Just ducky...

Walking down the Farm Road with a class this afternoon, we spotted a male mallard in the pools of water in the marsh on the north side of the road. There's probably less than 4" of water in these temporary pools created by the recent rains.

Later  in the afternoon, I spotted another mallard duck and drake in the reeds on the south side of the boardwalk. The cattails haven't sprouted yet but there are lots of dead stalks lying in the water. The mallards were waddling across them and stopping periodically to feed.

It seems that these mallards aren't too particular about the amount or location of water so long as there is a small amount to swim in.

Mallards seem very adaptable in another way. Yet again, there is a mallard duck nesting in the courtyard at Heritage E-STEM Middle School. Last year, staff had to help the ducklings and mom to leave the area. We'll keep track of what happens this year.

Extremes - but this is Minnesota, after all...

Yesterday it was warm and slightly muggy. In the evening, we were under a tornado watch. Heavy rain fell around 7:30 p.m. and again after midnight. Tornadoes were spotted west of the Twin Cities. At the same time, northeastern Minnesota was under a winter weather watch and by this morning, schools across the area were closed. In the Twin Cities, we had blasts of snow throughout the morning, although no accumulation - just snow and cold, cold winds. A winter coat, mittens and a hat felt really good. And I'm glad I was wearing my longjohns.

And this is what makes this spring so challenging - tomorrow I won't need them - we're going to be back in the 60s. Minnesota - either you love the wacky weather or you need to leave!

Hello...Good-bye

Another sign of spring - this morning I spotted a white-throated sparrow in the backyard. They migrate through and will only be around for a couple of weeks. But their appearance signals the soon-to-be departure of the juncoes. Looking back at my phenology records for the past ten years, this is the average time of spring when the white-throated sparrows return. So, all the warm weather we had in March and April doesn't seem to have impacted the travel plans of the birds. Maybe their actions are more strongly affected by the amount of sunlight we have each day than by temperature. Anyway, my records show that it is usually within two weeks of the the sparrows arrival that the juncoes head home - north. We'll see what that date actually is for this year.

What's Blooming?

As I took out the trash barrels last night, I noticed lots of plants sprouting in the garden under the spruce tree at the foot of the driveway. The wild roses are already 8" tall and there are lots of weeds, like lambs quarters, popping up. And there - among the roses and thistles - were two small milkweed plants. This is probably the earliest I've seen milkweed up.  The frost of the last few nights didn't seem to affect them. I'm not expecting to spot monarch for 6-7 weeks; if the milkweed will have lots of time to grow and be ready for the the butterflies, their eggs, and larvae.

Spring in Minnesota

Today we awoke to below freezing temperatures for the first time in a month. Given all the plant growth because of the warm weather, there were many concerns about how the the cold would affect the plants. Experts from the Arboretum stated that most of the perennials we're seeing (violets, tulips, daffodils, crocuses) are adapted to a range of temperatures and will withstand the cold just fine.  And while the fruit trees that are blooming will loose blossoms, only about 10% will die off. There are plenty that will survive to bear fruit.

Even with the strong northwest winds that made today seem more like late February than early April, I spotted blooming bleeding hearts by the farm house. Look for the lovely arches of pink heart-shaped flowers by the spruce tree. The tree and the house probably shelter the plant from the worst of the cold.

One last observation about today: I needed to wear my winter coat today. Mittens felt good against the cold breeze. As I came into my house after work, I could hear someone cutting grass. All I could picture was someone in a parka, mittens, and stocking cap pushing their mower back and forth across the lawn. Gotta love Minnesota and it's weird weather.

The bees are happy...

As you walk around the nature center, you'll notice there are lots of flowers finally blooming. Look by the farm for dandelions. While most of us consider dandelions to be a nuisance, they're important for our bees. They've been busy collecting nectar to start making a new year's batch of honey.

The lilacs below the Farm Ed. kitchen windows are open, but they don't have much fragrance yet. And look for these at the west end of the apiary trail.

Pete is responsible for starting these marsh marigolds on the north side of the apiary trail where the stream curves out of the marsh and heads west. The leaves are thick and fleshy. The flowers are bright yellow. Another name for this plant was cowslip, so named because (according to Wildflowers of Minnesota ) "the plant grew on the hummocks and cows slipped on it when they went to the stream to drink."

More Arrivals

There are lambs, piglets, and chicks at the farm. On the Farm Pond dragonflies, cormorants, and egrets are active. And in my backyard, I spotted a female red-winged blackbird and a grackle. And - a less than thrilling sighting - I found seven dandelions blooming in all their yellow glory this morning in the front yard. Time to rip some weeds out of the lawn...