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Phenology Talkbacks: Loony weather doesn't keep the loons away

A Common Loon calls on a windy day. The loon's mouth is open and you can see its tongue. It has a bright red eye, dark head with striped white bands on the neck, and a black-and-white checkered back. The water is rippled and blue-gray. The image is captioned "Loons return".
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A Common Loon calls on a windy day.

Students and listeners from across the state send in their nature reports. Depending on the season, reports may cover wildflowers, wildlife, weather and other wonders.

Despite another chilly and gray week, spring has resolutely made its way north!

We have nine reports for you this week, replete with migrating birds and budding trees.

Remember you can add your voice to this list! Get in touch with me (smitchell@kaxe.org), John Latimer (jlatimer@kaxe.org) or text "phenology" to 218-326-1234.
For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.

Prairie Creek Community School

Prairie Creek Community School phenology report - April 25, 2023

A baby cottontail rabbit sits in a pile of dead leaves. The rabbit is laying down with its ears laid back, seeming to hide from the camera. It is nestled into a corner where two concrete walls meet. The image is captioned "Baby cottontails".
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iNaturalist user Sciencegirl02
A baby cottontail rabbit sits in a pile of dead leaves.

Betty and Kaia report from Michelle Martin’s class at Prairie Creek Community School in Northfield.

Betty: “Hi, this is Betty.”

Kaia: “And this is Kaia.”

Betty: “And we’re from Prairie Creek Community School, way down south in Northfield, Minnesota.”

Kaia: “It certainly didn’t feel ‘way down south’ this past week, Betty.”

Betty: “No it didn’t – it was COLD!”

Kaia: “But spring kept on springing.”

Betty: “Should we start with live things or dead things?”

Kaia: “What a choice. Let’s go with dead.”

Betty: “Well, we saw a skunk roadkill.”

Kaia: “We also saw possum roadkill.”

Betty: “On our field trip, Blake and Arick found a dead baby painted turtle.”

Kaia: “Aspyn’s neighbor found a cat skeleton under her deck.”

Betty: “And there were a lot of dead worms … ”

Kaia: “ ... but there were also 180 live ones!”

Betty: “Which brings us to living things.”

Kaia: “Anita saw an egret.”

Betty: “Michelle saw a Northern Flicker and a blue bird.”

Kaia: “I saw a Red-headed Woodpecker.”

Betty: “Elliot saw two Bald Eagles.”

Kaia: “We haven’t seen any juncos for at least a week and a half … ”

Betty: “ … and Trish reported loons up on Bde Maka Ska.”

Kaia: “On our field trip we saw a lot of bird nests under a shelter.”

Betty: “One of them looked like it had blue eggs in it!”

Kaia: “It could be a robin nest!”

Betty: “There are four squirrel nests in Central Park … ”

Kaia: “ … and there are baby bunnies in a nest in Arick’s yard.”

Betty: “That wraps it up.”

Kaia: “This has been Prairie Creek Community School … ”

Betty and Kaia: “... one more step along the phenology journey.”

John’s impressed with the thoroughness of their report and the number of dead animals they spotted! The dead baby painted turtle hatched last year but overwintered in the nest before digging out in the spring, likely while crossing a road.

Most other northern freshwater turtles dig out of their nest in the summer or fall, but the painted turtle does not. So, if you find a quarter-sized painted turtle in the early spring, it’s most likely from last year’s breeding season and just now making its way to water.

Red-headed Woodpeckers are very charismatic birds with eye-catching plumage and entertaining behaviors. It is often confused with the more common Red-bellied woodpecker, which has large red markings on its head, but they’re distinctly different once you’ve seen them side-by-side!

John was glad to hear about the loon at Bde Maka Ska. Scott Hall has reported seeing a few on the Mississippi River. John’s looking forward to the loons returning to his lake once the ice melts.

Shakopee West Middle School

Shakopee West Middle School phenology report - April 25, 2023

A Yellow-rumped Warbler sits on a cattail spike. It is a small songbird with a yellow rump patch, vibrant black-and-white markings, and a small yellow crown. The image is captioned "Yellow-rumped Warbler".
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A Yellow-rumped Warbler sits on a cattail spike.

Braden, Eva, and Cal report from Tara Orstad’s class at Shakopee West Middle School.

“Hey guys! This is Braden, Eva and Cal from Mrs. Orstad’s seventh grade life science class. We are reporting from the Shakopee West Middle School Life Lab Garden for the week of April 17.

“This coming weekend on April 22 is Earth Day and Eid. Earth Day happens to be also the end of Ramadan this year, coincidentally. Some of our friends will celebrate Eid, which starts and ends Ramadan with one lunar cycle with the waxing crescent moon.

“All the snow in the Life Lab Garden had melted by April 11, yet it snowed several inches on April 16! This time the sun was strong enough to melt the new snow within a day. That’s April in Minnesota for you!

