Phenology Notes
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June 7, 2018
The spring madness of May has quieted down. The initial "wow!" of everything greening up and blooming has become commonplace. But it is June. The flowers of spring are giving way to the fruit of summer! Already some of the early fruits and vegetables are hitting the farmers' markets around the Twin Cities.
Birds are nesting and raising their young. The dragonflies and damselflies are out in full force. Tiny grasshoppers and crickets are in the fields. Summer is here....
The days in June are the longest of the year. It's after 9pm and the sky is dusky. The temperature is warm enough to be outside the entire evening. It's these days that we love to take advantage of - long light, warm weather, and early summer fun. Get outside and enjoy!!
May 24, 2018
Whoa! It is hot!!! Memorial Day Weekend is typically considered the unofficial start to summer. This year it definitely feels like summer has started! Temperatures have been creeping up close to 90 and the humidity has arrived. From here on through early next week - maybe even longer! - the temperatures will be in the 90s with high humidity. It feels like July, not May! This taste of summer is early! It should be one of the hottest Memorial Day's on record!
Meanwhile, the trees have fully leafed out and many have there seeds. Flowers are dropping and fruits are ripening. Birds have started nesting with many sitting on their first clutch of eggs of the season. Many of the migrants have moved on, but a few are sticking around.
The ponds are doing great! The little macroinvertebrates are thriving! This means that the other animals who depend on them are doing well too!
It's time to sit back and enjoy the summer-like weather. Outside is filled with nature music! Toads trilling, Tree frogs squealing, birds signing, and the breeze fluttering the leaves. It's a great time to celebrate life!
May 17, 2018
Spring caught up quick! After that slow start in April, this last week saw all the plants and birds playing catch up! The trees are flowering and leafing out very quickly! The woodland flowers are finishing up their blooms. And the birds are feasting and building nests!
And.... then there's the things that aren't so great.... I saw garlic mustard flowering today. I also swatted the first swarms of mosquitoes during a walk in the woods. And I saw my first poison ivy leaves up along the side of the trail. Yup, the seasons have changed and we are quickly pushing towards warmer summer-like weather. Spring lasted about a week this year it seems....
May 10, 2018
Major warbler fall out this week! All of a sudden this week warblers were everywhere! We have been seeing Yellow-rumped and Palm warblers around for a week or so, but now... now!!! So many warblers are here! The shorebirds have returned as well. Greater yellowlegs and sandpipers and more have been visiting the muddy flats along ponds and rivers. It's a great time to get outside and look for birds!
And suddenly it is spring too! The trees began leafing out this week and now it is green everywhere! You can find shady places under trees. The trees are flowering, the wildflowers are blooming, and dandelions are growing. Th sound of the lawnmower can be heard throughout neighborhoods. It is spring!
Spending time outdoors is heaven right now as the temperature is not too hot or cold and there is so much to see and hear! Get out to a local park or just take walk through your own neighborhood! GET OUTSIDE!!!
May 3rd, 2018
SPRING!!! The ice has finally gone out on many of the lakes completely. The waterfowl have begun to push on north to their breeding grounds. The song bird migrants have begun to arrive. The ground has now thawed. The wildflowers are beginning to bloom. The herps are coming out of hibernation. The first adult Green Darner Dragonflies were seen on Monday. Yesterday warblers were spotted throughout the metro. Spring is rushing north! The buds are bursting on the trees and the woods are getting a pale green-yellow color to them. Soon we will have shady trails. The creeks are spilling their banks with the snow melt. Rivers have flood warnings. But this will pass. It happens every spring. And it is finally spring!
April 26, 2018
Wow! Spring has arrived! I think we are clear of anymore snowstorms for the rest of season! No more snow until the fall! The weather turned warm and sunny and everyone has been rejoicing! The buds on trees are finally beginning to burst, plants are poking their green stems up through the leaf layers, and birds are incredibly active!
Because the lakes even around the Twin Cities are still frozen over, the waterfowl have been looking for open water anywhere they can find it. They have been taking over the rivers around town! The Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park was full of incredible birds this weekend and throughout the week. Pelicans, Ruddy ducks, Common loons, Eared grebes, Horned grebes, Pied-billed grebes, and even a Western grebe were on the river! Double-breasted cormorants, Coots, Hooded mergansers, Blue-winged teals, Ring-necked ducks, and Northern shovelers were all on the river. It has been a birder's paradise this week! The birds are sticking around because they won't find open water farther north where they breed. They will wait another week maybe and then move on. The weather continues to be warm with 80 degrees predicted for Monday! That should melt the ice and many lakes will be open for them soon.
It is an exciting time as we look for wildflowers, the trees leafing out, and of course the spring migratory warblers coming through! Get outside this weekend and take in the sunshine and enjoy spring!!
April 19, 2018
The winter storm came over the weekend!! Maple Grove got 22 inches of snow from Friday night to Sunday evening. It was wet, heavy snow that didn't seem to ever stop with wind gusts up to 50 mph! But... spring carries on!! Many birds did die in the storm, but many were pushed up here during their migration. On a walk down by the river, the waterfowl and the early song birds were out in full force today. Common loons, mergansers, ruddy ducks, grebes, osprey, great blue herons, song sparrows, chipping sparrows, and goldfinches were all out this morning. It is a birder's dream day!
The snow will not last long. As it is with the April sunshine as strong as the sun in August, we are melting 2-3 inches of snow a day. By Monday we should be reaching 67 degrees! We have yet to 60 degrees this spring and that is the average temperature for this time of year.
Spring will catch up to us soon. Before you know it, we will be complaining it is too hot!
April 13, 2018
Oh the winter that never ends!! This evening (Friday) on through to Sunday morning the Twin Cities metro area is under a winter storm watch. Sigh... 6 to 8 inches of snow is expected along with rain and freezing rain. Great. The ground is still frozen in many places. The 10 day forecast doesn't really see temperatures getting much higher than 45 degrees. It will take a bit for the snow to melt.
But.... the animals are still thinking spring! Reports of salamanders and snakes coming out of hibernation this week have been coming in. The osprey returned this week to the metro area. Eastern bluebirds, Golden-crowned kinglets, and Yellow-rumped warblers have all been seen as well. Ruddy ducks, Red-necked grebes, Common loons, and more waterfowl have all been spotted on the open water of the Mississippi River. Yet, all of our lakes are still iced in. I don't know when we will see ice out this year. On average ice out in the Twin Cities typically occurs in the first or second week of April. The earliest ice out date was before March 18th. The latest ice out was the last week of April into the first week of May. Where will it fall this year?
All I can say, is hunker down this weekend and read a good book. Spring should arrive in May!!
April 5, 2018
Spring where are you?!??! After Saturday's snow and Sunday's cold, there was hope that we saw the last of snow. No. On Monday afternoon it began snowing and continued all through Tuesday! The metro area saw up to 8 inches of wet snow. The spring sun has managed to melt some of the snow, but this week and into next has temperatures in the 30s and sometimes not getting above freezing. The average high for this time of year is 52 degrees. We are not the only ones suffering in the endless winter. Much of the east coast and even in the south, they are experiencing cold temperatures and snow as well. We may snap out of this by next weekend.
Still the spring songs are heard and the birds are migrating back. Golden-crowned kinglets have been seen around. Waterfowl are all over the rivers waiting for the ice to go out on the lakes. Reports of hummingbirds in southern Illinois this week have been coming in. It will be a while before we see them here in Minnesota, but spring migration continues!!
March 31, 2018
The final day of March! March is going out like a lion as we woke up to a few inches of icy, heavy slushy snow! After reaching 50 degrees two weeks ago, winter returned to us. Looks like the first week of April will feel more like the first week of March with temperatures only climbing to the high 30s.
The spring time animals don't care though!! The birds are signing their spring songs loud and clear every morning! The Red-winged blackbirds are everywhere in the wetlands shouting "conkla-ree". The robins are singing "cheerily, cheery-up" as soon as the sky starts to lighten. The year round residents are jumping in the game as well singing to stake their claim to breeding territory.
The surface of the ground is muddy for sure, but under that layer of mud the ground is still frozen. It has slowed the maple syrup season keeping a lot of that sap frozen. But on a recent wander into the woods, I saw green poking up through the mud. Little stems of plants coming through the mud. There's hope that spring will come even with the new layer of snow on the ground. March sun - do your work on melting this snow!!!
March 22, 2018
Spring officially arrived on Tuesday at 11:15am Central Time. In classic Minnesota fashion, it was snowing. The snow was light and didn't really stick and only covered the ground with a dusting that quickly melted away. However, we should see another winter storm come through at the end of the week. The snow won't amount to much and it won't last. Spring rains are coming and will melt and wash away most of the snow.
Even with the snows, outside has all kinds of signs of spring! Just stepping out the door in the morning let's you know that winter is over. This morning the red-winged blackbirds were signing along with the other local birds all singing their spring time calls establishing territory and attracting mates. Loons have been seen on the river making their way up north to the lakes and ponds where they will nest for the summer. Great blue herons have returned and have been spotted in the open waters of the smaller ponds and creeks waiting for more water to become free of ice. Still many lakes and ponds have ice, but that will change in the coming weeks for sure. Sandhill cranes are back and have been spotted doing their courtship dances.
The maple syrup season is still going too. The trees have been producing sap steadily. The season may have a chance to run through April this year. The buds have yet to open and the trees have not flowered yet, so perhaps we can stretch the collecting season through the first week of April.
The messy spring with all the mud and muck will bring wildflowers and pollinators and birds and more to us! Soon the woods will be brightening with pale green leaves that will grow and darken and provide us shade from the hot summer sun. So much to look forward to!
March 15, 2018
The glorious March sunshine is wonderful! Those stronger near-springtime rays are helping to melt the snow from the last few winter storms. The snow melt is replenishing the ponds and streams. Everything around here is rising and the trails are muddy and icy. The sap is flowing in the maple trees! The perfect temperatures are here for maple syrup making and it should last all through next week and maybe even right through the end of the month! The added snow layer is helping to make this season a little longer.
Two years ago this week it hit 70 degrees. There was definitely no snow that year. The syrup season was short. How many seasons will be more like that one in the future?
March 8, 2018
Ah.... March.... the promise of spring is in the air, yet winter let's us know it is still around! While we enjoyed above average springlike weather for a time, we went right back to winter pretty quickly. Snow and more snow fell in this last week giving us about 4 more inches around here and up to 10 inches in other parts of the greater metro area. Icy rain/snow mix with gusty winds made for a winter storm. But that March sun is wonderful!!! The angle of the rays is much stronger than it was just two months ago and the Earth is heating up much more quickly. The snow and icicles are melting even when the day's high temperature isn't getting above freezing. By this weekend we should be back above freezing during the day.
BUT.... Sandhill cranes have returned!!! The spring migration has slowly begun. Earlier this week a red-winged blackbird sighting was reported! I have yet to see or hear either of these birds, but I am keeping my ears and eyes open for these early spring migrants. In a few weeks, the calls of the Red-winged blackbirds will be heard outside my door! Very exciting!! After a long and relatively quiet winter, their calls will renew my spirit!
March 1, 2018
Happy March!!! We are in the final stretch of winter! Just in the last week signs of spring have been popping up! They are subtle signs of spring, but they are there if you know what to look for.
Last week on Thursday we got about 4 inches of snow in my neck of the woods. Then on Saturday another nearly 6 inches fell on top of that! Winter seemed to be wanting to stick around... but then on Sunday the temperatures crept above freezing and the snow was already beginning to melt. For the rest of the week, the temperatures were above freezing during the day (into the 40s!) and below freezing at night. Lots of melting by the powerful rays of the late winter sun. Already patches of grass can be seen on the sun drenched hillsides around town.
And with temperatures getting above freezing during the day, the sap in the maple trees is flowing! It is maple syrup season once again! While tapping a tree yesterday, I heard Black-capped chickadees doing their spring "fee bee" call and then two Trumpeter swans trumpeted and flew overhead. Common goldeneyes and Buffleheads have been seen on the river. And soon - next week even - the call of the Red-winged blackbird might be heard in the wetlands! Small little signs that spring is coming. Wonderful things to look forward to....
February 21, 2018
This time of year we are longing for spring. Everyone is tired of the cold and the snow. When you go outside, you look at the trees that are still slumbering away. No sign of buds swelling. The few snow free patches of exposed ground show no signs of new stems pushing up through the leaf litter. The ground is still frozen. The world still sleeps.
Yet... out on the open water of the rivers you can see that some of the waterfowl have returned. Common goldeneyes and Buffleheads can be seen bobbing on the water and diving under looking for food. They will hang around here waiting for more water to open up so they can continue their journey north.
So there is hope that spring is coming. In a few weeks, the world outside will look and sound different. I look forward to it.
February 15, 2018
Mid-February... thoughts of spring permeate the brain. Yesterday the metro area saw temps rise into the mid-40s! The snow began to melt and the sun was shining all day long. It was wonderful! People were riding their bikes and a few brave souls brought their motorcycles out for the first ride of the year. Spring is definitely on the brain!
The forecast for the next few days are seasonable with temperatures in the mid- to upper-20s. Nothing below zero for lows. By the end of the month, more days will get above freezing. This will be good for the soul. It will also be good for our maple syrup season. We need temps to be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Let's hope we get there and have a productive season!
One month from now, we should see and hear our first Red-winged blackbirds! It will be wonderful to hear those calls once again throughout the wetlands! It's hard to believe that those migrants will be back soon! I look forward to it!
February 8, 2018
The first week of February has seen below average temperatures. Everyone is a little tired of this frigid weather. However, we did get a little snow over the weekend and on Tuesday night. The snow cover is a good thing. Last year at this time we didn't have much snow and in fact experienced above average temperatures.
In some places in the country, spring is actually arriving now. In the southwest, the hummingbirds can be seen on the move. This is a little early for them. The worry is that they will migrate too soon and be stuck without food. The weather could shift back to normal winter and then the birds will be stranded and many could die.
February 1, 2018
Another month is here, but the weather seems to be the same. It is below zero this morning once again with highs expected to only reach 7 degrees today. A fresh layer of snow has covered the ground though it is only an inch at best.
January 31st saw a rare event. It was a blue moon, a super moon, a blood moon, and a lunar eclipse. That hasn't happened since 1866. The lunar eclipse occurred early Wednesday morning. As the evening came along, the clouds rolled in and obscured the full moon. Then closer to 9pm, the clouds parted and the moon was on display. It can still be seen early this morning as it is setting.
The parting of the clouds, the fierce wind that picked up, and the driving snowflakes signaled the cold front. It was in the 30s last night while walking the trails in Wirth Park. But temperatures quickly dropped. We will stay cold through next week. Winter is not over.
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. February 2nd signals the half way point between winter and spring. We are half way there! We have only 6 more weeks until the spring equinox! There is hope on the horizon!
January 25, 2018
A January snowstorm hit the Twin Cities area on Monday! Some parts of the metro got 12 inches of snow while others saw maybe an inch or two. In my neck of the woods, we got about 5 to 6 inches of snow. Enough snow to turn the landscape into a winter wonderland! The snow was wet and heavy and made roads slick for the drive around town on Monday evening. But in the end, everyone seemed to enjoy the snowfall because we were able to get outside and play in it!
The snowfall did help out with our snow deficit. We are now closer to our average snowfall amount of 30 inches by this time of year. We are at about 24 inches. Who knows what February and March will bring for snowfall? Hopefully more, because we need the spring snow melt to recharge our wetlands and riparian systems.
Lately I have been hearing the Black-capped chickadees singing their "fee bee" song. This is a late winter to spring territorial song. It feels a little early to hear this, but perhaps the birds have been finding enough food this winter that they feel secure enough to venture out on their own and establish territorial rites. The cardinals are also standing out with the male's brightly colored red plumage shining through the snowy white branches in the woods. The blue jays have been calling loudly lately too. It seems many of the birds are ready for winter to be over and spring to begin. Aren't we all?
January 18,2018
Finally we are catching a break from this frigid weather! I dare say we might even be coming out of the worst of it. After a brief January thaw last week, we went right back to the single digits. It did not feel good after experiencing those lovely warmer days. But today we will see melting of the few inches of snow we got on Sunday as temperatures sore above freezing. By Friday we should get above 40 degrees. So what snow we have on the ground will be melting into a sloppy mess.
The thaw is a good thing for the wildlife as they will not have to endure the frigid weather and they will have a chance to find some food that has been buried under the snow. More seeds will be available and they might even find some snow fleas or other hibernating insect larvae more easily.
