seed heads were small birds - about a dozen of them.

The rusty cap and white on the wings helped me identify these birds: American Tree Sparrows. They're about 4" long and have a gray stripe between a black eye line and the rusty cap. They look a lot like chipping sparrows, but have a dark mark on their chest. (Notice it on the middle bird?)

When the early settlers first saw these birds, they thought they were seeing tree sparrows like those in Europe. But, as often happened, the European version was a totally different species from the North American one. This bird - the American Tree Sparrow - doesn't like trees! 

It gathers and feeds in open areas or where there are grasses and seedy plants. We're likely to spot them in winter when they move as flocks. They rarely eat at feeders, so that's why I didn't recognize this species. My backyard has lots of trees and shrubs - ironically the absolutely wrong habitat for tree sparrows. I'll keep my eyes open for them at work, since they won't be interested in my yard. 

Trampled by ...Squirrels

My backyard is covered in snow. Wednesday night it was pristine - a white blanket covering the shrubs and grasses and camouflaging the structures. It looked lovely. Thursday morning the snow was dotted with a few tenacious maple leaves, finally ripped from the trees by the strong overnight winds. But the snow was still a smooth coating over the yard. And then - Thursday afternoon: the lovely smooth surface of white was gone. There was almost no spot not stepped on, run over, or schmushed. It had been trampled - trampled by squirrels.

I've noticed more squirrels in the yard lately. It's not unusual to see six or seven at at time. And they're usually chasing each other. So, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there are tracks everywhere. It's a record of the squirrel movement throughout the backyard  over the course of a day. It might have been neat to have a camera out there recording the movements over the course of the day, but for now, here's the final view.

Signs That It Isn't Fall Anymore

 I found out in the past week that fall headed into winter sooner than I planned. There have been lots of signs that it was coming - the last of the leaves fell from the maple trees this week. All the other trees are bare, except for the ironwood in the front yard. Maybe they're like oak trees and hold their leaves all winter, dropping them in the spring to suppress competitive growth from understory plants.

Male goldfinches have molted to their drab winter coats and the juncos seem to have settled in. I packed away the garden tools and got the snow shovels ready.

There's ice on the ponds - a smooth, solid surface, but not thick enough to walk on yet. Unless you look at my rain barrel. I went to empty it yesterday and there had to be at least ten inches or more of water inside that is frozen solid. Note to self: Always drain the rain barrel by the beginning of November unless you want a very small ice skating rink.

Then I thought I should put out some of the Christmas decorations. We usually decorate one of the big flowerpots with spruce tips and red osier dogwood branches. It's simple - just push the ends of the branches into the soil. And it might be that easy if only the soil wasn't frozen solid. It took four kettles of boiling water to soften the dirt enough to be able to shove the spruce and dogwood deep enough for them to stay put. Note to self: Decorate the pots by the beginning of November.

Tomorrow is the first of December: the beginning of meteorological winter. Yah - it will really be winter. But I already guessed that given the ice and frozen pot.

Another World

I'm in Reno, Nevada, for a few days for a conference. (And no, I'm not the gambling type so the casinos don't really appeal to me. They are noisy and smoking. Ugh.) The view flying in revealed a landscape so different from what I'm used to in Minnesota. Now granted, everything was snow-covered as I left yesterday - just a light coating. But here, the land is stark. Very little green and very few trees. But there are the mountains - lots of mountains. So different - so bare and brown - but still fascinating.

One Fell Swoop

A sign of the season - leaves falling. Usually you'll see them drop one at a time, twisting and turning in the air as until they fall to the ground. On especially windy days, it can look like snow with all the leaves swirling about. But once in awhile, a tree responds differently to fall's call. Once in awhile - all the leaves drop in fell swoop. Just like the tree in the picture.

In the morning, the tree had most of its leaves. But when I saw it in the afternoon, the ground was covered with branches. They all must have dropped in a very short amount of time. And without waiting to change color.

Fall is like this - sometimes it is long and lingering, mild weather for days on end. And then - abruptly - cold winds and cloudy skies take over. A sign that winter is not far off. But then, neither is spring!

A Sure Sign of Fall

Cutting the grass in the backyard on Sunday, I heard a chipping sound. Not chipping sparrows. Not house sparrows or house finches. Could it be? Nah...

Then I spotted it - flying up from the ground to the fence. Small, gray above, white below with white on the outside of the tail. Yep - it was a junco.

According to the phenology records I keep, juncos show up on average about October 6. The latest I've ever waited for them was October 18 - the earliest September 23. So, it's not too unusual that it took until the 13th.

