Spring Is Upon Us

[rundrave]

This fatty isn’t liking the weather:

 

[delcecchi]

Fortunately for the robins I have a much maligned great big oriental bittersweet vine growing up a half dead box elder in the yard.   

[delcecchi]

Hakuna matata on my deck

[JBMasterAngler]

Purple and gold finches are starting to become more common, but the redpolls are still lingering around. How late will they stick around for?

[fishingstar]

I have not seen a redpoll in over a week

[eyeguy 54]

red polls and purple finches here daily for a while now. not many house finches.  brown headed cowbirds are here. flickers. Saw a vireo yesturday. 

[Mike89]

saw the first frog today!!!  

[smurfy]

34 minutes ago, Mike89 said:

saw the first frog today!!!  

before...or after happy hour!!!!!!!!!

[half-dutch]

Quite a few duck and waterfowl species are in the openings in the ice on the Metro Lakes, but the oddest bird I have seen is a hen turkey stopping traffic on Portland between 22nd and 23rd in South Minneapolis.  Then I hear that there is a known small flock already established inside the city on the near south side and this one is not so odd.  Wild turkeys are going commensal it seems!

[Wanderer]

Turbans.  That’s what those birds are. 

 

Saw our first loon on the Miss last weekend and now have a couple of screaming on the pond I’m turkey hunting by.  Pretty small water for loons but it is water.  Open edges and black as can be in the middle.  

 

I wish I knew my bird songs better.  I’m hearing calls that I have no idea what they are.  So many birds they could be almost anything.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Wanderer

[delcecchi]

8 hours ago, half-dutch said:

Quite a few duck and waterfowl species are in the openings in the ice on the Metro Lakes, but the oddest bird I have seen is a hen turkey stopping traffic on Portland between 22nd and 23rd in South Minneapolis.  Then I hear that there is a known small flock already established inside the city on the near south side and this one is not so odd.  Wild turkeys are going commensal it seems!

Last fall there was one standing in the middle of France Ave, by the cemetery.   

[JBMasterAngler]

Looks like the redpolls finally flew north. Haven’t seen them in a few days. 

[Mike89]

seeing pelicans and loons today like crazy!!!  good to see

[delcecchi]

Hmmm maybe pelicans not so cool....  Facebook via target walleye email....

 

Paul Frick

April 27 at 2:27pm · 

Holy eye opener. Canoed 3rd river today from Dixon to Winnie. Have always seen a few pelicans around but wow. Get away from the roads and prepare to be depressed if you are a fisherman. I would guess at least a 1000. They eat so much they can't even fly, what you see me holding is fish they puked up so they could fly away from canoe. Hundreds and hundreds of beautiful walleye. I doubt many make it up the river. I saw this in squaw lake this week also on Popple river. If you want to see first hand destruction of fish population, canoe one of these northern itasca rivers around Winnie, Dixon, bowstring, round lakes in the next week. I think we may have a problem that needs to be delt with. NOW, let the social media arguments commence!!
Hold my beer.

[Mike89]

seen that years ago...  it's true, just watch how they heard the fish into the shallows!!

[Wanderer]

Pelicans gotta eat too.  They’ll move on but this is one of those years the planets may be aligning in a tough way for some spawning runs.  I’ll go out on a limb and say if they were eating mostly suckers nobody would be too upset.

 

I HATED to see the cormorants hang around my place for 3-4 days; haven’t even seen one in the past 3 springs.  But I enjoyed all the ducks that were eating small fish and crayfish for several weeks.  I had to kinda sigh and realize my inconsistency on that perspective.

[Mike89]

I do agree!!  it's just fun to watch them things and how they do their feeding..

 

made it up in your area Sunday, tried to wave at ya Wanderer!!  but wasn't sure what direction!!!

[bobbymalone]

On 4/26/2018 at 6:38 PM, Mike89 said:

saw the first frog today!!!  

I've been hearing them for a week or so.

[Mike89]

I see the toads are out now too, seen several moving from their winter area to the lake and swamps...

[JBMasterAngler]

Had my first oriole sighting today. I put out some grape jelly in hopes to lure him back, but I never saw him again. Does oriole nector work? 

[Hawg]

 I tried nectar, and it worked one year, but not since.  Mine kind of turned into a sticky mess and attracted more bees than anything. Good to hear the Orioles are down by you now, I’m 100 miles north of you but the jelly is out. Are hummingbirds on about the same schedule as Orioles?

Edited May 6, 2018 by Hawg

[eyeguy 54]

usually a couple weeks behind so they will be here soon. i like to put out grape jelly for the orioles and i just mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 cup water for the hummer feeders. the grape jelly usually gets hit hard once the family of orioles has hatched. 

[smurfy]

My Hummer feeders and jelly are out. The Robin's found the jelly already.

[delcecchi]

I put out the hummer feeder and got one right away.  Then an oriole came to it, so I put out an oriole feeder....  and some grape jelly in a saucer, garnished with dried meal worms 

Also saw a flash of something that looked like a grosbeak.   had a white stomach with a big red patch on the throat.   Only saw it for like 2 seconds so didn't get a good look before it flew off.  

 

Tomorrow going to check the trail for bluebells....

[IceHawk]

2 different hummingbirds on the humming bird feeders today. No orioles yet but I'm hopeing soon.