One thing that has been noticed this winter is the number of owls seen in Minnesota - owls that normally live north of our state in Canada. These large numbers of owls are called irruptions. The owls are here because of food. They follow the cycles of the lemmings and voles in Canada. If the lemming population is really high one year, the owls will have lots of babies survive because the parents are successful hunters with all that available food. When the owls grow up, they need to find their own hunting grounds. With so many owls competing for hunting grounds, they travel farther and farther to establish hunting rights. So here they are in Minnesota, the Great Lakes, and even Massachusetts. So far this winter lots of Snowy owls have been seen as well as Northern hawk owls, and Boreal owls. Snowies have been spotted in the Twin Cities areas, but the Boreals and Northern Hawk owls have been spotted in Duluth and farther north. This is a good winter to go out searching for a glimpse of an owl! With the warmer weather upon us, take the opportunity to head out on a trail and look for an owl or two!
January 11, 2018
Oh wonderful January thaw!! After two weeks of frigid temperatures, a wonderful change swept through the Midwest. IT started on Sunday with temperatures reaching 24 degrees! By Wednesday we saw temperatures sore to 40 degrees! The little snow that we had mostly melted. But then... overnight a drizzly rain started which turned into light snow. While the metro area didn't see much snow - not even an inch - we did see temperatures drop drastically. This afternoon it will be in the single digits. There is a layer of slick ice covering everything outside. There's a fine snow blowing around outside dusting the ground. The wind is whipping. So the January thaw was brief and fleeting and we are right back into the cold.
The lack of snow is concerning. We should have an average of 24 inches of snow by now for the season. Last year on this date we had 23 inches. This year we have 7 inches. We are in a snow drought. While this may be wonderful for those who hating driving in the snow or shoveling the snow, this is not great for those of us who love it. When it is so cold you can't be outside to enjoy it and then there isn't enough to snowshoe or ski when it is warmer, it's a bummer. But it also raises concerns for the spring. Many ecosystems rely on the spring snow melt to recharge groundwater supplies and streams. The snow helps to insulate tree roots from the bitter cold, so without it some of the plants may suffer. Maple trees, for example, need the snow to insulate the roots during the winter and then provide extra moisture in the spring for the running of the sap. What will this snow deficit do to our maple syrup season? Only time will tell what will happen this spring. Maybe we will get lucky and have a major snowstorm in February to make up some ground for this snowless winter...
January 4, 2018
The new year blew in with frigid temperatures reigning! We had a few days above 0, but each day has started below 0 and many days did not get above 0. We aren't the only ones suffering. The cold temperatures are reaching all over the Eastern US and places that don't normally get cold are now seeing snow. Florida saw snow this week for the first time in 30 years. Here in Minnesota, we are just carrying on with life in the cold winter. This is week two of these frigid temps and we know that we still need to live life.
The wildlife carries on too. On the coldest days, my feeders were quiet barely seeing a woodpecker visit the suet. But on the sunny days when the wind wasn't blowing, the birds flocked to the feeders filling up on as much seed as they could. The squirrels have been digging in the thin layer of powdery snow looking for the nuts they buried in the fall. The deer are also browsing on the twigs they can find and visiting bird feeders too.
I did hear the Black=capped chickadees doing their "feebee" calls this week. I don't usually expect to hear that call until February, but there it was this week - "feebee". The "feebee" call is often territorial. They make those calls as spring approaches to let other chickadees know they are claiming an area. So.... maybe this is a good sign? Maybe the chickadees know that this cold winter weather will not last long? One can only hope...
December 30, 2017
Well, 2017 is ending on a very frigid note! This morning the temperature was -14 degrees with a winchill of -37 degrees!!! Whoo!!! That is cold!! This is Minnesota and every winter we get at least a few days this cold. Dress warm and carry on!
But what do the animals outside do when it gets this cold? How can they possibly survive out there? Well, they have many ways of coping with this cold. Migrate away seems to be the best option. But they can adapt by building up fat layers and thick warm fur. They can hibernate the winter away or go into torpor. Many mammals and birds when it is this cold will slow their metabolism down and go dormant for a bit. Chickadees will go into torpor when it is this cold conserving their energy. Or the animals might just die. That's not a great option...
Still every winter it amazes me that the animals can live out there in this cold when all I want to do is stay under the covers where it is nice and warm and not leave my house....
December 22, 2017
Yesterday was the Winter Solstice! It marks the day the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and begins to make it's way back to the north rising higher in the sky each day and giving us a few more minutes of daylight each day until the Summer Solstice in June. It is a wonderful day to welcome winter, welcome longer days, and welcome a new start!
I decided to get together with some friends for a solstice hike along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers at Fort Snelling State Park. We saw several Bald eagles - juvenile and adults - and lots of chickadees, woodpeckers, and cardinals. The highlight though was a relatively rare bird - the Carolina wren. It's rare for it to be in Minnesota. It's range is usually much farther south not even making it to Iowa regularly. But from time to time the population will expand north in the winter time. Around the Fort Snelling area and Bloomington, there have been several reports of sightings of this little brown bird with a white eye stripe. We saw our wren on the ground (as usual) picking through leaves looking for insects and seeds right next to the interpretive center. It was a delight to get a new bird species this time of year when we usually see the regular winter resident birds and not much else. The birds seem to sticking around, so if you aren't doing much over the holidays and are looking for a nice hike and some bird watching, head on over to Fort Snelling State Park and look for this delightful little wren!
December 14, 2017
Snow is falling gently. The skies are gray. It is winter. The snow that has been on the ground since Tuesday last week has been wonderful for tracking animals! I saw raccoon tracks in the snow crossing the sidewalk this morning. Opossum tracks were on the side of the drive going into work last week. Turkey tracks, fox tracks, squirrel, rabbit... it's wonderful to see those tracks and know that there are so many creatures here around us all the time!
This years seems to be a good year for owls. There are many reports of Northern hawk owls in Sax-Zim Bog. Great grays are seen frequently too. Around the Twin Cities, Snowy owls are seen as well. There have been many news stories about owl rescues in the last month. This could be another good irruption year when the owls come down to us because there hunting conditions in Canada are not great. I'm looking forward to seeing some Snowy owls this winter soon!
December 7, 2017
It is December! Meteorological winter started on December 1st, but technically winter doesn't begin until the solstice on December 21st. Tell that to the weather though! Monday (December 4th) we hit a record high of 58 degrees. The atmosphere was saturated with moisture and the fog rolled off bodies of water all over the metro area. It was lovely, yet odd to be outside sweating in our winter coats in December. The rain came and then the temperatures dropped. The rain turned to sleet which turned to snow. We now have snow covered ground and temperatures in the single digits. How quickly the weather changes!
It was so warm in the last half of November that I saw moths outside flying around. Ticks were still being found last week. On Sunday a co-worker took a picture of False Rue Anemone in bloom! I spring wildflower! The air temperature and angle of the sun and even length of day tricked that little flower into blooming! There are no pollinators for that flower and the now cold and frozen air surely killed the bloom. It is amazing how plants can be tricked into thinking it is spring.
I have friends who live on Cape Cod, MA. Every fall they get cold stunned seas turtles in Cape Cod Bay. The bay is warmer than the ocean and the turtles get shocked by the cold ocean water and literally stunned. If they cannot swim they cannot come up for air or hunt or swim. So humans step in and rescue the turtles and transport them to safety. It seems like this year is an especially hard year for the turtles. The changing temperatures happening so quickly mean more turtles will be stunned and might not make it. I wish all the luck in the world to my friends out there saving the turtles.
November 30, 2017
We still have our warm weather! It was nearly 60 on Monday, but things have returned to cooler - yet still above average - 40s. Everyone is taking advantage of these warm days getting outside, decorating, and still bike riding and motorcycle riding!
This warm weather did bring a surprise - deer ticks. During a program on orienteering this week, a parent chaperone found a deer tick on her. Yes we were tromping around in the woods and tall grasses, but it's late November and no one expects to find ticks out still. With the warm weather and no long term severe freezes, the ticks are surviving. They are the winner when it comes to climate change. Their population will not die back each winter if it stays warm. More ticks, more tick borne illnesses for people and animals. It's a good reminder for us to check ourselves and pets for these pesky little arachnids.
November 24, 2017
Aaahhh...... We are pleasantly warm this week! November is ending with temperatures more like September. The month started off below average and now we are looking at ending it above average. This morning I took a walk down along the river to look for waterfowl and winter finches. I only saw mallards and the usual year round birds - chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers. The crows were cawing up a storm on the other side of the river, but I couldn't tell what was bothering them.
I did see a few surprises though - some small moths and a fly that landed right on me. With the warmer temperatures, these insects might have come out of dormancy to look for food. I don't know how much of it they will find. No flowers in bloom and the most of the seeds have blown away at this this point.
There's light rain falling now outside.
I'm enjoying the late November warmth and wondering what December will bring....
November 19, 2017
Things have warmed up once again! More seasonable anyhow. The sun has come out. It's been several days in the gray days of November.
There are still ducks to be seen on the open water of the ponds. Any ice that had formed on the ponds and lakes has thawed.
Chickadees are beginning to flock together in their winter groups. They do this to stay warm, find food together and there's safety in numbers when they are more easily spotted in the winter month without the leaves on the trees.
A Great-horned owl was heard around 4pm on Thursday. They are hooting for territory as the winter approaches and their mating season begins.
While it may seem like nature is going quiet for the winter, it is not. Hike quietly through the woods or along the river or spend time in dormant prairie and you will discover nature is still going strong. No flowers or insects, but the birds and mammals are busy preparing for the worst winter has to offer.
November 9, 2017
This week the Twin Cities is experiencing below normal temperatures. One year ago, the weather was more early September-like than early November with temps in the 70s. Snow was far from anyone's mind. This year is has already snowed a few times - just a few inches of wet sloppy snow that melted within a less than a day - and the wind has been howling outside. Tonight will be the coldest night so far this season with the low reaching the single digits.
Ice has already formed on many ponds and lakes. Thick enough to whack it with a stick and not have it break. The ground is not yet frozen, but the top layer is frosting and freezing and then thawing as we get warmer through the day. Insects have gone quiet. Birds have moved on. We are in mid-fall technically, but winter seems to be grabbing hold tight.
Next week promises to be warmer with more seasonable temperatures. Will we have snow cover by December? Perhaps...?
November 3, 2017
The snow flurries continue off and on between bouts of drizzly rain. The gray skies seem to be a daily thing. I can't remember a sunny, blue sky day this week. But that's November... We had the coldest Halloween in 11 years this week. There are winter weather advisories for the northern and central parts of Minnesota. Temperatures hover in the 30s and maybe low 40s. Winter coats have been pulled out of storage. Boots now sit at the front door.
Last year at this time we had sunny days and temperatures in the 70s. What a change!!
Still people have been reporting sightings of Baltimore orioles still about. I saw a Ruby-crowned kinglet on Wednesday. These birds should be gone, but sometimes they do stick around this late in to the season if there is food available. I imagine they will be going soon since the cold weather seems to be here to stay. We have had several frosts and a freeze now.
The ponds have been getting thin layers of ice on them too this week for the first time. It won't be too long before the entire pond will be covered.
This weekend also marks day lights savings. We "fall back" an hour on Sunday. This means that the sun will set on Sunday at 4:55pm. Ugh... what an early night! As we get closer to the winter solstice, the days will get shorter and shorter. It will feel like we leave home in the dark and come home in the dark. This time of year is a good time to hibernate...
October 26, 2017
One week ago it was 80 degrees... Then by Monday the temperatures dropped to more seasonable temps. But now - one week after we hit 80 - snow is on the way. It won't stick, but it is the first snow flurries of the season. Usually we will get a rain snow mix by this time already. In fact, I've recorded the first snow flurries as early as October 11th. This time though the snow is not coming in just the form of flurries mixed with rain - it coming with winter storm warnings. Possibly 1-2 slushy inches will be on the ground tomorrow morning. Along the Canadian border, they are expecting 4-6 inches. The snow won't last long. The ground is not even close to frozen. It will all melt even as it hits the ground. Right now the wind is gusting and it feels like it is in the 20s outside. We haven't been this cold since early spring.
On a another note, I saw two White-faced meadowhawks (dragonflies) flying around this morning. I wonder how they will deal with the changing weather....
The Dark-eyed juncos are here to stay for the winter. I've seen them all over the place.
The future forecast does look like next week will be in the 40s and maybe 50s. Colder than what we have gotten used to, but the norm for this time of year.
October 12, 2017
After an amazing weekend with temperatures in the 70s, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings brought the first frosts to the Twin Cities metro area. It was a bit of a shock to many people after being able to walk around town without a jacket, then suddenly needing hats and mittens. But that is autumn for you. Things are back to warmer weather now with highs in the 60s and it should stay this way for a bit.
The rivers and lakes are all high. The Mississippi River has crept up the banks as heavy rains have been falling up river and here in the metro area.
Migrating birds are still slowly making their way through on their journey south. There is not much of a rush to get there like there is in the spring for their breeding grounds.
The days are rapidly getting shorter and the angle of the light is more "autumn-like". The falling leaves swirl around in the breezes and crunch under your feet. It is autumn!
October 5, 2017
Fall... It's officially here though it still feels warm. The leaves are falling and the autumn rains have come, but there has yet to be a frost or freeze here in the Twin Cities. Temps still in the 60s and the lows in the 50s maybe getting to the 40s.
Still finding snapping turtles hatching from their nests! This feels late! But with the warmer weather and September feeling more like August, the hatchlings might have gotten off schedule. Still finding tadpoles and other young creature in the ponds too. The trumpeter swans have not yet left Eastman Nature Center either. They still look gray. By the end of the month they should be gone.
The days are getting shorter faster it feels like in October. Sunset is now just after 7pm. The year is coming to a close...
September 28, 2017
Autumn arrived on Friday, September 22nd. Here in the Twin Cities the temperatures soared to over 90 degrees with dew points in the tropical 70s. Even along the North shore in Grand Marais the temps climbed in to the 70s and the air was thick with humidity. All of a sudden it was August in September. The leaves have been changing and falling while the people have been sweating.
Cooler weather is on the way, however. We will have autumn eventually.
It has been noticed that many birds have been leaving the state and many flowers are nearly done of not completely done blooming. Wasps are getting cranky as they the coming colder weather has made them search for more food sources.
As the month of September closes and October begins soon, I look forward to the first crisp, frosty morning of the season. When that will happen? I don't know...
September 15, 2017
Well what a difference a week makes! Suddenly the temps soared into the upper 80s and 90 even! We got our August weather in mid-September! The humidity has been high and the dew points steamy. And with the fires out west, we have had two straight days of air quality warnings. We were even told not to drive or mow our lawns today!
Still the leaves have been changing and dropping. The animals are still getting ready for fall and winter.
The weather will change next week starting on Sunday. We will have cooler fall-like temps. I don't think we will see 90 or even 80 again this year.
September 7, 2017
Suddenly it is fall! While the autumnal equinox is not until September 22nd, the world around us is letting us know that summer is coming to a close. Everything from cooler temperatures in 60s and 70s to the angle of the sun is signaling seasonal change.
One thing even people who don't track seasonal changes have noticed is the migration of butterflies. It's not just monarch butterflies that migrate, though they are certainly busy getting ready to go right now. On Sunday, I tagged 25 butterflies - 12 of which were wild caught! But what we also saw that day was an abundance of Painted Lady butterflies. These butterflies look somewhat similar to monarchs, but are smaller and have white on them along with dots and not stripes. Just like monarchs, these small wonders also migrate. They have been showing up in droves in people's gardens this week and the community has noticed posting photos of these insects covering their flowers on social media. It is amazing to see!
Dragonflies are also beginning to migrate as well. Dozens were seen soaring over the prairie on Sunday!
Birds of course have been migrating for weeks now, but over the weekend the shift in the winds pushed many birds south. Over the weekend, the trees and shrubs were literally shaking and bouncing with the insect eating activity of vireos and warblers! It was wonderful to see!
As fall approaches, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the change of seasons.
August 31, 2017
We have been incredibly lucky here in Minnesota this summer. It never got too severely hot or humid this season. No high heat indexes for us. No extreme rain either. Sure, we had some extreme weather, but it didn't last long and didn't impact our whole summer. Yesterday it was in mid-80s and humid (though not too bad). Yet, somehow we managed to complain that it was hot and muggy. The reality is that it felt like August should feel. We have just been spoiled by cooler weather this month and this summer. Today it will get to about 73 and the dew points are low. Right now the house is open with a cool breeze coming through. Cool enough that I am wearing a sweatshirt in the house. It feels like fall outside.
On the other hand, the rest of the country is not having the same lucky weather as the Midwest. The northeast has had lots of rain this summer while the west has had hot and dry conditions. It's so bad out west that that there are countless wildfires burning 100s of thousands of the acres of forest. Friends in Montana have had to be evacuated from their homes due to the threat of wildfires.
