Last day of March

Got in one more weekday walk this Wednesday with a friend of mine. The temps were near 75º I think which is WAY above our normal mid-forties for time. Shortly after turning onto the second woodchip trail we noticed a group of four deer only feet off the right side of the trail. I couldn't believe how close we were. Even as we talked, only two of them really paid attention to us and wandered further into the woods. The most curious one stayed put for a photo or two and I get the feeling it was the younger one. Later on we spotted two more for a total of six deer. Though it had been partly sunny earlier it had clouded over good by the time the sun was setting. At the water overlook on the south side we both heard and say something slowly crawling out of the cattails and slip quietly into the water. I thought it was a muskrat but it turned out to be a large Snapping Turtle who later poked his nose out of the water. It was cool to see one so early in the season. I've only ever seen them in the summer here.

Late March Monday

With such nice weather lately I was all about getting in another workday walk on Monday. The park was crazy busy again and I felt like kind of a dork taking photos with so many people around. Despite all the people around me I didn't hesitate when I saw this Pheasant as I've had such few photo opportunities with them. He was quite a ways away so it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. On the northeast side I spotted a strange bird way high up in a big cottonwood tree. I took some pics as I tried to figure out what the heck it was. After watching for a bit I noticed another more colorful bird of the same shape just off to it's left. I was kind of shocked to realize that they were Wood Ducks that high up in a tree. I've only ever seen them on the water but apparently they do perch in tall trees -a note confirmed by my bird book. After rounding the southeast corner I immediately noticed a large white bird out on the water. He was super far away but I waited until he caught up with some ducks and geese before I took a photo -as it would show off his true size. I assumed he was a Trumpeter Swan but upon further inspection I believe it was a Mute Swan. Both Trumpeter Swans and Tundra Swans have a black bill and it was too large for a Snow Goose. According to what I've read, this seems to be a bit of an odd sighting for this area. If true I can add a new species to my list of wildlife seen in the park! A good website I've recently discovered has some interest facts about Mute Swans: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mute_Swan/id

Sixties and Sunny

I didn't get out on Sunday 'til much later in the day but it was gorgeous weather. The park is getting so busy with walkers, joggers and bikers that the parking lot was near full! At least the woodchip trails are less congested. There on the south side I snapped a quick pick of this little red squirrel. The remainder of the route was pretty uneventful and it's been quite a while since I've seen any deer. Somewhere back on the south side I spotted this Downy Woodpecker right above me so I took a couple pics. I usually don't bother with woodpeckers cause they move to fast but this one turned out pretty good. This one's a female as it's missing the red patch at the back of the head.

Not-so-Bald Eagle

I got out earlier than normal this Saturday morning and it with no sun it was actually pretty chilly. I wore my winter hat -maybe for the last time this season. Though March is traditionally the snowiest month in Minnesota, we've not seen a single flake. In addition, our temps are expected to hit 70º this week! On the north side I've been noticing more and more grey, fuzzy pussy willows. The rest of the path was quiet and boring and at some point I changed my route to dispose of a large plastic bag stuck in the cattails. Upon returning to the path I noticed an enormous bird perched up in some birch trees. I realized immediately it had to be an Eagle as he had to be about 3 feet tall! With the distance and overcast light I had a hard time determining if he was a Bald Eagle. Instead of a bright white head he had a mixture of brown and white. His breast was also a mixture of brown and white and overall he just looked rough. As I watched for a while, a second Eagle came hovering over like he was looking for a place to land. Some crows chased the flying one off but the other continued to just sit there. Two other walkers came up to me and suggested that maybe it was a juvenile, as it sometimes takes 4-5 years for Bald Eagles to fully develop their coloring. I've also read that Eagles will molt in order to replace feathers which could also give them this rough appearance. I'm really not sure about this one but my first thought is that he was awfully big for a juvenile.