Juncos - snowbirds. Seeing them means it is definitely fall and the snow isn't far behind. I guess I don't mind that it took so long. We've had day after day of above average temperatures which made up for the endless winter last spring. (You remember? Snow in May?) So, I guess we deserved a lingering autumn even if it means some of our fall friends are showing up later, too. The juncos will be here awhile (a long while? )

Fall on the Prairie

Looking across the prairie yesterday, I realized it was a fall prairie. The prairie of fall has its own beauty, but a sad kind of beauty as it heralds the changes to come.

The grasses are no longer green. Instead, stalks of reddish-brown wave in the wind. The oranges of butterflyweed and purples of bergamot and anise hyssop are faded to tan and white.

The prairie sounds different, too. There are more crickets and grasshoppers singing - singing their final songs before dying. The wind rattles the dried stems and leaves of the cupplants.

And that wind carries a hint of the winter that is to come - even on a day like yesterday with warm sunshine, you can tell that winter is just out there. Waiting...

Turkey vultures and geese flew over, heading south. Goldfinches "po-ta-to chip"ped above, rising and falling on invisible trails across the prairie as they trekked from one side of the woods to the other.

Fleeting - enjoy the beauty of fall while it is here. 

Another Day on the Prairie

Yellow House was out on the Lilly Prairie today. While I was explaining the plan for the day, a group of kids started staring and pointing at the teacher. I joked and said, "What? Does she have a bug on her shoulder?" And to my surprise - she did!

Yesterday it was katydids. Today it was cicadas!

On the Prairie

It's September and that means the new class of 7th Graders from Heritage E-STEM Middle School are visiting Dodge Nature Center's Lilly Prairie as part of a year-long study of ecosystems. Today the first groups came out to make detailed observations of a group of prairie plants we'll work with throughout the year, doing various projects like identifying with dichotomous keys, determining the average number of seeds per seed head, scarifying and stratifying, and planting the seeds. 

Drizzling rain didn't deter the students (although it did make things rather soggy - my hiking boots are still wet.) It was great seeing small groups of students talking, comparing, questioning - their drawings and notes showed a lot of effort. 

As the last group of the day finished up, one of the students noticed this lovely creature hiding among the grasses. 

It's lime green body blends in seamlessly with the grasses and leaves of the flowering prairie plants. While its long legs help it jump efficiently, this one walked slowly across the tree stump where we placed it so we could watch it. Can you identify it? I "did." (hint, hint, hint...)

Bad News for Minnesota Bats

The DNR informed us today that they have found the fungus responsible for white nose syndrome in two bat caves in Minnesota - Tower Soudan Mine in northern Minnesota and Forestville in the south. This is bad -very bad.

Hibernating bats have a body temperature around 40F. They make wake up a few times during the hibernation period, but this takes a great deal of energy. Why white nose syndrome is so bad is that it affects bats during their hibernation. The fungus grows best at - that's right - 40F. And bats infected with the fungus wake up frequently. This drains the energy and fat reserves the bats have and causes them to weaken until they die. Research has shown that a bat infected with white nose syndrome will not survive. 100% certain death.

What can we do? Well, first of all, don't go from bat cave to bat cave. You might transfer the fungus. You can also provide financial support to organizations researching this problem. Keep you fingers crossed and shoes clean.

Back in Business

Technology keeps us on our toes. So, I haven't posted anything for a couple of weeks because I couldn't type anything - no cursor. Did a little research and found I needed a different browser. So, now - YEAH! I can post to the blog again.

Fuzzy and Cute, but Dangerous, too

During an class on insects yesterday, the kids spotted this fuzzy caterpillar. Looks kind of cute, huh? None of us could identify it, so after class and a quick Google search (fuzzy yellow caterpillar), we learned that this critter is the larval form of the American Dagger Moth. It likes to eat leaves from boxelders (where it is in the picture), maples, ashes, willows, birches, etc. - in other words, just about any deciduous tree. The moth is a mottled gray color - nothing too showy. The caterpillar is where its life is interesting - see those black hairs? Those contain a toxin. And if the caterpillar is handled roughly, the hairs break and release the toxin. Bad enough for a bird or woodland mammal, but it's obnoxious for humans, too. Yet another reason to follow the rule: Look with your eyes, not your hands

Whopper of a Wasp

A group of campers at the nature center spotted a group of these wasps on a downed tree in the woods southeast of the Museum. What caught their attention was both the extremely long ovipositor (over 5” long!) and the pale green sac that would sporadically inflate as they watched the wasp.

Among the questions raised by the group, (What is this? Is it dangerous? Can it sting me with that long thing?) the most asked was, “What is it doing?”