And of course the big news story this week has been Texas and Hurricane Harvey. The category 3 storm hit the Gulf Coast and just sat there dumping feet of rain - in some places 50+ inches! - on the Houston area. That part of the country sits only about 43 feet above sea level. The area was already hit hard by lots of rain and the storm has proven to be too much. The flooding is catastrophic. This storm is just another example of the effects of climate change. More and more storms of this magnitude will be coming and causing this type of destruction. Also with our ever expanding population and growth of urban areas, we are doing more harm than good. Converting our planet's natural defenses into parking lots and malls and houses is causing the flooding to be much worse. Wetlands along the coasts prevent storm surges and absorb the storms' energy. Without those these hurricanes impact more people, wildlife, and landscapes. My hope is that we see our follies now and work to change how we exist on this planet.
August 17, 2017
The calendar still says we have one month left of summer, but tell that to nature! Just in a matter of days signs of fall have popped up if you know where to look.
The most obvious one is the leaves on the trees. Some of them are already changing colors! How can this be?!? What cues are they taken from Mother Nature? The days are getting shorter for sure. The sun now sets before 8:30pm and feels like it gets darker earlier each night. Perhaps the length of day and the angle of the sun is telling the leaves on the trees to slow down photosynthesis and pack it in for the winter.
Other clues that the season is changing? As mentioned last week, fall song bird migration and shore bird migration has begun. The birds are slowly making their way south to their winter grounds. I look forward to seeing who stops over in the coming weeks!
Another not so obvious sign of the change of seasons is the flowers. A big part of phenology is noting the bloom of flowers. I have begun to see autumn blooms!! For a few weeks now the Canada goldenrod has been blooming. Now it is showing off along roadsides and fields. The other species of goldenrod has begun to bloom as well. Stiff goldenrod is showing off in the prairies now! Also in the prairie - Bottle gentian! It's blooming now, but I tend to think of it as a September bloom. It's a few weeks early from my recollection. This fantastic purple/blue flower never full opens. It's often called Closed gentian because of this. The only insect strong enough to open the blossom is the bumblebee. It's a treat to watch the fuzzy insect pull open the stubborn petals and wiggle its way in and then back out again.
Other signs of fall? Minnesota State Fair commercials, ads for back to school shopping, and movie trailers for films that come out on Thanksgiving. The year is nearly 2/3 of the way through, but let's still live in the present soaking up all that nature has to offer.
August 10, 2017
Fall migration has begun! Just this week I have seen a fall warbler - don't ask me what species... fall warblers are tough! - and a Least sandpiper. These little birds are already slowly making their way done from their Arctic breeding grounds to Minnesota. They are filling up on the abundance of insects around the woods, wetlands, and riparian zones around here. This is just the beginning of the migration! The fall migration is not as rushed and big as the spring migration, but it is still a treat to see these birds come through once more. Soon enough, we will have our winter resident birds here.
The see a really migration of Barn swallows, click here to go the eBird.org website. The animation uses predictions based on citizen science reports of sightings from eBird users. It's pretty amazing how far these birds travel and how quickly they suddenly appear and then disappear from an area during the change of seasons.
July 31, 2017
I have noticed two things in the last few weeks:
1.) There have been several nights of mayfly hatches. These little insects start their life in the water as larva and then hatch out as winged adults. They only live for 24 hours - enough time to mate and die. So at night I have seen swarms of these little flying insects around the street lights and in the morning I find their dead bodies on the sidewalks and covering the Coon Rapids Dam walkway. Finding these insects is a good thing. Mayflies cannot handle much pollution. Their feathery gills on their abdomens would get all clogged. So knowing that there are so many mayflies around my neighborhood means that the water (the Mississippi River) is pretty clean and free of pollutants around here.
2.) I have also noticed LOTS of Japanese beetles. They are not just on plants - I even saw them on the railing of the Coon Rapids Dam walkway! These hungry - and beautiful - beetles are an invasive species from Asia. They have few predators here. There are so many here this summer that the plants look like they have been in serious fights. The leaves are chewed up and eaten away. The stems are heavy with the beetles. You would find it hard to go for a walk and not see at least one of these beetles on a plant. The reason the numbers are so high this year? We had a mild winter and a warm spring. The cold did not kill them off as it normally does each year. So now we have lots of these - they have been eating and breeding for several more months than usual. When talk about climate change, not everything loses. There are some winners like the Japanese beetle.
July 6, 2017
Summer temperatures and humidity are here!! But this weather is nothing compared to what the western third of the country is facing. Still experiencing record heat there! Meanwhile it seems to be raining all the time in the northeast part of the country. These weather patterns are a sign of climate change. Extreme weather from drought to floods to severe storms to unusual heat and cold.... it's all due to climate change.
This last week out at Crow-Hassan Park Reserve over 30 bull snakes were found in one small area - all gravid! This means they were carrying eggs. I was out at the same place and found many bull snake eggs! There is a healthy population out there once again!
June 28, 2017
It is still cool here, but today the humidity has crept up once again. The weather pattern has been this way due to a few factors: 1.) The Jet Stream was high ridge in the Pacific Northwest and a trough plunging down to nearly the Gulf of Mexico. 2.) Tropical Storm Cindy hit the Gulf Coast and pushed up the east coast. 3.) The High Pressure ridge kept all the heat from the west and the rain in the east away from here. Now a Low Pressure system has arrived and rain came. The dew point rose to the 60s and the winds picked up.
The cooler weather has really only tricked people. The plants and animals are not fooled. They are still blooming, nesting, hunting, and growing.
June 25, 2017
What a change! This weekend the weather has turned cool. The southwest and now even the Pacific northwest are experiencing extreme record heat (Phoenix was 126 degrees earlier this week!), but here in Minnesota we are barely reaching 70 degrees.
The summer solstice was on Tuesday night with the first full day of summer on Wednesday. That means that the days will be getting shorter as we orbit the sun and make our way slowly to the winter solstice. It is still light at 9:30pm and it is wonderful!
Many of the nesting birds have already moved on to their second brood. Rabbits as well are busy raising a second (or third!0 brood. Look for young animals venturing out on their own for the first time all around us.
The major hail storm that blew through the Twin Cities two weeks ago caused a lot of damage. I recently found out that the osprey nest failed due to the storm that weekend. I saw the osprey trying to rebuild a nest on top of the power poles at the Coon Rapids Dam. This is called a "frustration nest". I don't think they will try laying eggs again, but it does look like they will rebuild a nest. I will keep my eyes on their activity this summer and hope they return next year and have a successful nest.
June 15, 2017
Hot, humid and yucky! Not a fan of summer heat and humidity. The air has been thick out there which makes it very uncomfortable. Over the weekend, Saturday was indeed very hot with high heat indexes and very strong winds. On Sunday, all that humidity drummed up some severe storms with gusty winds and hail! It looked like it had snowed! In fact, one suburb had to call in the snow plows to plow up the hail from the streets! Crazy summer weather!
Many of the nesting birds are nearly done with their chicks. Many birds have fledged and are trying out living on their own now. The spring flowers are making way for the summer flowers. The state flower - the Showy Lady's Slipper - is in bloom right now. The prairie is beginning to show color with indigo, golden alexanders, prairie smoke, puccoon, prairie phlox, violets and lupin - lots of lupin!
Monarch butterflies are back in full force! Lots caterpillars have been found and many have already made a chrysalis! It's not hard to spot these lovelies flying around looking for milkweed!
Dragonflies and damselflies are very active right now as well. Not many nymphs are left in the ponds as most are adults. But there's a lot of egg laying happening at the ponds right now! More nymphs to come!!!
This is a great time to get outside and listen for frogs, look for nesting turtles, watch damsels and dragons fly about, look for baby birds, and just enjoy the long days!!! Get out there!
June 8, 2017
Welcome summer! Okay, it's not really summer... That isn't until June 20th.... But it feels like summer out there! Long, sunny days have been with us for a while. We've even gotten a few "summer thunderstorms" in the evenings. The temperatures have been in the 80s this week and last weekend we actually got to 90! This weekend.... that's another story.... We should get up to 97 degrees with high dew points bringing the heat indexes up to 103 degrees on Saturday! Hot and steamy!!! What does this mean for the rest of summer if we get this hot early in the season? It's hard to tell if this is a fluke or a pattern...
Meanwhile, the birds are all nesting and raising chicks. There are baby ducks, swans and geese all over the ponds and lakes in Minnesota! Woodland birds are also busy feeding their hungry chicks. Any bird hike this time of year will find a nest or two!
Turtles are nesting too! Watch out for turtles on the roadways!! The females are out looking for good sandy soil to dig a nest, lay eggs, and then return to the pond. I saw no fewer than 5 painted turtles crossing the bike path yesterday evening. Keep your eyes open for these reptiles and be careful! Drive slow!!
May 25, 2017
In the last week, Minnesota and the Twin Cities received a lot of rain. On Saturday it rained nearly all day long nonstop - sometimes a drizzle, sometimes a downpour. The result is flooding of creeks, high water levels on lakes, and no wake zones on rivers. There is a lot of standing water in the low lying areas around wetlands. This could easily mean a fierce summer of mosquitoes. Lots of habitat for those mosquito larvae to develop!
In other news, the birds are definitely here! Some of the warblers have moved on already, but many of the breeding birds are here to nest. Active nests have been spotted everywhere! Chicks have hatched and baby birds are being raised. Get out and explore the local parks looking for nests, singing birds, and baby birds especially waterfowl!
May 18, 2017
In 2008, I started working as one of the naturalists at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary. That is when I really began noticing the seasonal changes of the world. I had always taken note of when it smelled like fall, when the first snowfall would occur, when I would hear the birds singing again in the spring, and when the days were hot and sticky in the summer months. But I never really made note of specific things and kept track of them. Working at the Wildflower Garden, made me take note of when - specifically when - flowers bloomed or birds returned in the spring or left in the fall.
This year, the Yellow Lady's Slipper is blooming right now and was in bloom on Mother's Day, May 14th. Less than 10 years ago, Memorial Day was the average time these flowers could be expected to bloom. It is blooming two weeks earlier. I have noticed that the bloom has been occurring earlier by a few days each year. Now it is 2 weeks early. The plants are responding to the change in climate. While we may complain of the up and down temperatures, we cannot see the bigger picture. The winters are warmer with less snow and the plants are responding to that change.
It is feared that several migratory birds will be impacted by these changes soon. The Indigo bunting, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee and more might not be able to adapt to the changing conditions. These birds eat insects and if the insects are emerging sooner than they are arriving, there might not be a food source left for them when they return on their spring migration. Where will they go? Will they die out? Will shift their migration? How will they adapt? We don't know.
Keeping these phenology records is one way of recording these changes and having a place to start for research and for conservation. Scientists are looking at data and determining what can be done to help our ecosystems. Stopping climate change all together is not an option at this point. What's done is done. But we can slow it. We can change our ways and work on restoring what we have destroyed.
Meanwhile, the weather here has gone back to chilly April like temperatures and rain. It went from humid and 80 degrees to windy, rainy and 50 degrees. Brrr.....
May 11, 2017
Okay, now spring is here! It always seems to take a while to get here for real, but when it happens it comes all at once. Such a change from last week when we had snow flurries!! This week, the lilacs are blooming, the trees are really leafing out, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the insects are buzzing!
I have been waiting for more migratory birds to return, but it has all been quiet. Then on Monday night we got some wonderful thunderstorms from the south. This pushed the migrating birds north and there was an incredible "fall out"! This is when the birds are swept up in a moving weather front and then dropped into an area. They stop to catch their breath, eat, and move on. The warblers suddenly appeared!! Birders across Minnesota counted dozens of species on their birds walks on Tuesday!
Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day. There are many events happening everywhere including the start of the Twin Cities Urban Birding Festival. The weather should be just perfect for being outside, so grab your binoculars and search for a newly arrived migrant!
April 27, 2017
Did I say spring is here? Mother Nature has had other ideas... Over the weekend the temperatures climbed into the 70s here in the Twin Cities. I took a quick trip up to Grand Marais and needed to bring my winter coat, hat and gloves. On Monday morning, I woke up to snow on my cabin. When I returned to the metro area, the cold temperatures followed me. Wednesday the high never got out of the 30s! Flurries were spotted covering some decks with a light dusting. Today the temperature is still in the 30s and my winter coat doesn't feel warm enough with the windchill in the 20s. What happened?
It's spring and the weather can fluctuate sometimes drastically. How does this effect the wildlife and the new spring growth? When I got back to the Twin Cities the leaves were open on the trees and green was all around me! It was wonderful! The plants growing here in Minnesota are adapted to these swings of temperatures. A late April snowfall is not unusual. The migratory birds are also okay. The White-throated sparrows were still singing loudly (I heard them for the first time this season on Tuesday!), a Baltimore oriole was seen at someone's feeders, and someone said they had a Ruby-throated hummingbird in their yard! The amphibians and reptiles are probably hunkered down in the mud and under leaf litter to stay warm. Most will be just fine.
And I will be fine too. This cold weather has been quite a shock to my system after experiencing such wonderful warmth. By this time next week, the temperatures will be back in the 60s. More flowers will bloom, more birds will return, more leaves will open up on the trees, and more seeds will begin to develop.
April 20, 2017
Signs of spring are everywhere!!!! The buds on the trees are finally opening up and there is a hint of green throughout the woods and neighborhoods! Take a walk anywhere and you will see leaves just getting going!
The recent week of on and off rain showers has really pushed the buds to open and the flowers to bloom. Many of the early spring ephemeral wildflowers are just beginning to peak now and will be for the next few weeks. Mushrooms like the Scarlet cup fungus are up with all this rain as well.
Herps are active too! Garter snakes have been spotted in the woods on the move, chorus frogs can be heard signing loudly as well as the wood frogs, and turtles have been sunning themselves on the logs in ponds.
The sun now sets in the 8 o'clock hour so our days are wonderfully long. An evening walk may bring you bat sightings and if you're really lucky, a woodcock "peent" call and maybe a courtship flight display!
After all this rain this week, the weekend should be warm in the 60s with lots of sunshine! Get out there and walk, hike, ride your bike, and explore!!! Spring is here! Celebrate!
April 14, 2017
Spring is coming a little more each day! We've had some rain in the last week - much needed rain! - and the buds on the shrubs and some of the trees are beginning to open up and reveal new leaves growing! There's a little more green outside these days! Still many of the trees are bare and just waiting for some good April rains to help them out so they can open their leaves.
Many birds have returned though! I have seen Eastern bluebirds, osprey, hermit thrushes, tree swallows, Eastern phoebes and kinglets! Many waterfowl are beginning to nest too! The trumpeter swans at Eastman Nature Center have begun nest building and the wood ducks have been actively searching out nesting sights in tree cavities. The red-winged blackbirds are calling constantly to claim territory and seek females. There have been reports of females sighted in wetlands recently, so nesting season has begun for them.
Many wildflowers are in bud and ready to bloom! They are just waiting for some sunshine and rain! The bloodroot, false rue anemone and the toothwort species are all in bud and nearly ready to open up! The rain coming tonight and tomorrow should help them out and then warm temps and some sunshine on Sunday might encourage them to open fully! It's a great time to explore the woods for these early spring wildflowers! Get out there and enjoy the spring woods!
April 6, 2017
Early spring wildflowers are blooming! While hiking around the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, I saw Snow trillium, Sharp-leaved hepatica and Skunk cabbage all in bloom. The Snow trillium was reluctant to open in the morning, but by late afternoon it had opened and looks like it will be blooming for a week or so now. The hepatica first opened on Saturday only on the sunny slopes along the Garden paths. The Skunk cabbage has been in bloom for some time - in some places around the metro it been blooming for a month or more. The leaves are beginning to come up, which is a sign the bloom is nearly done.
The birds are starting to migrate back through too! I have yet to see a Yellow-rumped warbler, but shorebirds and waterfowl are back. Right now at Eastman Nature Center the Trumpeter swans are hanging around the pond. They have been showing a few signs of nesting, but have yet to chase off the Canada geese, mallards and Hooded mergansers that are also seen every day on our pond.
I have noticed a few trees are beginning to have bud burst - buds opening up and new leaves unfurling. Some trees are flowering too which is causing bad allergy issues for some. And, of course, ticks are out once again too. But all of these things are just signs that the world is waking up from a long winter's slumber.
This weekend should be the warmest one since September with temperatures in the 70s! Get outside for a hike, bike ride, stroll in the park and look for all the wonderful signs that spring is here! Enjoy!
March 31, 2017
Spring is in the air! While hiking at a local SNA yesterday, I saw two very active broad-winged hawks. Turns out they were a pair of male and female birds in courtship. After lots of flying around and displaying, they eventually landed on a tree top and mated. Not something you see every day!
