Spring Is Upon Us

[tacklejunkie]

Saw the first flock of geese while in Superior on Saturday

[Wanderer]

I just talked to someone who was in NE yesterday.  He said the amount of ducks and dark geese he saw was UNREAL!

[Mike89]

saw some sand hill cranes just a little while ago!!!

[Jim Almquist]

Had our first Junco at the feeder and a Honker on the St. Louis river

[Duffman]

The dog shiat is starting to appear.

 

I will say that the Cardinal's have been pretty loud lately.

 

Local suburb sleugh is opening up in spots, but the geese and mallards could be local.

Will see some divers and and non-city ducks there when they move through.

 

 

[Wanderer]

Common Mergs today.

[bobberineyes]

On 3/20/2018 at 5:54 PM, Duffman said:

 

 

 

Local suburb sleugh is opening up in spots, but the geese and mallards could be local.

Will see some divers and and non-city ducks there when they move through.

 

 

I walked around this pond the other day,  pretty neat when the divers stop by. Been seeing lots of pairs of ducks flying around but it won't be long before they're lounging around the bird feeders.

[smurfy]

seen a pair of robins tonite..go figure where suppose to get 3-8 inches of snow Friday nite/ sat morning!!!!! 

[delcecchi]

Saw a wild turkey on the median of hiway 63 in front of Menards, here in Rochester this morning about 9:30.    That was a little unusual.  

[Mike89]

the geese sure are flying today...  all headed north....

[Wanderer]

Drake mallards this afternoon - no suzys.

More Goldie’s, commons and a couple hooded mergs.  Almost entirely drakes of all species.  Geese are getting stronger.

[smurfy]

sure was neat this morning going out to the car to listen to the robins and cardinals singin away.

 

seen my first sandhill cranes this morning too!!!!! to bad there gonna get snowed on!

[eyeguy 54]

I love the cranes. Fun trying to spot them when they are flying crazy high.  Been hearing a lot while out on area lakes lately. Time to refill all the feeders, been slow here all winter but should pick up soon.

[smurfy]

that field just to the west of the McStop exit on 94 has been busy the last few days. deer......turkeys, even 2 struttin there stuff and again this morning a mess of deer out there. its not uncommon to see the cranes out there eitherZ

[eyeguy 54]

went out and partially filled some feeders and the suet. Also figured I better but some meal worms out.  Came inside and down came and 30 redpolls.  They stayed about 10 minutes and then a squirrel spooked them. I spooked the squirrel and went to look at a coule pics I just took. Sat down and a female cardinal popped on the worms. Male was with her but didnt pose. 

[smurfy]

i put my mealworm feeder out last nite also!!!!!!!!!

[Tom Sawyer]

Cell phone quality, but if this isn't a sure sign I don't know what is.......

[half-dutch]

This time of the year, as ice outs on Harriet and the formerly known as Calhoun, the migrators assemble.  Some of the rafts are huge including upwards of maybe a dozen species (or so I have been told).  I just love to watch them.  I get an especial kick out of the antagonism between the loons and the much smaller grebes.  The loons never seem to be able to catch the grebes and they never seem to be able to quit pestering the loons. 

Isn't this quite early for woodies?  If you want pictures once they get back, there are always quite a few of them on Powderhorn. 

The crew residing my house has pretty much kept the wildlife out of my back yard, but I know it is spring, because the snow is almost gone and the garlic planted last fall is already pushing about 3" out of the ground, tall enough to row all the varieties.  There have been a pair of cardinals in my shrubs all winter long, hopefully they come back once the crew is done, supposedly next Tuesday.

 

Edited March 24, 2018 by half-dutch
grammar

[Wanderer]

1 hour ago, half-dutch said:

 

Isn't this quite early for woodies?  

 

 

Nice perspectives in your post above. 

 

Yes!  It’s quite early for woodies and I’m still scratching my head over that one.  A lone drake, flew right over the top of me and headed down into the woods like they normally do here.  Been wondering if it was mistaken identity with a hooded merg but two days later a hooded drake merg flew over me in the opposite direction and it was different.

 

As days go by the question persists but I was immediately skeptical when I saw and heard the woodie approaching and couldn’t disprove it as it passed by.

 

I love the days in life when this is one of the biggest questions to think about! 

[smurfy]

spring truly really doesn't arrive till the ole slew pumpers show up........... blue herons. i have noticed more birds lately at the feeders so its a good start. that all all this snow forecasted didn't show up either!!!!!

[Tom Sawyer]

1 hour ago, smurfy said:

spring truly really doesn't arrive till the ole slew pumpers show up........... blue herons. 

 

Actually these are "slough pumpers"

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-bittern

 

[knoppers]

well the redwing blackbirds are back. making all kinds of noise on the frozen pond today.

[bobberineyes]

Had a chippie below the bird feeders earlier, where's that hawk when ya need em..

[smurfy]

On ‎3‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 9:49 AM, Tom Sawyer said:

 

Actually these are "slough pumpers"

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-bittern

 

well i was told by parents and grandparents the blue heron were!!!!!! must be the german thing!

 

anywho..........i did see my first blue heron today and a killdeer!!!!!!!!! so it must be when the loons are back spring truly arrives!!!!

[Mike89]

1 hour ago, smurfy said:

well i was told by parents and grandparents the blue heron were!!!!!! must be the german thing!

 

anywho..........i did see my first blue heron today and a killdeer!!!!!!!!! so it must be when the loons are back spring truly arrives!!!!

same here!!  have not seen them yet!!