This is the time of year when the giant ichneumon wasps have mated and the females are laying eggs. This is a parasitic wasp. It is particular about the host it is looking for – a pigeon horntail larva. Ironically, pigeon horntails are also a kind of wasp. The females lay their eggs on the surface of the tree and once hatched, the larvae burrow into the wood where they will live for up to two years.

Along comes a female ichneumon wasp. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how she finds the larvae inside the tree but they suspect she is relying on smells or sounds produced by the larvae. Once she has zeroed in on a larva, she inserts her ovipositor into the tree. A sac at the base of her abdomen fills with a liquid that is released and starts to decompose the wood so she can reach the larva. The sac also helps to stabilize and support the female wasp during this time. Rotating her body to create the correct orientation, she is now able to deposit an egg on the larva. The entire process of laying one egg can take up to one hour. Once she’s done, the wasp withdraws her ovipositor and moves on to find the next victim. She’ll only live 27 days, so she doesn’t have time to waste.

The ichneumon larva develops and hatches from the egg to start feeding on the horntail larva. It stays in this stage of its life through the winter, waiting to pupate inside the tree in the spring. In June, the new adult emerges, mates, and starts the cycle again.

First Monarch

Popping all over my backyard are green stalks of whorled leaves.  The tallest are about 12" high. Break off a leaf and a sticky white liquid oozes out. A poisonous liquid for most creatures. Except for our state butterfly - monarch. So, with plenty of milkweed available, that means the monarchs can return and they have!

Wednesday was a sunny, warm day - finally after days and days of rain. At about 5 p.m., flitting around the yard was a female monarch butterfly. She stopped at several of the taller milkweed plants. When I checked the leaves later, there was one egg towards the top of one of the inner leaves.

By this time last year, the first group of eggs had already grow, pupated, and hatched as butterflies. That meant we had three hatchings of monarchs over the course of last summer. This year, hopefully, we'll get two.

But at least they are back!

Was it love? Or just a really confused bird?

So, this afternoon, naturalists spotted a female turkey standing in front of the hawk's mew. It kept walking back and forth and even jumped up on screen. When staff tried to drive it off, the turkey turned and charged. One very determined Meleagris gallopavo...

Once a group of students came into the area to attend the a raptor program in the amphitheater, the turkey left and hasn't been seen since. But you never know when it comes to love, so maybe the turkey will be back - keep your eyes open.

Time for a Change

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the prescribed burn we had on the main prairie. Since that time, I've taken a picture of the prairie once a week, standing on the amphitheater platform looking northward. Here's what lots of rain and cool temperatures do to a regenerating grassland.

         April 29 - day of the burn                                   May 13

                     May 23                                                 May 29

                                                      June 4

                           

And so spring winds down...

We  mark the start of spring in many ways - the first sighting of a particular bird or blooming plant, packing away winter gear, when we reach the point of the vernal equinox, or when meteorological spring starts on March 1st. That's when the nature center began its Signs of Spring contest - 89 days ago. But what a spring it's been.

According to the KARE-11 weather team, we've had below average temperatures for 65 of those days. That means that for 73% of this spring, it's been cool - downright cold at times. Things are green, but the ground isn't particularly warm yet, so, even though we're past Memorial Day weekend - the tradition weekend to plant gardens - I don't feel bad at all. Nothing's ready to grow.

We wrap up this season of endless cold and rain in two days - I never thought I'd be so glad to see spring end!

Look closely and you'll see...

What a week at the nature center! There's been lots of rain (lots and lots and lots...), but it hasn't stopped animals from being active.

Monday afternoon, second graders from an area school were doing an aquatics class. We were taking samples from an ephemeral pond (one that dries up by the end of spring) and found fairy shrimp. They are tiny - less than one inch long. I didn't take this picture (didn't have a camera with me) but we were fascinated by the ways the fairy shrimp moved. The feathery gills fluttered like they were doing the wave - from the head to the tail and back towards the head. Very cool...

On Tuesday, I was at the Lilly Property with the Heritage E-STEM 7th graders doing prairie studies. While walking down one of the main trails, we spotted a fawn - not more than three feet off the path. This gave us a great opportunity to have the students apply what they'd recently learned about natural selection - what the advantage is to a species to have the young all be born at the same time. We talked about the way fawns defend themselves and saw this played out when the second group of students came out later in the morning . Since it really can't fight to protect itself, a fawn will remain still and try to blend in. That strategy hadn't really work since it was right next to the trail and we could all see it. But by the time the second group came out, the fawn had moved (or been moved by mom). The students (while looking for live traps we had set) found the fawn - hunkered down in more of a brushy area nearer to the woods. We haven't seen it since Tuesday, but assume it is alive and well.