On the hike, I also saw hooded mergansers, common goldeneyes, trumpeter swans, great blue herons, and mallards on the lake. In the trees eating the annoying flies that had emerged were my first of the year sightings of ruby-crowned kinglets! It's great to see these little bundle of energy birds back in the state!
Tomorrow is the opening day for the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and I will be working the first shift. Excited to see what plants are pushing up, what might be in bloom and what birds I may see on my walk. It should be a perfect spring day tomorrow!
March 23, 2017
The vernal equinox was on March 20th. Here in Minnesota, it arrived at 5:29am that day. Indeed, it did feel like spring! The weather was sunny and pleasant and in the 50s! But then, as it happens in March, a cold front came through and we ended up with colder weather for the rest of the week.
Tonight and tomorrow we should get some good rains - maybe even a clap of thunder! - which is much needed. Without the winter snows melting and recharging the groundwater, our region is proving to be dry. We may end up with drought conditions if we don't make up the deficit that the lack of winter snow has created.
Still, the migration of spring birds goes on! Great blue herons have been spotted back in their rookeries! Bluebirds have been seen in the fields! Sandhill cranes call overhead! Waterfowl and shorebirds are returning back as well! This is a great time to get out and look for birds!
Plants are trying to grow as well. A few trees are fattening their buds. The ground is thawing and the plants are getting ready for another growing season!
I think even people are ready for the spring! We all seem to have cabin fever! Let's get outside!!!
March 2, 2017
March 1st marks meteorological spring. The spring equinox is not actually until later on this month. All around the Twin Cities though there are plenty of signs of spring! Pussy willows are in bud. Silver maple buds are opening. Many buds on shrubs are fattening in preparation to open. Birds are signing loudly. I saw a crow carrying nesting materials this morning. The number of Red-winged blackbirds calling in the morning has increased every day in the last week. Their calls are now part of the morning chatter.
A little snow came this week, but the warm sunshine melted it all away by the afternoon. This weekend the temperatures should be near 60 degrees. This trend does seem to be sticking around - warm, cooler, then warm again - and I don't think we will see a major snow event this season. So even if it is not spring, it is meteorological spring.... Happy spring!
February 23, 2017
It's spring! Okay, it is not really spring, but the weather has been very spring-like. We had record breaking temperatures over the weekend and through much of this week with temps getting into the 60s! Animals came out of hibernation and migratory birds have been spotted all over the Twin Cities back again! Red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans have all returned! A painted turtle was seen crawling on the ice of a frozen pond this week! Ticks ore out again! Buds on trees and shrubs and opening. Skunk cabbage is in bloom at Minnehaha Falls! All of these things are weeks early! Local news media have picked up on the fact that this weather pattern is unusual and it might have something to do with climate change. Most of the time phenology is quiet and picks up on a few early occurrences, but this year the early spring is obvious to everyone! Here's a clip from KARE 11 about how this warm weather is affecting the plants and animals.
Tomorrow we are expecting a snowstorm. Yep. Snow. And potentially quite a bit of it! Right now we have nearly 0% snow cover. By tomorrow evening the metro area could see up to a foot of wet sloppy snow. Though with the ground as warm as it is and the snow as wet as it is, the accumulations may be much less than predicted. The southern part of the metro will see the most snowfall. Living in the northwest metro, I may see only 3 inches of snowfall. But what will this do to the animals that have woken up from hibernation or returned early? It will be interested to see how the rest of the spring plays out for us here in the upper Midwest...
February 16, 2017
The ups and downs of February weather! Well, this February anyhow. This week we are experiencing possible record breaking warm temperatures! Friday's high could get up to 60 degrees! The snow is melting from the grass and trails. Ponds are icing out. This weather feels like the weather we get in late March or early April. The 50s will last until next week, but by the end of next week we will be back in the 30s once again. I'm not sure if there is any hope of one more good snowfall this winter. Tough to tell since March can be a snowy month.
Many places are already tapping their maple trees since the weather these last few days have been perfect for maple syruping. However, the temperatures are actually too warm for a good sap flow this weekend. But when the weather turns colder once again, the tapping can continue.
This is some of the earliest that many places have tapped trees and collected sap. This is known because they have been keeping phenology records for many, many years. Once again, this shows the importance of keeping track of phenology and knowing what the historical records are for when a seasonal event happens instead of just anecdotal evidence.
As the snow melts around the state and we lose the snow pack, I grow concerned for spring and future. Without the spring melt replenishing creeks and streams and groundwater, our spring flowers may suffer. If they do not bloom to their usual capacity, our pollinators will suffer. This could mean fewer flowers in the future. It is also true that without the snow pack to insulate maple tree roots, the roots could easily get infected, too warm, and die. If we lose our maple trees, we will lose important habitat and of course maple syrup. The entire forest of the northeastern part of our state could radically change. What will these means for the other plants and animals that live in these maple mesic forests? No one will truly know until it happens. I hope, for our sake, that doesn't happen.
February 9, 2017
This week we welcomed back a blast a of cold air. On Wednesday and Thursday the temperatures were in the teens with wind chills below zero. It's a brief blast though - Friday the weather will warm up with temperatures climbing into the 40s and even some 50s in the southwestern part of the state!
Tomorrow is the full moon. Traditionally Native Americans called the February full moon the Snow Moon since this is typically when the most snow falls. Not so this year in Minnesota! This week lots of snow fell in Montana and right now there is a blizzard on the east coast, but here in Minnesota it is sunny, cold, and snowless.
This month's full moon is rather unique. There will be a penumbral eclipse. This is not a full lunar eclipse. The Moon will still pass through the Earth's shadow, however, it will pass through the outer shadow still catching some of the Sun's light. The Moon will not go completely dark, but it will darken. This eclipse should be seen by much of the world including here in North America, though we will only see it right at moonrise. For more information about the eclipse, visit space.com.
Also occurring with this full moon and eclipse will be a sighting a comet! Around 2 am Central Time, the green colored comet will be able to be seen in the eastern sky. For more information on the comet, click here for an article from USA Today.
February 2, 2017
Today is Groundhog Day. The tradition of holding up the rodent who "predicts" the coming of spring goes back for 131 years. He has about a 39% accuracy rate.
This year he saw his shadow and therefore predicted that we would have an additional 6 weeks of winter. Of course, today marks the half way point through winter meaning that in six weeks it is actually the vernal equinox (aka spring). So I'm not sure this folklore holds up so much. Plus it all depends on where on the continent you live. The farther north you are, the more likely you will see spring snows.
Already in areas in the southern part of the Unite States, signs of spring are showing up. According to a map from the USA National Phenology Network, some trees are already opening up their leaf buds - a sign of the warmer temperatures and spring. Click here to see map of the bud burst in the southeastern portion of the United States. Many places are 20 days early. The USA National Phenology Network runs Nature's Notebook which is a nationwide citizen science online platform that allows citizens to report their phonological findings - such as when the leaves open in the spring, when birds migrate or nest, and when flowers bloom. They have many years of records and people report year round. The map shown currently on their website is based off of information from these citizen scientists. Again, I can't stress enough how important keeping phenology records is for science to track climate change. To become an observe for Nature's Notebook, follow this link to their main page and learn how you can participate in this citizen science project.
January 26, 2017
Yesterday while at work in Elm Creek Park reserve, I saw three Trumpeter swans fly over the parking lot. The swans gather on the rivers in the winter time. One spot is in Monticello which is right on the Mississippi River. The water stays open in the winter and the swans will gather there in the hundreds and sometimes thousands. Just today 150 were recorded on eBird.org by observer Tony Lau. On the 13th of January 1000 were recorded by Chris and Teri Wills. The numbers fluctuate day to day, but they are still high for individual species sightings in one place. If you would like to see these magnificent birds in one location, check out eBird.org for locations of recent sightings and take a day trip to the Mississippi River in Monticello, MN!
January 19, 2017
January thaw! After a brief cold blast, temperatures climbed back up and up and up!! This week we experiencing temperatures in the 40s! Tonight the low will not go below freezing! At Lowry Nature Center in Victoria, MN just west of the metro, they tapped a maple tree and collected sap yesterday! On January 18th! It would be interesting to look up records of when the earliest date was for tapping trees. This year has to be at least one of the earliest.
Tracking things like when the maple sap is flowing is important to track climate change. It's more than just anecdotal evidence. It's dates and events that are recorded rather than, "I remember that winter the sap flowed in January..." When in January did it flow? Is it the earliest it ever flowed? Was this a fluke January thaw or did this happen in previous Januarys? How many times did it happen? What dates did the sap start flowing in the previous ten or twenty years? Is there a pattern? These questions can be answered when proper and consistent phenology records are kept.
January 12, 2017
SNOW!!! It's been a few weeks since we had the freezing rain that coated the world in ice and made it nearly impossible to walk on trails. Since Monday evening snow has fallen and covered up the icy roads, grass, and trails. We have about 4 inches of snow on the ground. It is light, fluffy snow. Not the wetter snow that is good for packing and making snowmen, but it is at least something!
The snow is not only pretty look at, but much needed! Many animals in the winter time use the snow as insulation. Mice and voles are active all winter long. They make tunnels under the snow and cache food away under layers of snow in the perfect refridgerator! The snow keeps them warm, hidden from predators, and allows them keep food fresh.
Another reason the snow is needed? In the spring time when the snow melts, it recharges the creeks, rivers, and groundwater systems. Many animals and plants depend on this water for their life cycles like many amphibian species who need ephemeral pools. The more winter snow we get, the more water is available for plants and animals and the less risk of summer drought.
Temperatures will plummet again today and tomorrow, but next week there is rumor of temps closer to 30 degrees. Maybe there will be more snow in the forecast too!
January 5, 2017
New year! It has been two weeks since the winter solstice and already I have noticed that the mornings are bit lighter and the evenings are too! We are gaining a few minutes of daylight each day! That raises the spirits when the days are so cold!
Right now we are once again in a cold snap. And by cold, I mean below zero cold with windchills even colder. It's a fact of Minnesota winters. However, the weather here has been not great. It rained on Christmas Day and then everything froze into an icy mess. Now with the temperatures so cold and the air so dry there isn't much hope of snow.
I have seen eagles soaring and broad winged hawks flying as well. The raptors are doing well here. The songbird who have stayed have been visiting bird feeders heavily! The mammals that brave the winters are also doing their best to stay warm. Many rabbits have been seen darting from under the warmth of the spruce trees and squirrels ahve been gorging on bird seed too. Everyone is doing their best to stay warm.
Next week the weather promises to be warmer with some snow. The Great horned owls should be getting more active now that it is mating season. Keep your ears open for their hoots at sun down!
December 22, 2016
Happy winter!!!! The winter solstice arrived yesterday at 4:44am Central Time. This is when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. South of the Equator it is now summer, but north of the Equator it is now winter. The days will now be getting longer slowly but surely. Yesterday was the shortest day of the year with the sun above the horizon for less than 9 hours. But, yes, the length of sunlight hours will increase from here on to the summer solstice in June.
The day was above freezing which was 50 degrees warmer than it was on Sunday morning when the air temperature was -20 degrees! The snow has begun to melt already. This Sunday the temperature will be warm enough to bring rain and freezing rain our way. It may prove to be a sloppy, icy, messy Christmas Day.
The cold weather did bring many birds to the feeders and I have noticed that the activity at the feeders has in fact slowed down now that the temps are above freezing once again. I will still refill the feeders as needed to keep those little birds fed throughout the cold winter days.
Reports of owl activity have been coming in. Snowy owls have been seen in the Twin Citiese area as have Long-eared owls and of course Barred and Great-horned owls. January is the time when many Great-horned owls mate and nest. So just when we are in the middle of winter hunkering down and slow time of year for us, the owls are very active. Start listening for owl hoots and movement this week and throughout January and February as they compete for mates, nests, and food. Exciting time to witness the majestic owl!!!
December 17, 2016
Brrrrr!!!!! We have been plunged into winter! Sunday it snowed 4 to 5 inches and the temperatures were in the 20s. Delightful winter weather! The rest of the week the temperatures dropped to the single digits with windchills below zero. Overnight it snowed another 6 to 8 inches and throughout the day the temperatures will plunge once again. We will see the coldest temperatures of the year the coldest in three winters. The air temperature tomorrow will be 20 degrees below zero with windchills 30 to 40 below. This arctic blast won't last long though. By Tuesday we should be in the 20s and 30s once again.
This weather has come as a shock but it is just because we have gone from mild weather to bitter cold overnight seemingly. The wildlife has been adjusting as well. A few late migrators have stuck around finding open water for fish. The birds have been very active at the bird feeders as well. Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, tree sparrows, goldfinches, and even turkeys have all visited the feeders frequently. They have been eating suet, peanuts, dried fruit and seeds. Busy at the feeders these days.
Next week is the winter solstice and the days will be getting longer after that. I look forward to the sun not setting at 4:30 in the afternoon!
December 7, 2016
Winter is trying to come. Even though Monday saw 40 degrees for a high temperature, today the temperature dropped and the winds picked up. With the windchill it felt like below zero at times! This weekend snow will come and it should be enough that the plows will be working. By next week we will see single digit temps and windchills below zero. All of this after seeing such a mild fall and first few days of December. On December 2nd, I saw a tiny garter snake on the bike path near my home. Sadly it was dead - run over by a bike perhaps. It was probably warming itself on the warm black pavement and was still cold to move to get out of the way of the passing bike. December 2nd snakes and other herps should be hibernating, but the ground was not frozen so this little snake was out.
Many birds have moved on though some of the waterfowl are still here. Dark-eyed juncos and American tree sparrows have made themselves at home in the metro area - this is as far south as they will go this winter. A Snowy owl has been well photographs out at the airport in the last few weeks. They will occasionally come this far south in the winter.
Everyone will be quite shocked by the cold and the snow that is coming. Even today I was outside and realized that I was not acclimated to the cold weather yet. Usually by now we have already had this weather. Even today, the low temperature was still 5 degrees above average (without the windchill). Winter is indeed coming and the plants (like those dandelions that were blooming last week on the lawn) and animals will have to be ready for it. Not sure if I am ready for it....
November 30, 2016
Tomorrow is December 1st which is the start of meteorlogical winter. The winter solstice isn't until December 21st. Usually by this time of the year we already have snow on the ground and have been thinking it is winter already. Not so this year. The little bit of snow we got two weeks ago is nearly all gone now. We have had rain for a few days. The ground is not frozen. Curious to see when winter weather will truly arrive - if it ever does this year.
I went birding over the weekend at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and saw a black swan. These birds are native to Australia, so seeing one mixed in with the Trumpeter swans was very unusual. Most likely it excaped from a zoo or someone's private collection. Other birds seen that day were Northern shovelers, American coots, Common goldeneyes, and lots of mallards. It was wonderful to see these waterfowl still here in November!
As we enter the last month of the year, I hope to see more snow and begin to enjoy all that winter has to offer. : )
November 23, 2016
Winter has come. One week ago it was 60 degrees and sunny. Friday the temperatures dropped and the freezing rain and snow mix came down. The metro area barely got half an inch of snow, but it was a reminder of what the weather is supposed to this time of year. While we are in the last month of fall, snow is usually covering the ground at this point. The chilly air remained around long enough to keep a thin layer of snow and now another system is bringing freezing rain and wet, heavy snow. The road and grass are covered in slushy snow clumps, but the ground is not completely frozen so the snow is melting as it collects. Creeks are running high once again. We will hover around the freezing mark and just a little above for the rest of this week.
Friday is Black Friday. I encourage everyone to get outside that day! #optoutside Minnesota State Parks will be free that day and make nature centers are offering special programs and will be open all day for hiking and exploring. Take the time to enjoy family and friends and the nature this week. Embrace winter and discover the beauty of the season. I am so thankful for the fantastic parks and nature that surround us here in Minnesota.
November 16, 2016
This is was most likely the last of the "nice" fall weather we have been having here. Today we reached 60 degrees and it was lovely sunny. Tomorrow evening reality sets in - it will start to rain and by Friday morning there may be some wet snowflakes mixing in with those raindrops. Goodbye temperatures 10-15 degrees above average; hello winter storm warning.
This week also marked the Super Moon. The full moon on Monday was the closest the moon has been to the Earth since the Eisenhower administration! There were record high tides along the coastal regions of the US and flooding in many towns. The moon was so bright over the weekend that I did not need a flashlight to see outside. It was quite a sight! The next time the moon will be that close to the Earth will be around 2030. So mark your calendars for the next Super Moon!