“We’ve also been having soaking rains which have really greened up the grass in everyone’s lawns. McCoy and Aya saw so many worms on the ground because of the rain flooding them out.

“We have seen a LOT of new phenology this week as a class:

  • The loons are back! On Lake O’Dowd there were two loons stopped for a break on their travels on Saturday, April 15. Liam also was on a walk and saw loons diving into a pond like, ‘Ahhhhh.’ 
  • This week in Shakopee we’ve seen some Yellow-rumped Warblers. 
  • Hilary, Neve, Sammy and Cal saw dragonflies on April 16. 
  • Josiah and his dad saw a pelican on the shore of the Minnesota River on April 20. 
  • Mollie saw a Pileated Woodpecker for the first time this week, which was very exciting! 

“This has been our phenology report. Work hard and keep exploring!”

John breaks out a new (to me) vocabulary word, calling the immediate melting of April 16’s snow “propitious.” “Propitious,” according to an online dictionary, is an adjective meaning “giving or indicating a good chance of success; favorable.” (Last week, I learned what “facile” meant from John’s phenology report. What an articulate fella.)

John suspects the dragonflies were green darners, which are migratory. Spring meadowhawks, the next species spotted in spring, arrive after the green darners.

A first sighting of a Pileated Woodpecker is certainly something to celebrate! They are such big, charismatic, exciting birds. I’ve seen them many times and the wonder has never worn off: I’ll still cross the house or end a conversation just to watch one forage on a nearby tree.

Kenwood Community School

Kenwood Community School phenology report - April 25, 2023

An American Coot and Mallard swim together. The American Coot is in the foreground, and has a grey body, dark grey head, and white bill. The Mallard is further back and has an iridescent green head, yellow bill, brown chest, and white-and-brown body. The image is captioned "American Coot and Mallard".
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An American Coot and Mallard swim together.

This week, Mrs. Gregory and Natalie Pierson’s class of fifth graders at Kenwood Community School in Minneapolis spotted blooming flowers on trees, lilacs with swelling buds, migrating birds and lots of rain. The birds have been making a racket in the morning, and there are some leaves emerging! Ms. Pierson saw Red-breasted Mergansers, coots and lots of loons on Bde Maka Ska.

John thanks them for their observations and is glad to hear the trees are blooming and lilac buds are swelling. He noticed both phenomena while in the Twin Cities last weekend, and gladly spotted some leaves emerging. He agrees the birds are quite vociferous in the mornings, and waterfowl are thick on waterways both in the Twin Cities and near Grand Rapids.

Baxter Elementary

Baxter Elementary School phenology report - April 25, 2023

John introduces a group of students to a spider during a visit to their class. The image shows John surrounded by a ring of 5th graders, who are looking intently at a small spider in his hands. The group is wearing jackets and hoods, and their hands are extended toward John and the spider.
John introduces a group of students to a spider during a visit to their class.

Bob, Parker and Annie report from Nate Macejkovic’s class at Baxter Elementary School.

It was a cold and cloudy week, with occasional snow. The students are waiting for bud break on Joey, their red maple tree.

While on a walk with John Latimer, Sarah Mitchell and LeAnn Plinske, the students sampled wintergreen leaves, learned about the three types of lichen (crustose, foliose and fruticose), and discovered that black knot fungus grows on cherry and plum trees. It also looks like cat poop!

While on the walk, the students apprehended a wolf spider, a centipede and a pill bug. John taught them about the beneficial aspects of spiders, and I got over my fear of them and held it in my hand.

Forty pelicans flew overhead and some Ospreys were building a nest on a nearby tower. Some students have seen Sandhill Cranes and a Ruby-Crowned Kinglet.

Some mammalian sightings included a fox, a mother bear and three cubs, and raccoons. One student keeps domestic rabbits, which are shedding their winter fur.

Mosquitos and wood ticks emerged on April 12 and April 10, respectively.

“We would like to thank Mr. Latimer, Ms. Mitchell, and Mrs. Plinske for coming to our school and helping us learn. This concludes our phenology report. Have a great week and be observant.”

John concurs — reluctantly — that the ticks and mosquitos have emerged to plague us for another year. At least that means that spring is here!

As we found out, it’s easy to find a lot of great stuff when you have a small army of sharp-eyed students combing the forest for you. Thanks to their acute vision and quick hands, John was able to speak in defense of spider-kind and I was able to face 32 years of hesitancy about eight-legged existence. A moment to remember!

Eagle View Elementary

Eagle View Elementary phenology report - April 25, 2023

John Latimer teaches students at Eagle View Elementary on April 19, 2023.  The students are wearing blue ponchos and leaning in to get a closer look at a yellow willow branch.
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Deanne Trottier
John Latimer teaches students at Eagle View Elementary on April 19, 2023.