Crossing and recrossing the prairie, I've spotted garter snakes - two smaller ones (about a foot long) and one biggie - almost three feet long!

There have been lots of ticks - mostly wood ticks (dog ticks), but some deer ticks, too. (Feeling itchy now?) Waiting for the bus to arrive today with yet another group of 7th graders, I saw this insect on the curbing. What a fabulous color -

And finally - the main section of the Lilly Prairie was burned today. The very last group of 7th graders to come out today got to see the beginning of the burn. The person in charge of the burn, Craig, stopped by and talked with the class about the impact fire has on prairie plants. What a great way to end an amazing week.

Busy as ...Birds!

On both of the past two days, I've spotted over 15 different kinds of birds in my backyard. It's like an oasis for the migrating warblers and other songbirds passing through the area as they head to their summer homes.

The regulars turn up every day - downy and hairy woodpeckers, the red-bellied woodpecker, blue jays and cardinals, mourning doves, house sparrows, house finches, and goldfinches. Some others have become regulars - like the pine siskins (how much longer will they stay before they, too, head north?), the male and female cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds.

But the new visitors are ones I look for each spring, knowing they will be here for a short time only. Regular as clockwork, once juncoes are gone the chipping sparrows return. These tiny LBBs are easy to spot because of the tops of their heads are rusty colored.

Another visitor had me really confused for a while. At first, I thought was still seeing juncoes (which I hadn't seen since Sunday, May 5). Hopping around on the ground were small birds with grayish heads - but using binoculars I noticed black stripes on the wings and yellow near the tail. The location of the yellow was the clue - I was seeing yellow-rumped warblers (formerly known as myrtle warblers).

Another visitor was a large reddish-brown bird. It stayed on the far side of the fence in the backyard and kept going in and out of the brushpile. Secretive, but not rare - here was a brown thrasher. Its yellow eyes gives it an intimidating gaze, but the bird seemed more concerned with looking for insects than in establishing territory.

The last of these current visitors came as pairs. The female was easy to overlook because it resembles a sparrow. A really big sparrow with a big beak. Her partner is striking - black and white wings and a blood red patch on its chest. Yes, the rose-breasted grosbeaks are back.

\

I know they won't stick around - even with the variety of foods available in my backyard. But it is exciting to spot them and know spring is happening. (Even after getting another burst of snow today - yes, snow - on the 11th of May.) 



Signs of the Time

Well, I took the plunge and yes- I really did it. I packed away the snow shovels. I know, I know - this is tempting fate, especially considering that we had measurable snow just last week. But it's time to take a stand. The only way to end this perpetual winter is to pack away winter gear. So, the shovels went up into the loft, the mittens, hats, and winter coat were washed and placed back in the closet, and I've switched from jeans to shorts.

Nature seems ready for it to be spring, too. Today, crossing the boardwalk at the nature center, there were male red-winged blackbirds calling and posturing everywhere. Many of them were landing on the railings of the boardwalk, giving me an excellent view of their spring finery. The best sighting was a pair of muskrats. Just past the north platform, out in the cattails, I heard loud rustling. Suddenly, two muskrats came rushing out of a mound of cattails, one chasing the other. Territorial fighting or muskrat love? I'm not sure, but it was amazing to see them up so close. The only downside was not having a camera. But then again, maybe that's why I saw so much - it always seems lots happen when there's no way to permanently record what you see. Oh, well...

Prairie A-Light

The snow is mostly gone and for the fourth day, we've had temperatures above 70F.  The icing on the cake today was getting to see the prairie by the Main Office building being burned. Prairies need to occasionally be burned in order to get rid of thatch from the dead forbs and grasses and kill off any trees that are trying to establish themselves. The ash will act like fertilizer and the now-dark soil will warm quickly helping the plants to sprout and grow.

This is the part of the prairie near the ephemeral pond west of the office building.

Is it finally over?

The skies cleared and sunshine sparkled off the fresh coating of snow. Tracks criss-crossed the nature center grounds. As the day wore on, you could listen to clumps of snow falling to the ground leaving tracks of their own on the landscape.

So, does this describe December? February? No - it was this morning. I think I have a much better understanding of how Phil Connors of Groundhog Day felt. For Minnesotans, winter has never gone. We wake up each day to temperatures in the 20s or 30s that almost never go above 50F. And if we do have a warm day, within 48 hours we get snow. Last Thursday we got around 5". And then again yesterday it snowed another 5". Things are so weird we're having tornado drills while it's blizzarding outside. How's that for how odd this winter has been?