November 10, 2016
What a warm week of weather we have had! We have not yet had a freeze and have certainly broken the record for
The spring madness of May has quieted down. The initial "wow!" of everything greening up and blooming has become commonplace. But it is June. The flowers of spring are giving way to the fruit of summer! Already some of the early fruits and vegetables are hitting the farmers' markets around the Twin Cities.
Birds are nesting and raising their young. The dragonflies and damselflies are out in full force. Tiny grasshoppers and crickets are in the fields. Summer is here....
The days in June are the longest of the year. It's after 9pm and the sky is dusky. The temperature is warm enough to be outside the entire evening. It's these days that we love to take advantage of - long light, warm weather, and early summer fun. Get outside and enjoy!!
May 24, 2018
Whoa! It is hot!!! Memorial Day Weekend is typically considered the unofficial start to summer. This year it definitely feels like summer has started! Temperatures have been creeping up close to 90 and the humidity has arrived. From here on through early next week - maybe even longer! - the temperatures will be in the 90s with high humidity. It feels like July, not May! This taste of summer is early! It should be one of the hottest Memorial Day's on record!
Meanwhile, the trees have fully leafed out and many have there seeds. Flowers are dropping and fruits are ripening. Birds have started nesting with many sitting on their first clutch of eggs of the season. Many of the migrants have moved on, but a few are sticking around.
The ponds are doing great! The little macroinvertebrates are thriving! This means that the other animals who depend on them are doing well too!
It's time to sit back and enjoy the summer-like weather. Outside is filled with nature music! Toads trilling, Tree frogs squealing, birds signing, and the breeze fluttering the leaves. It's a great time to celebrate life!
May 17, 2018
Spring caught up quick! After that slow start in April, this last week saw all the plants and birds playing catch up! The trees are flowering and leafing out very quickly! The woodland flowers are finishing up their blooms. And the birds are feasting and building nests!
And.... then there's the things that aren't so great.... I saw garlic mustard flowering today. I also swatted the first swarms of mosquitoes during a walk in the woods. And I saw my first poison ivy leaves up along the side of the trail. Yup, the seasons have changed and we are quickly pushing towards warmer summer-like weather. Spring lasted about a week this year it seems....
May 10, 2018
Major warbler fall out this week! All of a sudden this week warblers were everywhere! We have been seeing Yellow-rumped and Palm warblers around for a week or so, but now... now!!! So many warblers are here! The shorebirds have returned as well. Greater yellowlegs and sandpipers and more have been visiting the muddy flats along ponds and rivers. It's a great time to get outside and look for birds!
And suddenly it is spring too! The trees began leafing out this week and now it is green everywhere! You can find shady places under trees. The trees are flowering, the wildflowers are blooming, and dandelions are growing. Th sound of the lawnmower can be heard throughout neighborhoods. It is spring!
Spending time outdoors is heaven right now as the temperature is not too hot or cold and there is so much to see and hear! Get out to a local park or just take walk through your own neighborhood! GET OUTSIDE!!!
May 3rd, 2018
SPRING!!! The ice has finally gone out on many of the lakes completely. The waterfowl have begun to push on north to their breeding grounds. The song bird migrants have begun to arrive. The ground has now thawed. The wildflowers are beginning to bloom. The herps are coming out of hibernation. The first adult Green Darner Dragonflies were seen on Monday. Yesterday warblers were spotted throughout the metro. Spring is rushing north! The buds are bursting on the trees and the woods are getting a pale green-yellow color to them. Soon we will have shady trails. The creeks are spilling their banks with the snow melt. Rivers have flood warnings. But this will pass. It happens every spring. And it is finally spring!
April 26, 2018
Wow! Spring has arrived! I think we are clear of anymore snowstorms for the rest of season! No more snow until the fall! The weather turned warm and sunny and everyone has been rejoicing! The buds on trees are finally beginning to burst, plants are poking their green stems up through the leaf layers, and birds are incredibly active!
Because the lakes even around the Twin Cities are still frozen over, the waterfowl have been looking for open water anywhere they can find it. They have been taking over the rivers around town! The Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park was full of incredible birds this weekend and throughout the week. Pelicans, Ruddy ducks, Common loons, Eared grebes, Horned grebes, Pied-billed grebes, and even a Western grebe were on the river! Double-breasted cormorants, Coots, Hooded mergansers, Blue-winged teals, Ring-necked ducks, and Northern shovelers were all on the river. It has been a birder's paradise this week! The birds are sticking around because they won't find open water farther north where they breed. They will wait another week maybe and then move on. The weather continues to be warm with 80 degrees predicted for Monday! That should melt the ice and many lakes will be open for them soon.
It is an exciting time as we look for wildflowers, the trees leafing out, and of course the spring migratory warblers coming through! Get outside this weekend and take in the sunshine and enjoy spring!!
April 19, 2018
The winter storm came over the weekend!! Maple Grove got 22 inches of snow from Friday night to Sunday evening. It was wet, heavy snow that didn't seem to ever stop with wind gusts up to 50 mph! But... spring carries on!! Many birds did die in the storm, but many were pushed up here during their migration. On a walk down by the river, the waterfowl and the early song birds were out in full force today. Common loons, mergansers, ruddy ducks, grebes, osprey, great blue herons, song sparrows, chipping sparrows, and goldfinches were all out this morning. It is a birder's dream day!
The snow will not last long. As it is with the April sunshine as strong as the sun in August, we are melting 2-3 inches of snow a day. By Monday we should be reaching 67 degrees! We have yet to 60 degrees this spring and that is the average temperature for this time of year.
Spring will catch up to us soon. Before you know it, we will be complaining it is too hot!
April 13, 2018
Oh the winter that never ends!! This evening (Friday) on through to Sunday morning the Twin Cities metro area is under a winter storm watch. Sigh... 6 to 8 inches of snow is expected along with rain and freezing rain. Great. The ground is still frozen in many places. The 10 day forecast doesn't really see temperatures getting much higher than 45 degrees. It will take a bit for the snow to melt.
But.... the animals are still thinking spring! Reports of salamanders and snakes coming out of hibernation this week have been coming in. The osprey returned this week to the metro area. Eastern bluebirds, Golden-crowned kinglets, and Yellow-rumped warblers have all been seen as well. Ruddy ducks, Red-necked grebes, Common loons, and more waterfowl have all been spotted on the open water of the Mississippi River. Yet, all of our lakes are still iced in. I don't know when we will see ice out this year. On average ice out in the Twin Cities typically occurs in the first or second week of April. The earliest ice out date was before March 18th. The latest ice out was the last week of April into the first week of May. Where will it fall this year?
All I can say, is hunker down this weekend and read a good book. Spring should arrive in May!!
April 5, 2018
Spring where are you?!??! After Saturday's snow and Sunday's cold, there was hope that we saw the last of snow. No. On Monday afternoon it began snowing and continued all through Tuesday! The metro area saw up to 8 inches of wet snow. The spring sun has managed to melt some of the snow, but this week and into next has temperatures in the 30s and sometimes not getting above freezing. The average high for this time of year is 52 degrees. We are not the only ones suffering in the endless winter. Much of the east coast and even in the south, they are experiencing cold temperatures and snow as well. We may snap out of this by next weekend.
Still the spring songs are heard and the birds are migrating back. Golden-crowned kinglets have been seen around. Waterfowl are all over the rivers waiting for the ice to go out on the lakes. Reports of hummingbirds in southern Illinois this week have been coming in. It will be a while before we see them here in Minnesota, but spring migration continues!!
March 31, 2018
The final day of March! March is going out like a lion as we woke up to a few inches of icy, heavy slushy snow! After reaching 50 degrees two weeks ago, winter returned to us. Looks like the first week of April will feel more like the first week of March with temperatures only climbing to the high 30s.
The spring time animals don't care though!! The birds are signing their spring songs loud and clear every morning! The Red-winged blackbirds are everywhere in the wetlands shouting "conkla-ree". The robins are singing "cheerily, cheery-up" as soon as the sky starts to lighten. The year round residents are jumping in the game as well singing to stake their claim to breeding territory.
The surface of the ground is muddy for sure, but under that layer of mud the ground is still frozen. It has slowed the maple syrup season keeping a lot of that sap frozen. But on a recent wander into the woods, I saw green poking up through the mud. Little stems of plants coming through the mud. There's hope that spring will come even with the new layer of snow on the ground. March sun - do your work on melting this snow!!!
March 22, 2018
Spring officially arrived on Tuesday at 11:15am Central Time. In classic Minnesota fashion, it was snowing. The snow was light and didn't really stick and only covered the ground with a dusting that quickly melted away. However, we should see another winter storm come through at the end of the week. The snow won't amount to much and it won't last. Spring rains are coming and will melt and wash away most of the snow.
Even with the snows, outside has all kinds of signs of spring! Just stepping out the door in the morning let's you know that winter is over. This morning the red-winged blackbirds were signing along with the other local birds all singing their spring time calls establishing territory and attracting mates. Loons have been seen on the river making their way up north to the lakes and ponds where they will nest for the summer. Great blue herons have returned and have been spotted in the open waters of the smaller ponds and creeks waiting for more water to become free of ice. Still many lakes and ponds have ice, but that will change in the coming weeks for sure. Sandhill cranes are back and have been spotted doing their courtship dances.
The maple syrup season is still going too. The trees have been producing sap steadily. The season may have a chance to run through April this year. The buds have yet to open and the trees have not flowered yet, so perhaps we can stretch the collecting season through the first week of April.
The messy spring with all the mud and muck will bring wildflowers and pollinators and birds and more to us! Soon the woods will be brightening with pale green leaves that will grow and darken and provide us shade from the hot summer sun. So much to look forward to!
March 15, 2018
The glorious March sunshine is wonderful! Those stronger near-springtime rays are helping to melt the snow from the last few winter storms. The snow melt is replenishing the ponds and streams. Everything around here is rising and the trails are muddy and icy. The sap is flowing in the maple trees! The perfect temperatures are here for maple syrup making and it should last all through next week and maybe even right through the end of the month! The added snow layer is helping to make this season a little longer.
Two years ago this week it hit 70 degrees. There was definitely no snow that year. The syrup season was short. How many seasons will be more like that one in the future?
March 8, 2018
Ah.... March.... the promise of spring is in the air, yet winter let's us know it is still around! While we enjoyed above average springlike weather for a time, we went right back to winter pretty quickly. Snow and more snow fell in this last week giving us about 4 more inches around here and up to 10 inches in other parts of the greater metro area. Icy rain/snow mix with gusty winds made for a winter storm. But that March sun is wonderful!!! The angle of the rays is much stronger than it was just two months ago and the Earth is heating up much more quickly. The snow and icicles are melting even when the day's high temperature isn't getting above freezing. By this weekend we should be back above freezing during the day.
BUT.... Sandhill cranes have returned!!! The spring migration has slowly begun. Earlier this week a red-winged blackbird sighting was reported! I have yet to see or hear either of these birds, but I am keeping my ears and eyes open for these early spring migrants. In a few weeks, the calls of the Red-winged blackbirds will be heard outside my door! Very exciting!! After a long and relatively quiet winter, their calls will renew my spirit!
March 1, 2018
Happy March!!! We are in the final stretch of winter! Just in the last week signs of spring have been popping up! They are subtle signs of spring, but they are there if you know what to look for.
Last week on Thursday we got about 4 inches of snow in my neck of the woods. Then on Saturday another nearly 6 inches fell on top of that! Winter seemed to be wanting to stick around... but then on Sunday the temperatures crept above freezing and the snow was already beginning to melt. For the rest of the week, the temperatures were above freezing during the day (into the 40s!) and below freezing at night. Lots of melting by the powerful rays of the late winter sun. Already patches of grass can be seen on the sun drenched hillsides around town.
And with temperatures getting above freezing during the day, the sap in the maple trees is flowing! It is maple syrup season once again! While tapping a tree yesterday, I heard Black-capped chickadees doing their spring "fee bee" call and then two Trumpeter swans trumpeted and flew overhead. Common goldeneyes and Buffleheads have been seen on the river. And soon - next week even - the call of the Red-winged blackbird might be heard in the wetlands! Small little signs that spring is coming. Wonderful things to look forward to....
February 21, 2018
This time of year we are longing for spring. Everyone is tired of the cold and the snow. When you go outside, you look at the trees that are still slumbering away. No sign of buds swelling. The few snow free patches of exposed ground show no signs of new stems pushing up through the leaf litter. The ground is still frozen. The world still sleeps.
Yet... out on the open water of the rivers you can see that some of the waterfowl have returned. Common goldeneyes and Buffleheads can be seen bobbing on the water and diving under looking for food. They will hang around here waiting for more water to open up so they can continue their journey north.
So there is hope that spring is coming. In a few weeks, the world outside will look and sound different. I look forward to it.
February 15, 2018
Mid-February... thoughts of spring permeate the brain. Yesterday the metro area saw temps rise into the mid-40s! The snow began to melt and the sun was shining all day long. It was wonderful! People were riding their bikes and a few brave souls brought their motorcycles out for the first ride of the year. Spring is definitely on the brain!
The forecast for the next few days are seasonable with temperatures in the mid- to upper-20s. Nothing below zero for lows. By the end of the month, more days will get above freezing. This will be good for the soul. It will also be good for our maple syrup season. We need temps to be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night. Let's hope we get there and have a productive season!
One month from now, we should see and hear our first Red-winged blackbirds! It will be wonderful to hear those calls once again throughout the wetlands! It's hard to believe that those migrants will be back soon! I look forward to it!
February 8, 2018
The first week of February has seen below average temperatures. Everyone is a little tired of this frigid weather. However, we did get a little snow over the weekend and on Tuesday night. The snow cover is a good thing. Last year at this time we didn't have much snow and in fact experienced above average temperatures.
In some places in the country, spring is actually arriving now. In the southwest, the hummingbirds can be seen on the move. This is a little early for them. The worry is that they will migrate too soon and be stuck without food. The weather could shift back to normal winter and then the birds will be stranded and many could die.
February 1, 2018
Another month is here, but the weather seems to be the same. It is below zero this morning once again with highs expected to only reach 7 degrees today. A fresh layer of snow has covered the ground though it is only an inch at best.
January 31st saw a rare event. It was a blue moon, a super moon, a blood moon, and a lunar eclipse. That hasn't happened since 1866. The lunar eclipse occurred early Wednesday morning. As the evening came along, the clouds rolled in and obscured the full moon. Then closer to 9pm, the clouds parted and the moon was on display. It can still be seen early this morning as it is setting.
The parting of the clouds, the fierce wind that picked up, and the driving snowflakes signaled the cold front. It was in the 30s last night while walking the trails in Wirth Park. But temperatures quickly dropped. We will stay cold through next week. Winter is not over.
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. February 2nd signals the half way point between winter and spring. We are half way there! We have only 6 more weeks until the spring equinox! There is hope on the horizon!
January 25, 2018
A January snowstorm hit the Twin Cities area on Monday! Some parts of the metro got 12 inches of snow while others saw maybe an inch or two. In my neck of the woods, we got about 5 to 6 inches of snow. Enough snow to turn the landscape into a winter wonderland! The snow was wet and heavy and made roads slick for the drive around town on Monday evening. But in the end, everyone seemed to enjoy the snowfall because we were able to get outside and play in it!
The snowfall did help out with our snow deficit. We are now closer to our average snowfall amount of 30 inches by this time of year. We are at about 24 inches. Who knows what February and March will bring for snowfall? Hopefully more, because we need the spring snow melt to recharge our wetlands and riparian systems.
Lately I have been hearing the Black-capped chickadees singing their "fee bee" song. This is a late winter to spring territorial song. It feels a little early to hear this, but perhaps the birds have been finding enough food this winter that they feel secure enough to venture out on their own and establish territorial rites. The cardinals are also standing out with the male's brightly colored red plumage shining through the snowy white branches in the woods. The blue jays have been calling loudly lately too. It seems many of the birds are ready for winter to be over and spring to begin. Aren't we all?
January 18,2018
Finally we are catching a break from this frigid weather! I dare say we might even be coming out of the worst of it. After a brief January thaw last week, we went right back to the single digits. It did not feel good after experiencing those lovely warmer days. But today we will see melting of the few inches of snow we got on Sunday as temperatures sore above freezing. By Friday we should get above 40 degrees. So what snow we have on the ground will be melting into a sloppy mess.
The thaw is a good thing for the wildlife as they will not have to endure the frigid weather and they will have a chance to find some food that has been buried under the snow. More seeds will be available and they might even find some snow fleas or other hibernating insect larvae more easily.