Lucy and Anika report from Deanne Trottier’s class at Eagle View Elementary in Pequot Lakes.

“Today is Monday, April 24, and this is the phenology report from Eagle View Elementary School in Pequot Lakes.

“Today the weather is sunny and 41 degrees, but last week we had even more snow! We are going to have to wait until the snow melts to do our Earth Day clean up. The good news is that the snow is melting quickly, and the grass is really green underneath!

“On one of the snowy mornings we found some interesting tracks outside. There were a couple footprints then a long slide, then a couple more footprints. We followed the tracks along the back of our school, then they headed down the hill towards the lake. We are pretty sure an otter was up by the school exploring!

“Last Wednesday, Mr. Latimer and Sarah spent the morning at our school. We took them outside so they could see our Nature Center and we had a great time exploring, looking at buds and branches, holes in trees, tracks, and more. We even spotted an Osprey and a raven flying over our heads! We are so happy they came and can’t wait for their next visit!

“We have collected 15 gallons of sap from our maple trees. Tomorrow we are going to boil it down so we can see how syrup is made. Tune in next week to hear more.

“This is Lucy and Anika reporting from Pequot Lakes. Make every day Earth Day!”

John thanks them for the report and for showing us around their lovely school forest. He and I are jealous of the kids we met with last week at West Rapids, Baxter and Eagle View, who not only have these beautiful places adjacent to their school, but also have enthusiastic teachers bringing them outside to learn!

It was certainly a blustery and chilly day, but the weather didn’t appear to chill the students’ enthusiasm much. These student phenologists are a hardy bunch.

Long Lake Conservation Center

Long Lake Conservation Center phenology report - April 25, 2023

Moses reported on behalf of students from Highland Catholic School in St. Paul, who took a trip to Long Lake Conservation Center.

“Our spring trip to Long Lake Conservation Center April 19 through the 21 felt more like a February trip with snow, below-freezing temps and a biting north wind. Despite the unseasonable cold, our group saw interesting nature, including the season’s first Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker. It was making a big racket on top of one of the metal light poles.

“Speaking of making a racket, spring peepers were also heard. We were on the lookout but didn’t get to see Dill Prickles or the garter snakes. One of the naturalists saw a pile of chewed up bullhead heads on the lake, so we think the otters are around, but no sightings yet this year.

“We did see a good mix of BIG birds including Sandhill Cranes, Trumpeter Swans and a vulture. The Hooded Mergansers are making the best of the small amount of lake edge that is open for them. The remaining ice keeps them close to the campus shore and we got a good view of these beautiful birds. Their call sounds kind of like the croak of a frog. We tried to count them, but mergansers can stay underwater for quite a long time, more than a minute, so it was hard to keep track of how many there were.

“We had a great time in nature, and we want to remind everyone to … Unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”

Although the wind last week was cold, it’s pretty handy that it pushed the Hooded Mergansers close enough for easy observation. John would argue that Hooded Mergansers are close, if not equal, in beauty to Wood Ducks. Keep an eye out for them next time you’re by a lake or river!

Hooded Merganser

North Shore Community School

North Shore Community School phenology report - April 25, 2023

A Ruffed Grouse crests a small hill in spring. It has dappled brown-and-white plumage and a small head crest. The image is titled "Ruffed Grouse".
Contributed
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Canva
A Ruffed Grouse crests a small hill in spring.

Dominik and Lila report from Leigh Jackson and Darcie Rolfe’s class at the North Shore Community School in Duluth.

“Hello from North Shore Community School on the north shore of Lake Superior. This is the Phenology Report for the week of April 15, 2023. Our names are Dominik and Lila and we’re your phenologists for this week!

“On Thursday April 20, the 2 inches of snow that fell overnight broke the record of Duluth’s snowiest winter since records started being recorded in 1870! The total snowfall as of 6 a.m. Thursday, April 20, measured 137.1 inches, exceeding the previous record of 135.4 inches in 1995-96.

“Duluth (was) still expecting another 2-4 inches of snow and sleet on Friday with the possibility of snow again on Sunday! On Friday, April 21, the total increased to 138.3 inches of snow for Duluth’s snow season. These extreme weather events are a sure sign of climate change.

“On Monday, April 17, Ms. Urban saw a chipmunk at Chickadee Landing.

“Last week's warm weather brought many migrating birds to the Northland, only to be hit with cold, snow and non-stop windy weather. This has made it very hard for birds to find the seeds and worms that they need to survive. Many bird feeders have been crowded with birds this week.

“Fox, Field, and Song Sparrows, woodcock, Northern Flickers, Red-winged, and Rusty Blackbirds, Dark-eyed Juncos, bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Common Grackles, sapsuckers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Northern Harriers and swans have all made their appearance to our area so far! Wow! Even insect-eating warblers came!