There is a theory that all the systems of Earth (e.g. hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, etc.) need to stay in balance. So, if one area gets overly hot, it will be especially cooler in another area. If there is excessive rain in one part of the world, it will be balanced by drought somewhere else. I'm thinking Mother Nature is just balancing things out from last spring. We had a fabulous warm early spring last year, so...yes, she's holding back spring this year to balance things out.

So, maybe next year will be back to normal. It can't be any worse than this one. (I mean really - we're supposed to have snow again tomorrow and highs of 70F on Sunday.)

All thawed out and ready for love

Yesterday, for the first time in ten days, we had fabulous, glorious sunshine. Not just the occasional glimpse as clouds parted briefly before covering the sky again. No, this was wonderful warm sunshine - for the whole afternoon.

And by late afternoon, naturalists around the nature center were hearing the call of the first of the year's amphibians to reawaken after being frozen all winter - the chorus frogs were calling! Three naturalists in three different areas heard the distinctive "brrup...brrup...brrup..." coming from the partially melted marshes near the still ice-covered ponds.

Chorus frogs are one of the kinds of frogs that actually freeze solid over the winter. In the fall, they burrow under leaves and mud. As the ground freezes and ice crystals touch its skin, chemical reactions inside the frog start making an "antifreeze." This "antifreeze" substance protects the cells and organs by preventing ice crystals from forming that would grow and burst the cells. Eventually, the frog's heart stops beating and all other organs stop, too. It seems dead, but given the right conditions (e.g. warm temperatures) the chemical breaks down and the frog thaws. And begins calling right away looking for a mate.

Yup - that's how small a chorus frog is - only about an inch long. So you are much more likely to hear them then to see them. And for being so little, they can make a lot of noise.

After the storms end in a couple of days (yes, winter storm advisories AGAIN - will this winter never end?) and the sun returns, head out to a marsh or pond and listen carefully. Listen for what sounds like someone running their finger up the teeth of a comb. That's a chorus frog - singing a love song - a spring song.

Anyone have a magical wardrobe?

Do you know C.S. Lewis's book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe ? It's set in England during WWII. Four children, evacuated from London, spend time at an old house in the country. One day while playing hide-and-seek, they end up in a wardrobe (a big wooden cabinet) that takes them to another world. The land is enchanted by a witch that's made it winter, but never Christmas. And that is what it feels like as it snows again today. Winter with no Christmas.

I mean, really - snow, snow, and more snow. Even the winter of 2011 (2nd snowiest winter ever since they started keeping records) had a spring-like April: temperatures in the 60s with an occasional 70F. Yes, there was snow - in fact, on May 2nd. But it didn't snow every day. The temperatures weren't stuck in the 30s. The ground thawed.

And there isn't even any kind of event happening this month to relieve the monotony. Easter already happened. Memorial Day is six weeks away. And Tax Day doesn't count.

Yah, yah - I know I keep talking about the weather in these posts. But that is what is happening - as sucky as it is. April showers bring May flowers. And May is only sixteen days away. Maybe it will warm up in May. Maybe...

Snowmeggedon

It's April - the time you'd expect grass to be greening up, crocuses blooming, turtles sunning themselves on logs and rocks around ice-free ponds. Ideally, that's the way things happen.

But not in Minnesota - not this spring. We're under a Winter Storm Warning - six inches of snow expected by midnight with more on the way tomorrow. Does it even make sense to call it a "Winter" Storm Watch when it's April? If it snowed in May (or even June given how things are going this year), would it still be labeled "Winter"? Is it because of the snow? Then why not just call it a Snow Storm Watch?

Lots of questions, but few answers. And the main answer we're looking for is - when will it finally, really be spring?

What's blue and white and comes in the spring?

Yesterday was an example of the kinds of extremes we typically get in Minnesota. In the morning, the nature center receptionist/registar spotted a bluebird - the first sighting this year - yeah! Then in the afternoon, it started to snow. Not just incidental flurries, but full-fledged lawn-coating snow. Now we didn't get as much as they ended up with in northern Minnesota, (Grand Rapids got 8") but it is getting redundant to see snow showers again and again and again.

Oh well, if we're confused by it all, I wonder what the birds think...

Another migrator returns

Winging their way over the Farm Pond this morning, one of the naturalist at Dodge spotted male wood ducks.  Talk about flaunting it in the spring to attract a mate - of the waterfowl, wood ducks win hands down. They have some of the most spectacular coloring of any of our Minnesota birds.

Keep an eye out for them - they're not hard to recognize!

They're Back!

Friday, March 30th: Finally - the red-winged blackbirds returned. We spotted and heard several by the Farm Pond at the nature center. My sister heard one when she was walking along the Mississippi in South St. Paul. And one of the board members spotted one when he and his wife were out walking Friday night.