One thing that has been noticed this winter is the number of owls seen in Minnesota - owls that normally live north of our state in Canada. These large numbers of owls are called irruptions. The owls are here because of food. They follow the cycles of the lemmings and voles in Canada. If the lemming population is really high one year, the owls will have lots of babies survive because the parents are successful hunters with all that available food. When the owls grow up, they need to find their own hunting grounds. With so many owls competing for hunting grounds, they travel farther and farther to establish hunting rights. So here they are in Minnesota, the Great Lakes, and even Massachusetts. So far this winter lots of Snowy owls have been seen as well as Northern hawk owls, and Boreal owls. Snowies have been spotted in the Twin Cities areas, but the Boreals and Northern Hawk owls have been spotted in Duluth and farther north. This is a good winter to go out searching for a glimpse of an owl! With the warmer weather upon us, take the opportunity to head out on a trail and look for an owl or two!
January 11, 2018
Oh wonderful January thaw!! After two weeks of frigid temperatures, a wonderful change swept through the Midwest. IT started on Sunday with temperatures reaching 24 degrees! By Wednesday we saw temperatures sore to 40 degrees! The little snow that we had mostly melted. But then... overnight a drizzly rain started which turned into light snow. While the metro area didn't see much snow - not even an inch - we did see temperatures drop drastically. This afternoon it will be in the single digits. There is a layer of slick ice covering everything outside. There's a fine snow blowing around outside dusting the ground. The wind is whipping. So the January thaw was brief and fleeting and we are right back into the cold.
The lack of snow is concerning. We should have an average of 24 inches of snow by now for the season. Last year on this date we had 23 inches. This year we have 7 inches. We are in a snow drought. While this may be wonderful for those who hating driving in the snow or shoveling the snow, this is not great for those of us who love it. When it is so cold you can't be outside to enjoy it and then there isn't enough to snowshoe or ski when it is warmer, it's a bummer. But it also raises concerns for the spring. Many ecosystems rely on the spring snow melt to recharge groundwater supplies and streams. The snow helps to insulate tree roots from the bitter cold, so without it some of the plants may suffer. Maple trees, for example, need the snow to insulate the roots during the winter and then provide extra moisture in the spring for the running of the sap. What will this snow deficit do to our maple syrup season? Only time will tell what will happen this spring. Maybe we will get lucky and have a major snowstorm in February to make up some ground for this snowless winter...
January 4, 2018
The new year blew in with frigid temperatures reigning! We had a few days above 0, but each day has started below 0 and many days did not get above 0. We aren't the only ones suffering. The cold temperatures are reaching all over the Eastern US and places that don't normally get cold are now seeing snow. Florida saw snow this week for the first time in 30 years. Here in Minnesota, we are just carrying on with life in the cold winter. This is week two of these frigid temps and we know that we still need to live life.
The wildlife carries on too. On the coldest days, my feeders were quiet barely seeing a woodpecker visit the suet. But on the sunny days when the wind wasn't blowing, the birds flocked to the feeders filling up on as much seed as they could. The squirrels have been digging in the thin layer of powdery snow looking for the nuts they buried in the fall. The deer are also browsing on the twigs they can find and visiting bird feeders too.
I did hear the Black=capped chickadees doing their "feebee" calls this week. I don't usually expect to hear that call until February, but there it was this week - "feebee". The "feebee" call is often territorial. They make those calls as spring approaches to let other chickadees know they are claiming an area. So.... maybe this is a good sign? Maybe the chickadees know that this cold winter weather will not last long? One can only hope...
December 30, 2017
Well, 2017 is ending on a very frigid note! This morning the temperature was -14 degrees with a winchill of -37 degrees!!! Whoo!!! That is cold!! This is Minnesota and every winter we get at least a few days this cold. Dress warm and carry on!
But what do the animals outside do when it gets this cold? How can they possibly survive out there? Well, they have many ways of coping with this cold. Migrate away seems to be the best option. But they can adapt by building up fat layers and thick warm fur. They can hibernate the winter away or go into torpor. Many mammals and birds when it is this cold will slow their metabolism down and go dormant for a bit. Chickadees will go into torpor when it is this cold conserving their energy. Or the animals might just die. That's not a great option...
Still every winter it amazes me that the animals can live out there in this cold when all I want to do is stay under the covers where it is nice and warm and not leave my house....
December 22, 2017
Yesterday was the Winter Solstice! It marks the day the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and begins to make it's way back to the north rising higher in the sky each day and giving us a few more minutes of daylight each day until the Summer Solstice in June. It is a wonderful day to welcome winter, welcome longer days, and welcome a new start!
I decided to get together with some friends for a solstice hike along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers at Fort Snelling State Park. We saw several Bald eagles - juvenile and adults - and lots of chickadees, woodpeckers, and cardinals. The highlight though was a relatively rare bird - the Carolina wren. It's rare for it to be in Minnesota. It's range is usually much farther south not even making it to Iowa regularly. But from time to time the population will expand north in the winter time. Around the Fort Snelling area and Bloomington, there have been several reports of sightings of this little brown bird with a white eye stripe. We saw our wren on the ground (as usual) picking through leaves looking for insects and seeds right next to the interpretive center. It was a delight to get a new bird species this time of year when we usually see the regular winter resident birds and not much else. The birds seem to sticking around, so if you aren't doing much over the holidays and are looking for a nice hike and some bird watching, head on over to Fort Snelling State Park and look for this delightful little wren!
December 14, 2017
Snow is falling gently. The skies are gray. It is winter. The snow that has been on the ground since Tuesday last week has been wonderful for tracking animals! I saw raccoon tracks in the snow crossing the sidewalk this morning. Opossum tracks were on the side of the drive going into work last week. Turkey tracks, fox tracks, squirrel, rabbit... it's wonderful to see those tracks and know that there are so many creatures here around us all the time!
This years seems to be a good year for owls. There are many reports of Northern hawk owls in Sax-Zim Bog. Great grays are seen frequently too. Around the Twin Cities, Snowy owls are seen as well. There have been many news stories about owl rescues in the last month. This could be another good irruption year when the owls come down to us because there hunting conditions in Canada are not great. I'm looking forward to seeing some Snowy owls this winter soon!
December 7, 2017
It is December! Meteorological winter started on December 1st, but technically winter doesn't begin until the solstice on December 21st. Tell that to the weather though! Monday (December 4th) we hit a record high of 58 degrees. The atmosphere was saturated with moisture and the fog rolled off bodies of water all over the metro area. It was lovely, yet odd to be outside sweating in our winter coats in December. The rain came and then the temperatures dropped. The rain turned to sleet which turned to snow. We now have snow covered ground and temperatures in the single digits. How quickly the weather changes!
It was so warm in the last half of November that I saw moths outside flying around. Ticks were still being found last week. On Sunday a co-worker took a picture of False Rue Anemone in bloom! I spring wildflower! The air temperature and angle of the sun and even length of day tricked that little flower into blooming! There are no pollinators for that flower and the now cold and frozen air surely killed the bloom. It is amazing how plants can be tricked into thinking it is spring.
I have friends who live on Cape Cod, MA. Every fall they get cold stunned seas turtles in Cape Cod Bay. The bay is warmer than the ocean and the turtles get shocked by the cold ocean water and literally stunned. If they cannot swim they cannot come up for air or hunt or swim. So humans step in and rescue the turtles and transport them to safety. It seems like this year is an especially hard year for the turtles. The changing temperatures happening so quickly mean more turtles will be stunned and might not make it. I wish all the luck in the world to my friends out there saving the turtles.
November 30, 2017
We still have our warm weather! It was nearly 60 on Monday, but things have returned to cooler - yet still above average - 40s. Everyone is taking advantage of these warm days getting outside, decorating, and still bike riding and motorcycle riding!
This warm weather did bring a surprise - deer ticks. During a program on orienteering this week, a parent chaperone found a deer tick on her. Yes we were tromping around in the woods and tall grasses, but it's late November and no one expects to find ticks out still. With the warm weather and no long term severe freezes, the ticks are surviving. They are the winner when it comes to climate change. Their population will not die back each winter if it stays warm. More ticks, more tick borne illnesses for people and animals. It's a good reminder for us to check ourselves and pets for these pesky little arachnids.
November 24, 2017
Aaahhh...... We are pleasantly warm this week! November is ending with temperatures more like September. The month started off below average and now we are looking at ending it above average. This morning I took a walk down along the river to look for waterfowl and winter finches. I only saw mallards and the usual year round birds - chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers. The crows were cawing up a storm on the other side of the river, but I couldn't tell what was bothering them.
I did see a few surprises though - some small moths and a fly that landed right on me. With the warmer temperatures, these insects might have come out of dormancy to look for food. I don't know how much of it they will find. No flowers in bloom and the most of the seeds have blown away at this this point.
There's light rain falling now outside.
I'm enjoying the late November warmth and wondering what December will bring....
November 19, 2017
Things have warmed up once again! More seasonable anyhow. The sun has come out. It's been several days in the gray days of November.
There are still ducks to be seen on the open water of the ponds. Any ice that had formed on the ponds and lakes has thawed.
Chickadees are beginning to flock together in their winter groups. They do this to stay warm, find food together and there's safety in numbers when they are more easily spotted in the winter month without the leaves on the trees.
A Great-horned owl was heard around 4pm on Thursday. They are hooting for territory as the winter approaches and their mating season begins.
While it may seem like nature is going quiet for the winter, it is not. Hike quietly through the woods or along the river or spend time in dormant prairie and you will discover nature is still going strong. No flowers or insects, but the birds and mammals are busy preparing for the worst winter has to offer.
November 9, 2017
This week the Twin Cities is experiencing below normal temperatures. One year ago, the weather was more early September-like than early November with temps in the 70s. Snow was far from anyone's mind. This year is has already snowed a few times - just a few inches of wet sloppy snow that melted within a less than a day - and the wind has been howling outside. Tonight will be the coldest night so far this season with the low reaching the single digits.
Ice has already formed on many ponds and lakes. Thick enough to whack it with a stick and not have it break. The ground is not yet frozen, but the top layer is frosting and freezing and then thawing as we get warmer through the day. Insects have gone quiet. Birds have moved on. We are in mid-fall technically, but winter seems to be grabbing hold tight.
Next week promises to be warmer with more seasonable temperatures. Will we have snow cover by December? Perhaps...?
November 3, 2017
The snow flurries continue off and on between bouts of drizzly rain. The gray skies seem to be a daily thing. I can't remember a sunny, blue sky day this week. But that's November... We had the coldest Halloween in 11 years this week. There are winter weather advisories for the northern and central parts of Minnesota. Temperatures hover in the 30s and maybe low 40s. Winter coats have been pulled out of storage. Boots now sit at the front door.
Last year at this time we had sunny days and temperatures in the 70s. What a change!!
Still people have been reporting sightings of Baltimore orioles still about. I saw a Ruby-crowned kinglet on Wednesday. These birds should be gone, but sometimes they do stick around this late in to the season if there is food available. I imagine they will be going soon since the cold weather seems to be here to stay. We have had several frosts and a freeze now.
The ponds have been getting thin layers of ice on them too this week for the first time. It won't be too long before the entire pond will be covered.
This weekend also marks day lights savings. We "fall back" an hour on Sunday. This means that the sun will set on Sunday at 4:55pm. Ugh... what an early night! As we get closer to the winter solstice, the days will get shorter and shorter. It will feel like we leave home in the dark and come home in the dark. This time of year is a good time to hibernate...
October 26, 2017
One week ago it was 80 degrees... Then by Monday the temperatures dropped to more seasonable temps. But now - one week after we hit 80 - snow is on the way. It won't stick, but it is the first snow flurries of the season. Usually we will get a rain snow mix by this time already. In fact, I've recorded the first snow flurries as early as October 11th. This time though the snow is not coming in just the form of flurries mixed with rain - it coming with winter storm warnings. Possibly 1-2 slushy inches will be on the ground tomorrow morning. Along the Canadian border, they are expecting 4-6 inches. The snow won't last long. The ground is not even close to frozen. It will all melt even as it hits the ground. Right now the wind is gusting and it feels like it is in the 20s outside. We haven't been this cold since early spring.
On a another note, I saw two White-faced meadowhawks (dragonflies) flying around this morning. I wonder how they will deal with the changing weather....
The Dark-eyed juncos are here to stay for the winter. I've seen them all over the place.
The future forecast does look like next week will be in the 40s and maybe 50s. Colder than what we have gotten used to, but the norm for this time of year.
October 12, 2017
After an amazing weekend with temperatures in the 70s, Tuesday and Wednesday mornings brought the first frosts to the Twin Cities metro area. It was a bit of a shock to many people after being able to walk around town without a jacket, then suddenly needing hats and mittens. But that is autumn for you. Things are back to warmer weather now with highs in the 60s and it should stay this way for a bit.
The rivers and lakes are all high. The Mississippi River has crept up the banks as heavy rains have been falling up river and here in the metro area.
Migrating birds are still slowly making their way through on their journey south. There is not much of a rush to get there like there is in the spring for their breeding grounds.
The days are rapidly getting shorter and the angle of the light is more "autumn-like". The falling leaves swirl around in the breezes and crunch under your feet. It is autumn!
October 5, 2017
Fall... It's officially here though it still feels warm. The leaves are falling and the autumn rains have come, but there has yet to be a frost or freeze here in the Twin Cities. Temps still in the 60s and the lows in the 50s maybe getting to the 40s.
Still finding snapping turtles hatching from their nests! This feels late! But with the warmer weather and September feeling more like August, the hatchlings might have gotten off schedule. Still finding tadpoles and other young creature in the ponds too. The trumpeter swans have not yet left Eastman Nature Center either. They still look gray. By the end of the month they should be gone.
The days are getting shorter faster it feels like in October. Sunset is now just after 7pm. The year is coming to a close...
September 28, 2017
Autumn arrived on Friday, September 22nd. Here in the Twin Cities the temperatures soared to over 90 degrees with dew points in the tropical 70s. Even along the North shore in Grand Marais the temps climbed in to the 70s and the air was thick with humidity. All of a sudden it was August in September. The leaves have been changing and falling while the people have been sweating.
Cooler weather is on the way, however. We will have autumn eventually.
It has been noticed that many birds have been leaving the state and many flowers are nearly done of not completely done blooming. Wasps are getting cranky as they the coming colder weather has made them search for more food sources.
As the month of September closes and October begins soon, I look forward to the first crisp, frosty morning of the season. When that will happen? I don't know...
September 15, 2017
Well what a difference a week makes! Suddenly the temps soared into the upper 80s and 90 even! We got our August weather in mid-September! The humidity has been high and the dew points steamy. And with the fires out west, we have had two straight days of air quality warnings. We were even told not to drive or mow our lawns today!
Still the leaves have been changing and dropping. The animals are still getting ready for fall and winter.
The weather will change next week starting on Sunday. We will have cooler fall-like temps. I don't think we will see 90 or even 80 again this year.
September 7, 2017
Suddenly it is fall! While the autumnal equinox is not until September 22nd, the world around us is letting us know that summer is coming to a close. Everything from cooler temperatures in 60s and 70s to the angle of the sun is signaling seasonal change.
One thing even people who don't track seasonal changes have noticed is the migration of butterflies. It's not just monarch butterflies that migrate, though they are certainly busy getting ready to go right now. On Sunday, I tagged 25 butterflies - 12 of which were wild caught! But what we also saw that day was an abundance of Painted Lady butterflies. These butterflies look somewhat similar to monarchs, but are smaller and have white on them along with dots and not stripes. Just like monarchs, these small wonders also migrate. They have been showing up in droves in people's gardens this week and the community has noticed posting photos of these insects covering their flowers on social media. It is amazing to see!
Dragonflies are also beginning to migrate as well. Dozens were seen soaring over the prairie on Sunday!
Birds of course have been migrating for weeks now, but over the weekend the shift in the winds pushed many birds south. Over the weekend, the trees and shrubs were literally shaking and bouncing with the insect eating activity of vireos and warblers! It was wonderful to see!
As fall approaches, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the change of seasons.
August 31, 2017
We have been incredibly lucky here in Minnesota this summer. It never got too severely hot or humid this season. No high heat indexes for us. No extreme rain either. Sure, we had some extreme weather, but it didn't last long and didn't impact our whole summer. Yesterday it was in mid-80s and humid (though not too bad). Yet, somehow we managed to complain that it was hot and muggy. The reality is that it felt like August should feel. We have just been spoiled by cooler weather this month and this summer. Today it will get to about 73 and the dew points are low. Right now the house is open with a cool breeze coming through. Cool enough that I am wearing a sweatshirt in the house. It feels like fall outside.
On the other hand, the rest of the country is not having the same lucky weather as the Midwest. The northeast has had lots of rain this summer while the west has had hot and dry conditions. It's so bad out west that that there are countless wildfires burning 100s of thousands of the acres of forest. Friends in Montana have had to be evacuated from their homes due to the threat of wildfires.
