April 7th
Turkey Vulture
Sandhill Crane
American Woodcock
Barred Owl
Eastern Bluebird
In a repeat, but less dramatic performance, Spring made it's debut at
out little farm. My personal harbingers of spring arrived on the same
day, and right down to the hour as last year! At dusk I went for a
walk along the wood edge looking for an errant peahen, now missing
for five days. The resident Barred Owls were talking it up somewhere
to the south. Across the road to the west the evening clatter of
Canada Geese in the small wetland was interrupted by the welcome
rattle of Sandhill Cranes. By the time I made it back up to the house
a Woodcock had flown in and began his sky-dance. He changed positions
several times, performing the ariel segments of courtship with
twittering wings on accent and chirp/chip/churl-up calls on decent.
He never peented while on the ground. Perhaps not satisfied with
meager patches of bare earth the snow covered landscape relinquished
he felt to embarrassed to call much attention to himself!
A single male Bluebird on a power-line...intersection of Clearwater
County 13 and 2, south of Shevlin.
I watched a Turkey Vulture rocking north-west from the intersection
of StHwy 200 and StHwy 64 in Hubbard County.
Below is my report from last year on April 7th...
"Yesterday a freak storm dumped 12+" of fresh heavy snow on us. The
lawn had been practically snow free on Saturday. It's buried again,
but not for long. Now for a surprise!
At 8:20 PM I went out to the hen house to round up a few birds for
the breeding pen.
C. Geese were discussing the accommodations in the wetland to the
west. Then I heard them, "my" Sandhill cranes! They're back!
Seconds later a Woodcock started peenting from a poplar thicket knee-
deep in drifts. I leaned up against the 4-Runner and soaked it in. A
Barred Owl began to call from wood-lot to the north. A flock of
Trumpeters Swans called in the distance. Then a Great Horned Owl
started up to the southwest. The Sandhills are still vocalizing when
a deer steps out of the eastern wood-line, crosses the small feral
pasture and makes her way to a hanging sunflower feeder 100' from me.
I don't move a muscle. A family of Coyotes sing and wail and yip
from the woods to the east. The Doe comes closer, 75 feet, 50 feet,
she still does not see me, the owls continue to court, the cranes are
down to a intimate rattle. Suddenly, out of who knows where, a
Woodcock flies about 4' above my head and peels off to the south
towards the wetland. Made me jump, the Doe bolt and Spring arrive,
all in the same moment."
** NOTE: EMAIL CHANGE **
NEW ADDRESS ON APRIL 1ST
[email protected]
( old address dies on 4/25/09 )
Kelly Larson
The Bagley Farm -Clearwater
The Bemidji Loft -Beltrami
Minnesota
Eschew Obfuscation!
The middle of Nowhere is Somewhere!
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