Can you picture it - a huge flock of males traveling north. They reach Minnesota and spread out along the rivers and marshes to start singing and claiming territory. The females will arrive in about two weeks.

For now, enjoy the raucous "konk-a-ree!"

Finally - a definite sign of Spring at the Nature Center

I've been waiting to post until we spotted a sign of Spring at the nature center. We started watching March 1 and today finally - almost at the end of the month - a returning migrator. One of the Naturalist Fellows was out with a group of students and they saw a Great Blue Heron flying overhead. Wahoo!

Now I was banking on red-winged blackbirds arriving in the past week - they're usually the first to arrive in mid-March. But I'm not disappointed. I'm just glad to see things are changing. Temperatures in the 50s and returning birds - she's taking her time, but Spring has finally arrived.

It's Spring! It's Spring?

There's more than half a foot of snow covering the ground. Strong winds of the past two days have created knee-deep drifts. Dragon's teeth icicles are posed on gutters, waiting for their chance to impale the ground beneath. Temperatures dance between single digits and the teens.

Am I describing January? February? No - I am describing the first day of Spring - today. Where is our typical Spring? The jet stream continues to stray to the south, allowing cold air from Canada to ooze southward. When it meets up with the snow-covered ground, what we're left with is cold, cold, and more cold.  The sun's strength is the same as we experience in September, but all that snow and frozen ground leaves us with this endless winter.

It wasn't the coldest start to the first day of Spring ever in Minnesota. That record goes to March 20, 1965 when the day started at -9F and barely reached into the single digits. But today puts us in the top ten coldest starts to Spring. Yeah! (spoken facetiously, of course.)

A year ago

You remember Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day? When he finally flips out and says something like "This winter is never going to end..."?

That's how I feel right about now. Especially thinking back to a year ago today - we set a record high temperature: 80F. We shut off the furnace and forgot to turn it back on that night and it didn't matter. It was gorgeous! (Okay - the warm temps did mean a crappy maple syruping season, but winter was over at least.)

Today, in 2013, it's yet another day of below average temperatures with another snowstorm on the way. I've lost two mittens from different pairs so far this winter. And I'm tired of wearing longjohns.

Remind me of how much I wanted winter to be over when we've hit our seventeenth day of over 90F.

So exactly who is it that wants Daylight Saving Time?

Tomorrow morning at 2 a.m., the clocks need to "spring ahead" as Daylight Saving Time goes into effect. It's murder to have to get up one hour earlier - worse than jet lag. It seems like it takes forever to adjust to the time change. So why do we do this, you ask?

An author named Michael Downing was curious, too. He researched the history of DST and wrote a book (Spring Forward) explaining it all. What it comes down to is that merchants and sports organizations were the force behind changing time. Not farmers - they hated it. And not ordinary people. DST was driven by greed - if it's light later at night, people will be more likely to go out shopping. Downing explains that DST has always been controversial, not just in the U.S., but around the world. There's no good reason why we do it. Remember that Monday morning as you're crawling out of bed at an ungodly hour.

Water, water, everywhere...

Came to work today and spotted a large pool of water (still liquid) alongside the entryway as I drove in.

Turned into the parking lot to see it awash - a stream flowing across the frozen ground towards West Nile Park (the area in the center that holds water in the spring as a breeding ground for mosquitoes). A water main break! (The city's responsibility, fortunately...)

Water flowing across the parking lot

A group of the naturalists followed the flowing water - it must have been running quite awhile since it meandered toward the preschool and into the Farm Pond. An amazing sight and sound -to hear the gurgling of flowing water while snow falls.


Water filling the ephemeral creek behind the Museum/Lab



Standing on bridge near Preschool facing west



Water on top of ice in the Farm Pond



Strange Stains in the Snow

About a month ago, I started noticing spots like the one in the photo above around my yard. The color isn't exaggerated - it's really that blue. Like mouthwash. Or antifreeze. But I don't imagine that something worrying about fresh breath is rinsing and spitting in the back yard or that some nut is pouring antifreeze around on the snow. The patches reminded me of something I saw at the nature center about ten years ago.

I was hiking with a group of students when we spotted a patch of blue snow. It was near juniper bushes. After the class was over, I did some research and learned that if rabbits eat juniper berries it can turn their urine blue.

Looking at the stains in my backyard, I was pretty sure rabbits were responsible. As I explained in earlier posts, my yard has been overrun with rabbits this winter. Any time it snows overnight, the yard is trampled with rabbit tracks by morning. So, the source of the blue patches seemed most likely to be rabbits. But not because they were eating juniper berries - there aren't any junipers in the area. Time to do some research again.