And of course the big news story this week has been Texas and Hurricane Harvey. The category 3 storm hit the Gulf Coast and just sat there dumping feet of rain - in some places 50+ inches! - on the Houston area. That part of the country sits only about 43 feet above sea level. The area was already hit hard by lots of rain and the storm has proven to be too much. The flooding is catastrophic. This storm is just another example of the effects of climate change. More and more storms of this magnitude will be coming and causing this type of destruction. Also with our ever expanding population and growth of urban areas, we are doing more harm than good. Converting our planet's natural defenses into parking lots and malls and houses is causing the flooding to be much worse. Wetlands along the coasts prevent storm surges and absorb the storms' energy. Without those these hurricanes impact more people, wildlife, and landscapes. My hope is that we see our follies now and work to change how we exist on this planet.
August 17, 2017
The calendar still says we have one month left of summer, but tell that to nature! Just in a matter of days signs of fall have popped up if you know where to look.
The most obvious one is the leaves on the trees. Some of them are already changing colors! How can this be?!? What cues are they taken from Mother Nature? The days are getting shorter for sure. The sun now sets before 8:30pm and feels like it gets darker earlier each night. Perhaps the length of day and the angle of the sun is telling the leaves on the trees to slow down photosynthesis and pack it in for the winter.
Other clues that the season is changing? As mentioned last week, fall song bird migration and shore bird migration has begun. The birds are slowly making their way south to their winter grounds. I look forward to seeing who stops over in the coming weeks!
Another not so obvious sign of the change of seasons is the flowers. A big part of phenology is noting the bloom of flowers. I have begun to see autumn blooms!! For a few weeks now the Canada goldenrod has been blooming. Now it is showing off along roadsides and fields. The other species of goldenrod has begun to bloom as well. Stiff goldenrod is showing off in the prairies now! Also in the prairie - Bottle gentian! It's blooming now, but I tend to think of it as a September bloom. It's a few weeks early from my recollection. This fantastic purple/blue flower never full opens. It's often called Closed gentian because of this. The only insect strong enough to open the blossom is the bumblebee. It's a treat to watch the fuzzy insect pull open the stubborn petals and wiggle its way in and then back out again.
Other signs of fall? Minnesota State Fair commercials, ads for back to school shopping, and movie trailers for films that come out on Thanksgiving. The year is nearly 2/3 of the way through, but let's still live in the present soaking up all that nature has to offer.
August 10, 2017
Fall migration has begun! Just this week I have seen a fall warbler - don't ask me what species... fall warblers are tough! - and a Least sandpiper. These little birds are already slowly making their way done from their Arctic breeding grounds to Minnesota. They are filling up on the abundance of insects around the woods, wetlands, and riparian zones around here. This is just the beginning of the migration! The fall migration is not as rushed and big as the spring migration, but it is still a treat to see these birds come through once more. Soon enough, we will have our winter resident birds here.
The see a really migration of Barn swallows, click here to go the eBird.org website. The animation uses predictions based on citizen science reports of sightings from eBird users. It's pretty amazing how far these birds travel and how quickly they suddenly appear and then disappear from an area during the change of seasons.
July 31, 2017
I have noticed two things in the last few weeks:
1.) There have been several nights of mayfly hatches. These little insects start their life in the water as larva and then hatch out as winged adults. They only live for 24 hours - enough time to mate and die. So at night I have seen swarms of these little flying insects around the street lights and in the morning I find their dead bodies on the sidewalks and covering the Coon Rapids Dam walkway. Finding these insects is a good thing. Mayflies cannot handle much pollution. Their feathery gills on their abdomens would get all clogged. So knowing that there are so many mayflies around my neighborhood means that the water (the Mississippi River) is pretty clean and free of pollutants around here.
2.) I have also noticed LOTS of Japanese beetles. They are not just on plants - I even saw them on the railing of the Coon Rapids Dam walkway! These hungry - and beautiful - beetles are an invasive species from Asia. They have few predators here. There are so many here this summer that the plants look like they have been in serious fights. The leaves are chewed up and eaten away. The stems are heavy with the beetles. You would find it hard to go for a walk and not see at least one of these beetles on a plant. The reason the numbers are so high this year? We had a mild winter and a warm spring. The cold did not kill them off as it normally does each year. So now we have lots of these - they have been eating and breeding for several more months than usual. When talk about climate change, not everything loses. There are some winners like the Japanese beetle.
July 6, 2017
Summer temperatures and humidity are here!! But this weather is nothing compared to what the western third of the country is facing. Still experiencing record heat there! Meanwhile it seems to be raining all the time in the northeast part of the country. These weather patterns are a sign of climate change. Extreme weather from drought to floods to severe storms to unusual heat and cold.... it's all due to climate change.
This last week out at Crow-Hassan Park Reserve over 30 bull snakes were found in one small area - all gravid! This means they were carrying eggs. I was out at the same place and found many bull snake eggs! There is a healthy population out there once again!
June 28, 2017
It is still cool here, but today the humidity has crept up once again. The weather pattern has been this way due to a few factors: 1.) The Jet Stream was high ridge in the Pacific Northwest and a trough plunging down to nearly the Gulf of Mexico. 2.) Tropical Storm Cindy hit the Gulf Coast and pushed up the east coast. 3.) The High Pressure ridge kept all the heat from the west and the rain in the east away from here. Now a Low Pressure system has arrived and rain came. The dew point rose to the 60s and the winds picked up.
The cooler weather has really only tricked people. The plants and animals are not fooled. They are still blooming, nesting, hunting, and growing.
June 25, 2017
What a change! This weekend the weather has turned cool. The southwest and now even the Pacific northwest are experiencing extreme record heat (Phoenix was 126 degrees earlier this week!), but here in Minnesota we are barely reaching 70 degrees.
The summer solstice was on Tuesday night with the first full day of summer on Wednesday. That means that the days will be getting shorter as we orbit the sun and make our way slowly to the winter solstice. It is still light at 9:30pm and it is wonderful!
Many of the nesting birds have already moved on to their second brood. Rabbits as well are busy raising a second (or third!0 brood. Look for young animals venturing out on their own for the first time all around us.
The major hail storm that blew through the Twin Cities two weeks ago caused a lot of damage. I recently found out that the osprey nest failed due to the storm that weekend. I saw the osprey trying to rebuild a nest on top of the power poles at the Coon Rapids Dam. This is called a "frustration nest". I don't think they will try laying eggs again, but it does look like they will rebuild a nest. I will keep my eyes on their activity this summer and hope they return next year and have a successful nest.
June 15, 2017
Hot, humid and yucky! Not a fan of summer heat and humidity. The air has been thick out there which makes it very uncomfortable. Over the weekend, Saturday was indeed very hot with high heat indexes and very strong winds. On Sunday, all that humidity drummed up some severe storms with gusty winds and hail! It looked like it had snowed! In fact, one suburb had to call in the snow plows to plow up the hail from the streets! Crazy summer weather!
Many of the nesting birds are nearly done with their chicks. Many birds have fledged and are trying out living on their own now. The spring flowers are making way for the summer flowers. The state flower - the Showy Lady's Slipper - is in bloom right now. The prairie is beginning to show color with indigo, golden alexanders, prairie smoke, puccoon, prairie phlox, violets and lupin - lots of lupin!
Monarch butterflies are back in full force! Lots caterpillars have been found and many have already made a chrysalis! It's not hard to spot these lovelies flying around looking for milkweed!
Dragonflies and damselflies are very active right now as well. Not many nymphs are left in the ponds as most are adults. But there's a lot of egg laying happening at the ponds right now! More nymphs to come!!!
This is a great time to get outside and listen for frogs, look for nesting turtles, watch damsels and dragons fly about, look for baby birds, and just enjoy the long days!!! Get out there!
June 8, 2017
Welcome summer! Okay, it's not really summer... That isn't until June 20th.... But it feels like summer out there! Long, sunny days have been with us for a while. We've even gotten a few "summer thunderstorms" in the evenings. The temperatures have been in the 80s this week and last weekend we actually got to 90! This weekend.... that's another story.... We should get up to 97 degrees with high dew points bringing the heat indexes up to 103 degrees on Saturday! Hot and steamy!!! What does this mean for the rest of summer if we get this hot early in the season? It's hard to tell if this is a fluke or a pattern...
Meanwhile, the birds are all nesting and raising chicks. There are baby ducks, swans and geese all over the ponds and lakes in Minnesota! Woodland birds are also busy feeding their hungry chicks. Any bird hike this time of year will find a nest or two!
Turtles are nesting too! Watch out for turtles on the roadways!! The females are out looking for good sandy soil to dig a nest, lay eggs, and then return to the pond. I saw no fewer than 5 painted turtles crossing the bike path yesterday evening. Keep your eyes open for these reptiles and be careful! Drive slow!!
May 25, 2017
In the last week, Minnesota and the Twin Cities received a lot of rain. On Saturday it rained nearly all day long nonstop - sometimes a drizzle, sometimes a downpour. The result is flooding of creeks, high water levels on lakes, and no wake zones on rivers. There is a lot of standing water in the low lying areas around wetlands. This could easily mean a fierce summer of mosquitoes. Lots of habitat for those mosquito larvae to develop!
In other news, the birds are definitely here! Some of the warblers have moved on already, but many of the breeding birds are here to nest. Active nests have been spotted everywhere! Chicks have hatched and baby birds are being raised. Get out and explore the local parks looking for nests, singing birds, and baby birds especially waterfowl!
May 18, 2017
In 2008, I started working as one of the naturalists at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary. That is when I really began noticing the seasonal changes of the world. I had always taken note of when it smelled like fall, when the first snowfall would occur, when I would hear the birds singing again in the spring, and when the days were hot and sticky in the summer months. But I never really made note of specific things and kept track of them. Working at the Wildflower Garden, made me take note of when - specifically when - flowers bloomed or birds returned in the spring or left in the fall.
This year, the Yellow Lady's Slipper is blooming right now and was in bloom on Mother's Day, May 14th. Less than 10 years ago, Memorial Day was the average time these flowers could be expected to bloom. It is blooming two weeks earlier. I have noticed that the bloom has been occurring earlier by a few days each year. Now it is 2 weeks early. The plants are responding to the change in climate. While we may complain of the up and down temperatures, we cannot see the bigger picture. The winters are warmer with less snow and the plants are responding to that change.
It is feared that several migratory birds will be impacted by these changes soon. The Indigo bunting, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee and more might not be able to adapt to the changing conditions. These birds eat insects and if the insects are emerging sooner than they are arriving, there might not be a food source left for them when they return on their spring migration. Where will they go? Will they die out? Will shift their migration? How will they adapt? We don't know.
Keeping these phenology records is one way of recording these changes and having a place to start for research and for conservation. Scientists are looking at data and determining what can be done to help our ecosystems. Stopping climate change all together is not an option at this point. What's done is done. But we can slow it. We can change our ways and work on restoring what we have destroyed.
Meanwhile, the weather here has gone back to chilly April like temperatures and rain. It went from humid and 80 degrees to windy, rainy and 50 degrees. Brrr.....
May 11, 2017
Okay, now spring is here! It always seems to take a while to get here for real, but when it happens it comes all at once. Such a change from last week when we had snow flurries!! This week, the lilacs are blooming, the trees are really leafing out, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and the insects are buzzing!
I have been waiting for more migratory birds to return, but it has all been quiet. Then on Monday night we got some wonderful thunderstorms from the south. This pushed the migrating birds north and there was an incredible "fall out"! This is when the birds are swept up in a moving weather front and then dropped into an area. They stop to catch their breath, eat, and move on. The warblers suddenly appeared!! Birders across Minnesota counted dozens of species on their birds walks on Tuesday!
Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day. There are many events happening everywhere including the start of the Twin Cities Urban Birding Festival. The weather should be just perfect for being outside, so grab your binoculars and search for a newly arrived migrant!
April 27, 2017
Did I say spring is here? Mother Nature has had other ideas... Over the weekend the temperatures climbed into the 70s here in the Twin Cities. I took a quick trip up to Grand Marais and needed to bring my winter coat, hat and gloves. On Monday morning, I woke up to snow on my cabin. When I returned to the metro area, the cold temperatures followed me. Wednesday the high never got out of the 30s! Flurries were spotted covering some decks with a light dusting. Today the temperature is still in the 30s and my winter coat doesn't feel warm enough with the windchill in the 20s. What happened?
It's spring and the weather can fluctuate sometimes drastically. How does this effect the wildlife and the new spring growth? When I got back to the Twin Cities the leaves were open on the trees and green was all around me! It was wonderful! The plants growing here in Minnesota are adapted to these swings of temperatures. A late April snowfall is not unusual. The migratory birds are also okay. The White-throated sparrows were still singing loudly (I heard them for the first time this season on Tuesday!), a Baltimore oriole was seen at someone's feeders, and someone said they had a Ruby-throated hummingbird in their yard! The amphibians and reptiles are probably hunkered down in the mud and under leaf litter to stay warm. Most will be just fine.
And I will be fine too. This cold weather has been quite a shock to my system after experiencing such wonderful warmth. By this time next week, the temperatures will be back in the 60s. More flowers will bloom, more birds will return, more leaves will open up on the trees, and more seeds will begin to develop.
April 20, 2017
Signs of spring are everywhere!!!! The buds on the trees are finally opening up and there is a hint of green throughout the woods and neighborhoods! Take a walk anywhere and you will see leaves just getting going!
The recent week of on and off rain showers has really pushed the buds to open and the flowers to bloom. Many of the early spring ephemeral wildflowers are just beginning to peak now and will be for the next few weeks. Mushrooms like the Scarlet cup fungus are up with all this rain as well.
Herps are active too! Garter snakes have been spotted in the woods on the move, chorus frogs can be heard signing loudly as well as the wood frogs, and turtles have been sunning themselves on the logs in ponds.
The sun now sets in the 8 o'clock hour so our days are wonderfully long. An evening walk may bring you bat sightings and if you're really lucky, a woodcock "peent" call and maybe a courtship flight display!
After all this rain this week, the weekend should be warm in the 60s with lots of sunshine! Get out there and walk, hike, ride your bike, and explore!!! Spring is here! Celebrate!
April 14, 2017
Spring is coming a little more each day! We've had some rain in the last week - much needed rain! - and the buds on the shrubs and some of the trees are beginning to open up and reveal new leaves growing! There's a little more green outside these days! Still many of the trees are bare and just waiting for some good April rains to help them out so they can open their leaves.
Many birds have returned though! I have seen Eastern bluebirds, osprey, hermit thrushes, tree swallows, Eastern phoebes and kinglets! Many waterfowl are beginning to nest too! The trumpeter swans at Eastman Nature Center have begun nest building and the wood ducks have been actively searching out nesting sights in tree cavities. The red-winged blackbirds are calling constantly to claim territory and seek females. There have been reports of females sighted in wetlands recently, so nesting season has begun for them.
Many wildflowers are in bud and ready to bloom! They are just waiting for some sunshine and rain! The bloodroot, false rue anemone and the toothwort species are all in bud and nearly ready to open up! The rain coming tonight and tomorrow should help them out and then warm temps and some sunshine on Sunday might encourage them to open fully! It's a great time to explore the woods for these early spring wildflowers! Get out there and enjoy the spring woods!
April 6, 2017
Early spring wildflowers are blooming! While hiking around the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary on Saturday, I saw Snow trillium, Sharp-leaved hepatica and Skunk cabbage all in bloom. The Snow trillium was reluctant to open in the morning, but by late afternoon it had opened and looks like it will be blooming for a week or so now. The hepatica first opened on Saturday only on the sunny slopes along the Garden paths. The Skunk cabbage has been in bloom for some time - in some places around the metro it been blooming for a month or more. The leaves are beginning to come up, which is a sign the bloom is nearly done.
The birds are starting to migrate back through too! I have yet to see a Yellow-rumped warbler, but shorebirds and waterfowl are back. Right now at Eastman Nature Center the Trumpeter swans are hanging around the pond. They have been showing a few signs of nesting, but have yet to chase off the Canada geese, mallards and Hooded mergansers that are also seen every day on our pond.
I have noticed a few trees are beginning to have bud burst - buds opening up and new leaves unfurling. Some trees are flowering too which is causing bad allergy issues for some. And, of course, ticks are out once again too. But all of these things are just signs that the world is waking up from a long winter's slumber.
This weekend should be the warmest one since September with temperatures in the 70s! Get outside for a hike, bike ride, stroll in the park and look for all the wonderful signs that spring is here! Enjoy!
March 31, 2017
Spring is in the air! While hiking at a local SNA yesterday, I saw two very active broad-winged hawks. Turns out they were a pair of male and female birds in courtship. After lots of flying around and displaying, they eventually landed on a tree top and mated. Not something you see every day!