Since the last time I looked up information on-line (early in the 2000s), some new ideas have been found. According to an article published by the Ontario Woodlot Association, when rabbits are desperate for food, they'll eat bark from things they would avoid otherwise - stuff like buckthorn. (Ah, yes - wonderful buckthorn.) The author of the paper did an experiment - he feed pet rabbits buckthorn. Once they peed in the snow, the color went from yellow-brown to bright blue within about ten minutes on sunny days. (www.ont-woodlot-assoc.org/sw_nonfibre_redskies.html) I know there's buckthorn around and the amount of snow could make it challenging for the rabbits. So, I think the mystery is solved. Now if only the nibbling would kill off the buckthorn...

Can Spring Be Far Off?

The end of winter is in sight – really. This coming Friday, March 1, begins meteorological spring so it’s time to start watching for the return of our migrating and hibernating critters and the emergence of dormant plants. Dodge Nature Center is doing more than just watching – we’re sponsoring a contest to see who can do the best job of predicting when we see those first blooms and returning animals. Go to the website below to download the contest form.

www.dodgenaturecenter.org/attachments/Signs%20of%20Spring%20Contest%202013.pdf

Look over the list of events in the table and place an “X” in the box of the week you think will be the first time the event happens or is the first sighting of the animal on Dodge Nature Center’s Main Property. Dodge naturalists will determine the actual dates of the events/sightings.

Email your contest form to troot@dodgenaturecenter.org by Tuesday, February 26, 2013. Late entries will not be accepted.

Winners will be notified on Monday, June 3, 2013 and prizes will be awarded to the three individuals with the most correct guesses.

Join the fun as Dodge watches spring unfold!



Apple Blossoms





It's Time for the Great Backyard Bird Count!

Do you enjoy watching the birds? Would you like to help scientists better understand the world of birds?  Then become a particitpant in this year's Great Backyard Bird Count! From the GBBC website:

Today through Monday, February 18, we invite you to be part of this massive citizen-science effort. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) helps scientists learn where birds are in winter. Join tens of thousands of fellow bird watchers from around the world by counting the number of individuals of each species you saw during a single counting session (of at least 15 minutes) and submitting your checklist to www.birdcount.org. You can report any birds you see, even those birds flying overhead. Submit a new checklist for each day and for each new location. You can count in as many locations as you like. Just be sure to enter a new list for each site.

This year the GBBC is being integrated with the eBird online checklist system—which means that the count will be global for the first time. Anyone, anywhere, with Internet access can take part in the count. If you already participate in Project FeederWatch or another Cornell Lab citizen science project, you will not need to create a new account for the GBBC. To enter counts to the GBBC, go to www.birdcount.org, and you’ll be prompted to enter your login information. Then you’ll select your location on a map, answer a few questions, enter your tallies, and share your sightings with others around the world.

GBBC Participant Perks

Drawing Prizes

Don't forget to check out some of the great prizes you could win just by taking part in the GBBC. We'll award prizes in a random drawing from among all participants.

Birding App Special

A special GBBC offer on the BirdLog app is available through the February 18. You can get the BirdLog app for iPhone (iOS4 and higher) and Android smartphones for just 99 cents. BirdLog allows you to upload your sightings from the field into the free eBird online checklist program as well as the GBBC. Take it for a test flight today!

Software Deal

GBBC participants can also get a special deal from Thayer Software. You'll receive a 20% discount on Thayer Birding Software DVDs at the OnlineNatureMall. Just enter the promotional code “GBBC” at checkout. Offer valid now through March 30.

Please consider participating in this free, fun, late-winter bird count!

Beautiful World

Fresh snow - blue skies - pictures can't quite capture the beauty of this morning. But check out these shots to see how this spectacular day began.

Curved Ice

Fresh snow, sunshine, and warmer temperatures this week have created fabulous icicles along the eaves of the office building roof here at Dodge Nature Center. Some are short, some smooth, some bumpy, some are long and thin, and some are curved. Right there in the middle of a row of straight icicles is one that is bent. Odd.

According to an article entitled “Why Icicles Are Long And Thin: Mathematical Physics Explains How Icicles Grow” (www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0202-why_icicles_are_long_and_thin.htm), scientists have figured out a mathematical formula describing the process behind the formation of icicles. Basically, you start with melting snow. “As water drips onto an icicle and freezes, it releases heat. The warm air rises up the sides of the icicle. (University of Arizona Physicist Martin) Short says that warm air layer acts like a blanket that's an insulator, and so the blanket is very thin near the tip and thick at the top. That allows the top to grow very slowly and the tip to grow rapidly -- creating a long, thin icicle.” Kind of similar to how stalactites form in caves – only with calcium left behind as water evaporates.