On the hike, I also saw hooded mergansers, common goldeneyes, trumpeter swans, great blue herons, and mallards on the lake. In the trees eating the annoying flies that had emerged were my first of the year sightings of ruby-crowned kinglets! It's great to see these little bundle of energy birds back in the state!
Tomorrow is the opening day for the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and I will be working the first shift. Excited to see what plants are pushing up, what might be in bloom and what birds I may see on my walk. It should be a perfect spring day tomorrow!
March 23, 2017
The vernal equinox was on March 20th. Here in Minnesota, it arrived at 5:29am that day. Indeed, it did feel like spring! The weather was sunny and pleasant and in the 50s! But then, as it happens in March, a cold front came through and we ended up with colder weather for the rest of the week.
Tonight and tomorrow we should get some good rains - maybe even a clap of thunder! - which is much needed. Without the winter snows melting and recharging the groundwater, our region is proving to be dry. We may end up with drought conditions if we don't make up the deficit that the lack of winter snow has created.
Still, the migration of spring birds goes on! Great blue herons have been spotted back in their rookeries! Bluebirds have been seen in the fields! Sandhill cranes call overhead! Waterfowl and shorebirds are returning back as well! This is a great time to get out and look for birds!
Plants are trying to grow as well. A few trees are fattening their buds. The ground is thawing and the plants are getting ready for another growing season!
I think even people are ready for the spring! We all seem to have cabin fever! Let's get outside!!!
March 2, 2017
March 1st marks meteorological spring. The spring equinox is not actually until later on this month. All around the Twin Cities though there are plenty of signs of spring! Pussy willows are in bud. Silver maple buds are opening. Many buds on shrubs are fattening in preparation to open. Birds are signing loudly. I saw a crow carrying nesting materials this morning. The number of Red-winged blackbirds calling in the morning has increased every day in the last week. Their calls are now part of the morning chatter.
A little snow came this week, but the warm sunshine melted it all away by the afternoon. This weekend the temperatures should be near 60 degrees. This trend does seem to be sticking around - warm, cooler, then warm again - and I don't think we will see a major snow event this season. So even if it is not spring, it is meteorological spring.... Happy spring!
February 23, 2017
It's spring! Okay, it is not really spring, but the weather has been very spring-like. We had record breaking temperatures over the weekend and through much of this week with temps getting into the 60s! Animals came out of hibernation and migratory birds have been spotted all over the Twin Cities back again! Red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes and trumpeter swans have all returned! A painted turtle was seen crawling on the ice of a frozen pond this week! Ticks ore out again! Buds on trees and shrubs and opening. Skunk cabbage is in bloom at Minnehaha Falls! All of these things are weeks early! Local news media have picked up on the fact that this weather pattern is unusual and it might have something to do with climate change. Most of the time phenology is quiet and picks up on a few early occurrences, but this year the early spring is obvious to everyone! Here's a clip from KARE 11 about how this warm weather is affecting the plants and animals.
Tomorrow we are expecting a snowstorm. Yep. Snow. And potentially quite a bit of it! Right now we have nearly 0% snow cover. By tomorrow evening the metro area could see up to a foot of wet sloppy snow. Though with the ground as warm as it is and the snow as wet as it is, the accumulations may be much less than predicted. The southern part of the metro will see the most snowfall. Living in the northwest metro, I may see only 3 inches of snowfall. But what will this do to the animals that have woken up from hibernation or returned early? It will be interested to see how the rest of the spring plays out for us here in the upper Midwest...
February 16, 2017
The ups and downs of February weather! Well, this February anyhow. This week we are experiencing possible record breaking warm temperatures! Friday's high could get up to 60 degrees! The snow is melting from the grass and trails. Ponds are icing out. This weather feels like the weather we get in late March or early April. The 50s will last until next week, but by the end of next week we will be back in the 30s once again. I'm not sure if there is any hope of one more good snowfall this winter. Tough to tell since March can be a snowy month.
Many places are already tapping their maple trees since the weather these last few days have been perfect for maple syruping. However, the temperatures are actually too warm for a good sap flow this weekend. But when the weather turns colder once again, the tapping can continue.
This is some of the earliest that many places have tapped trees and collected sap. This is known because they have been keeping phenology records for many, many years. Once again, this shows the importance of keeping track of phenology and knowing what the historical records are for when a seasonal event happens instead of just anecdotal evidence.
As the snow melts around the state and we lose the snow pack, I grow concerned for spring and future. Without the spring melt replenishing creeks and streams and groundwater, our spring flowers may suffer. If they do not bloom to their usual capacity, our pollinators will suffer. This could mean fewer flowers in the future. It is also true that without the snow pack to insulate maple tree roots, the roots could easily get infected, too warm, and die. If we lose our maple trees, we will lose important habitat and of course maple syrup. The entire forest of the northeastern part of our state could radically change. What will these means for the other plants and animals that live in these maple mesic forests? No one will truly know until it happens. I hope, for our sake, that doesn't happen.
February 9, 2017
This week we welcomed back a blast a of cold air. On Wednesday and Thursday the temperatures were in the teens with wind chills below zero. It's a brief blast though - Friday the weather will warm up with temperatures climbing into the 40s and even some 50s in the southwestern part of the state!
Tomorrow is the full moon. Traditionally Native Americans called the February full moon the Snow Moon since this is typically when the most snow falls. Not so this year in Minnesota! This week lots of snow fell in Montana and right now there is a blizzard on the east coast, but here in Minnesota it is sunny, cold, and snowless.
This month's full moon is rather unique. There will be a penumbral eclipse. This is not a full lunar eclipse. The Moon will still pass through the Earth's shadow, however, it will pass through the outer shadow still catching some of the Sun's light. The Moon will not go completely dark, but it will darken. This eclipse should be seen by much of the world including here in North America, though we will only see it right at moonrise. For more information about the eclipse, visit space.com.
Also occurring with this full moon and eclipse will be a sighting a comet! Around 2 am Central Time, the green colored comet will be able to be seen in the eastern sky. For more information on the comet, click here for an article from USA Today.
February 2, 2017
Today is Groundhog Day. The tradition of holding up the rodent who "predicts" the coming of spring goes back for 131 years. He has about a 39% accuracy rate.
This year he saw his shadow and therefore predicted that we would have an additional 6 weeks of winter. Of course, today marks the half way point through winter meaning that in six weeks it is actually the vernal equinox (aka spring). So I'm not sure this folklore holds up so much. Plus it all depends on where on the continent you live. The farther north you are, the more likely you will see spring snows.
Already in areas in the southern part of the Unite States, signs of spring are showing up. According to a map from the USA National Phenology Network, some trees are already opening up their leaf buds - a sign of the warmer temperatures and spring. Click here to see map of the bud burst in the southeastern portion of the United States. Many places are 20 days early. The USA National Phenology Network runs Nature's Notebook which is a nationwide citizen science online platform that allows citizens to report their phonological findings - such as when the leaves open in the spring, when birds migrate or nest, and when flowers bloom. They have many years of records and people report year round. The map shown currently on their website is based off of information from these citizen scientists. Again, I can't stress enough how important keeping phenology records is for science to track climate change. To become an observe for Nature's Notebook, follow this link to their main page and learn how you can participate in this citizen science project.
January 26, 2017
Yesterday while at work in Elm Creek Park reserve, I saw three Trumpeter swans fly over the parking lot. The swans gather on the rivers in the winter time. One spot is in Monticello which is right on the Mississippi River. The water stays open in the winter and the swans will gather there in the hundreds and sometimes thousands. Just today 150 were recorded on eBird.org by observer Tony Lau. On the 13th of January 1000 were recorded by Chris and Teri Wills. The numbers fluctuate day to day, but they are still high for individual species sightings in one place. If you would like to see these magnificent birds in one location, check out eBird.org for locations of recent sightings and take a day trip to the Mississippi River in Monticello, MN!
January 19, 2017
January thaw! After a brief cold blast, temperatures climbed back up and up and up!! This week we experiencing temperatures in the 40s! Tonight the low will not go below freezing! At Lowry Nature Center in Victoria, MN just west of the metro, they tapped a maple tree and collected sap yesterday! On January 18th! It would be interesting to look up records of when the earliest date was for tapping trees. This year has to be at least one of the earliest.
Tracking things like when the maple sap is flowing is important to track climate change. It's more than just anecdotal evidence. It's dates and events that are recorded rather than, "I remember that winter the sap flowed in January..." When in January did it flow? Is it the earliest it ever flowed? Was this a fluke January thaw or did this happen in previous Januarys? How many times did it happen? What dates did the sap start flowing in the previous ten or twenty years? Is there a pattern? These questions can be answered when proper and consistent phenology records are kept.
January 12, 2017
SNOW!!! It's been a few weeks since we had the freezing rain that coated the world in ice and made it nearly impossible to walk on trails. Since Monday evening snow has fallen and covered up the icy roads, grass, and trails. We have about 4 inches of snow on the ground. It is light, fluffy snow. Not the wetter snow that is good for packing and making snowmen, but it is at least something!
The snow is not only pretty look at, but much needed! Many animals in the winter time use the snow as insulation. Mice and voles are active all winter long. They make tunnels under the snow and cache food away under layers of snow in the perfect refridgerator! The snow keeps them warm, hidden from predators, and allows them keep food fresh.
Another reason the snow is needed? In the spring time when the snow melts, it recharges the creeks, rivers, and groundwater systems. Many animals and plants depend on this water for their life cycles like many amphibian species who need ephemeral pools. The more winter snow we get, the more water is available for plants and animals and the less risk of summer drought.
Temperatures will plummet again today and tomorrow, but next week there is rumor of temps closer to 30 degrees. Maybe there will be more snow in the forecast too!
January 5, 2017
New year! It has been two weeks since the winter solstice and already I have noticed that the mornings are bit lighter and the evenings are too! We are gaining a few minutes of daylight each day! That raises the spirits when the days are so cold!
Right now we are once again in a cold snap. And by cold, I mean below zero cold with windchills even colder. It's a fact of Minnesota winters. However, the weather here has been not great. It rained on Christmas Day and then everything froze into an icy mess. Now with the temperatures so cold and the air so dry there isn't much hope of snow.
I have seen eagles soaring and broad winged hawks flying as well. The raptors are doing well here. The songbird who have stayed have been visiting bird feeders heavily! The mammals that brave the winters are also doing their best to stay warm. Many rabbits have been seen darting from under the warmth of the spruce trees and squirrels ahve been gorging on bird seed too. Everyone is doing their best to stay warm.
Next week the weather promises to be warmer with some snow. The Great horned owls should be getting more active now that it is mating season. Keep your ears open for their hoots at sun down!
December 22, 2016
Happy winter!!!! The winter solstice arrived yesterday at 4:44am Central Time. This is when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. South of the Equator it is now summer, but north of the Equator it is now winter. The days will now be getting longer slowly but surely. Yesterday was the shortest day of the year with the sun above the horizon for less than 9 hours. But, yes, the length of sunlight hours will increase from here on to the summer solstice in June.
The day was above freezing which was 50 degrees warmer than it was on Sunday morning when the air temperature was -20 degrees! The snow has begun to melt already. This Sunday the temperature will be warm enough to bring rain and freezing rain our way. It may prove to be a sloppy, icy, messy Christmas Day.
The cold weather did bring many birds to the feeders and I have noticed that the activity at the feeders has in fact slowed down now that the temps are above freezing once again. I will still refill the feeders as needed to keep those little birds fed throughout the cold winter days.
Reports of owl activity have been coming in. Snowy owls have been seen in the Twin Citiese area as have Long-eared owls and of course Barred and Great-horned owls. January is the time when many Great-horned owls mate and nest. So just when we are in the middle of winter hunkering down and slow time of year for us, the owls are very active. Start listening for owl hoots and movement this week and throughout January and February as they compete for mates, nests, and food. Exciting time to witness the majestic owl!!!
December 17, 2016
Brrrrr!!!!! We have been plunged into winter! Sunday it snowed 4 to 5 inches and the temperatures were in the 20s. Delightful winter weather! The rest of the week the temperatures dropped to the single digits with windchills below zero. Overnight it snowed another 6 to 8 inches and throughout the day the temperatures will plunge once again. We will see the coldest temperatures of the year the coldest in three winters. The air temperature tomorrow will be 20 degrees below zero with windchills 30 to 40 below. This arctic blast won't last long though. By Tuesday we should be in the 20s and 30s once again.
This weather has come as a shock but it is just because we have gone from mild weather to bitter cold overnight seemingly. The wildlife has been adjusting as well. A few late migrators have stuck around finding open water for fish. The birds have been very active at the bird feeders as well. Woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, tree sparrows, goldfinches, and even turkeys have all visited the feeders frequently. They have been eating suet, peanuts, dried fruit and seeds. Busy at the feeders these days.
Next week is the winter solstice and the days will be getting longer after that. I look forward to the sun not setting at 4:30 in the afternoon!
December 7, 2016
Winter is trying to come. Even though Monday saw 40 degrees for a high temperature, today the temperature dropped and the winds picked up. With the windchill it felt like below zero at times! This weekend snow will come and it should be enough that the plows will be working. By next week we will see single digit temps and windchills below zero. All of this after seeing such a mild fall and first few days of December. On December 2nd, I saw a tiny garter snake on the bike path near my home. Sadly it was dead - run over by a bike perhaps. It was probably warming itself on the warm black pavement and was still cold to move to get out of the way of the passing bike. December 2nd snakes and other herps should be hibernating, but the ground was not frozen so this little snake was out.
Many birds have moved on though some of the waterfowl are still here. Dark-eyed juncos and American tree sparrows have made themselves at home in the metro area - this is as far south as they will go this winter. A Snowy owl has been well photographs out at the airport in the last few weeks. They will occasionally come this far south in the winter.
Everyone will be quite shocked by the cold and the snow that is coming. Even today I was outside and realized that I was not acclimated to the cold weather yet. Usually by now we have already had this weather. Even today, the low temperature was still 5 degrees above average (without the windchill). Winter is indeed coming and the plants (like those dandelions that were blooming last week on the lawn) and animals will have to be ready for it. Not sure if I am ready for it....
November 30, 2016
Tomorrow is December 1st which is the start of meteorlogical winter. The winter solstice isn't until December 21st. Usually by this time of the year we already have snow on the ground and have been thinking it is winter already. Not so this year. The little bit of snow we got two weeks ago is nearly all gone now. We have had rain for a few days. The ground is not frozen. Curious to see when winter weather will truly arrive - if it ever does this year.
I went birding over the weekend at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and saw a black swan. These birds are native to Australia, so seeing one mixed in with the Trumpeter swans was very unusual. Most likely it excaped from a zoo or someone's private collection. Other birds seen that day were Northern shovelers, American coots, Common goldeneyes, and lots of mallards. It was wonderful to see these waterfowl still here in November!
As we enter the last month of the year, I hope to see more snow and begin to enjoy all that winter has to offer. : )
November 23, 2016
Winter has come. One week ago it was 60 degrees and sunny. Friday the temperatures dropped and the freezing rain and snow mix came down. The metro area barely got half an inch of snow, but it was a reminder of what the weather is supposed to this time of year. While we are in the last month of fall, snow is usually covering the ground at this point. The chilly air remained around long enough to keep a thin layer of snow and now another system is bringing freezing rain and wet, heavy snow. The road and grass are covered in slushy snow clumps, but the ground is not completely frozen so the snow is melting as it collects. Creeks are running high once again. We will hover around the freezing mark and just a little above for the rest of this week.
Friday is Black Friday. I encourage everyone to get outside that day! #optoutside Minnesota State Parks will be free that day and make nature centers are offering special programs and will be open all day for hiking and exploring. Take the time to enjoy family and friends and the nature this week. Embrace winter and discover the beauty of the season. I am so thankful for the fantastic parks and nature that surround us here in Minnesota.
November 16, 2016
This is was most likely the last of the "nice" fall weather we have been having here. Today we reached 60 degrees and it was lovely sunny. Tomorrow evening reality sets in - it will start to rain and by Friday morning there may be some wet snowflakes mixing in with those raindrops. Goodbye temperatures 10-15 degrees above average; hello winter storm warning.
This week also marked the Super Moon. The full moon on Monday was the closest the moon has been to the Earth since the Eisenhower administration! There were record high tides along the coastal regions of the US and flooding in many towns. The moon was so bright over the weekend that I did not need a flashlight to see outside. It was quite a sight! The next time the moon will be that close to the Earth will be around 2030. So mark your calendars for the next Super Moon!
November 10, 2016
What a warm week of weather we have had! We have not yet had a freeze and have certainly broken the record for