So what makes some icicles bumpy and others curved? I didn’t find anything that specifically, scientifically answered the question, but wind must play a role. That’s how you get variety like these icicles on the office building.

              

Read more about how icicles form at these websites:

http://www.livescience.com/1074-icicle-formation-mystery-solved.html

Icicle Formation Mystery Solved

http://weatherjackwilliams.com/snowy-science-lessons/

Snowy Science Lessons by Jack Williams

A Hare-Raising Time

It's snowed every night for the past four - and every morning the backyard is trampled with tracks. Whose tracks you ask? Well, tracks from Roger, Bugs, Thumper, Peter, and all their relatives.

Rabbits everywhere. They're there at dusk. They're there at 3:00 a.m. They're there at dawn. And then they go away during daylight.

They're browsing under the birdfeeders (which I don't mind) and snacking on the rose bushes (which I do mind but shows how desperate they are for food.)

Maybe it's time to fix the gate along the fence - to keep them out. Maybe...



Surviving the Cold

Even during the howling winds last Saturday, the sub-zero temperatures we've been experiencing don't seem to slow down the birds and mammals. Look carefully at the light dusting of snow that fell overnight - tracks everywhere! Rabbits and squirrels stay busy scavenging for food. Juncoes and house sparrows leave their signatures under the feeders and across the yard. Watching these creatures, it's easy to understand how "survival of the fittest" works.

Not so bad

Well, it didn't get as cold as they predicted yesterday. This morning started out at about -2F. The winds have stopped howling and the sun keeps peeking out.

Being a born-and-bred Minnesotan, I was hoping for it to get cold - really cold. Like -20F cold. During the day.

Maybe tomorrow...

The bottom drops out...

The morning started out unseasonably warm. By noon, it was in the upper 30s. Clouds covered the sky, but it had that "spring is around the corner" feeling. At least it did until 1:30 p.m when the winds switched around to the northwest and began gusting at 45 m.p.h. They blew away the clouds for a short time, but more filled in the sky as the temperatures plummeted from 41F to 17F by 5 p.m. (Windchills are around -3F.) Ah, Minnesota! Stay tuned for what else she blows our way.

Project FeederWatch

Sunday was a blur of activity as birds zoomed between the feeders and bushes in the backyard. This was fabulous for two reasons. One - it's always entertaining and educational watching the interactions and behaviors of the various types of birds. Two- it was a FeederWatch day.

What's FeederWatch? It's a citizen science program directed by Cornell's Lab of Ornithology that gathers data about populations of birds during the winter. People across North America spend two consecutive days each week recording the types and numbers of birds at their feeders. You can watch for 30 minutes to all day. Project FeederWatch runs from November to April. It's a great activity for the whole family.

I've participated for over ten years now and doing this has not only improved my observation skills , but also made me feel great about helping scientists understand what is happening to bird populations. Often, what I see happening at my feeders reflects the bigger trends being seen across the Upper Midwest.

So, that's why I was so excited about what was happening Sunday. I had large numbers of birds - 13 different species. And one of those was a new bird in the yard. Mixed among the goldfinches and pine siskins were common redpolls. They're about the same size as the finches and pine siskins, but have a red cap and white, unstreaked breast. They tend to move in flocks and on Sunday, that was what was happening. A group of ten would appear, then fly off throughout the morning and afternoon.

I'm lucky to have the action I usually do at my feeders - but to spot a new bird, especially in winter - what an experience.

Check out FeederWatch - it's easy and fun!
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/

January Rain

It's raining. It's January and it's raining. Not mist, not drizzle - but a hard, driving need-the-wipers-on-top-speed kind of rain. It's going to make the morning commute interesting since the water is already pooling on the sides of the road. Fortunately, the temperature is going to stay above freezing.

The Waning Moon

The morning sky was changing from inky black to deep blue. And just above the eastern horizon, the waning moon stood out - a thin crescent of intense white light. Moving around us, completing its monthly journey, we see less and less of the moon until it becomes "new" on the 11th. While a full moon commands our attention through its dominance of evening skies, the new moon is also impressive, but in a subtle, alluring way.

Rabbits by Moonlight

No, this isn't some weird Food Network recipe. It's what I've been seeing in my backyard the past week.

The rabbits are cautious and are only around once it's dark. Even without turning on lights, I can spot the rabbit - it's a dark lump in the backyard where there shouldn't be one. And the dark spot moves occassionally.

The snow in the backyard is trampled with tracks from rabbits and squirrels. The rabbits have the night shift - the squirrels work during the day. Another difference is that the squirrels visit as a group - there were ten there one day last week. But the rabbits always show up only one at a time.

Different times to feed - different strategies for looking for food.