“At Laila’s bird feeder, there have been many juncos and Fox Sparrows. Ms. Urban has noticed our school forest is loud with the sounds of birds. She has seen and heard robins, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Golden-crowned Kinglets and Winter Wrens.

“On Tuesday, April 18, Teddy saw a Purple Finch at the bird feeder at Chickadee Landing. Ms. Jackson’s class heard a Ruffed Grouse drumming on Tuesday, April 18, and Kale even saw it running through the trees! Only male Ruffed Grouses drum. They drum by beating their wings against the air to create a vacuum and they do it every spring in the hopes of attracting females. Ms. Jackson spotted yellow finches at her bird feeders on Tuesday, April 18.

“Since we were hit with back-to-back snowstorms with gale force winds, this has been so hard on the birds, who cannot find food, and have to try to keep warm in the cold wind and sleet. They don't get to come inside a warm house!

“On Tuesday, April 18, we had a great day for sap collecting. Many trees were dripping steadily all afternoon and continuing after school. The above 40-degree temperatures following a night that dips below freezing, combined with the bright sunshine, usually means the sap will be running.

“April 22 this year marks the 53rd anniversary of the First Earth Day! Happy Earth Day!

“This concludes the phenology report. Have a great week and be observant.”

John’s impressed by the lengthy list of bird sightings. I know I, at age 32 and with no small amount of practice, can confidently identify only a fraction of those birds. Sign me up for a birding class with these students — I'd certainly benefit!

John notes the cold weather served to keep some of the winter residents in the area, leading to a bountiful and diverse bevy of birds.

Waubun School Forest

Waubun School Forest phenology report - April 25, 2023

 A male Wood Duck floats on still water near dead grasses. The duck is brightly colored, with green, brown, white, and black markings and red eyes. The image is captioned "Wood Duck".
A male Wood Duck floats on still water near dead grasses.

Gabe, Kenley, Triston, and Lily reported from Courtney Farwell and Nick Lenzen’s class at the Waubun School Forest.

All: “Boozhoo Gidinawemaaganinaanag, hello all our relatives. Our names are Gabe, Kenley, Triston and Lily, and we are from the Waubun School Forest.”

Kenley: “We have been seeing lots of different types of birds these past few weeks. We have seen American Kestrels, Common Grackles and a few people have seen Ruby-Crowned Kinglets in their yards at home.”

Lilly: “Last week someone noticed a wolf near Callaway. Others have seen eagles and other animals such as Wood Ducks, Mallards, geese, swans and racoons.”

Gabe: “Others have seen the appearance of new eagle nests all over and one person saw a tree covered in 20 or more raptor nests. We have not seen deer here in a while, but we have encountered some deer scat.”

Triston: “The snow has been melting fast as a result of warmer temperatures. This has caused many large areas of mud and water to appear all over the place but recently we got a storm that consisted of snow, rain, sleet and hail. On April 20, we got 5.5 inches of snow. The weather here at the Waubun School Forest has clearly been up and down these last weeks.”

“As of Friday, April 21, our sap total is 126 gallons! We hope to continue tapping for at least another week.

“Thank you for listening to our Waubun School Forest phenology report. Living the nature life!”

I’m happy to hear about the Ruby-crowned Kinglets! I just learned to recognize kinglets last year, and they’ve quickly become one of my favorite bird species.

John suspects the tree covered in 20 or more nests may have been a heron rookery. They often build nests in large colonies, and their nests are large platforms similar to many raptor’s nests.

John explains, “If you come across a tree with lots and lots of really big stick nests in them, chances are it is from the blue heron.”

West Rapids Elementary School

West Rapids Elementary phenology report - April 25, 2023

John Latimer shows Grand Rapids students some blooming willow buds. The students are looking closely at the tree branches.
Sarah Mitchell
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KAXE
John Latimer shows Grand Rapids students some blooming willow buds.

Cole and Abel report from Collin Cody’s class at West Elementary School in Grand Rapids.

During their walk with John, they found bud break on red maple and hazel brush. The red elderberry had very green buds. The paper birch, sugar maple and speckled alder didn’t have bud break. The students tasted sugar maple sap and heard a robin sing. They found a snail friend in the crystal-clear creek. “Like Mr. Latimer says, ‘Onward and Awkward!’”

John was happy to see open buds on the red maple, hazel brush and elderberry plants, and that the students tried some maple sap. I was delighted when one class spotted a garter snake — my first snake of the year! John managed to apprehend it, and the students examined it closely and felt its scales. The snake was quite well-behaved and returned to its life on a sunny log after being thoroughly admired by all.


As always, we hope to hear from you, dear reader. Let us know what you find out there.

Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).

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Charlie Mitchell (she/they) joined the KAXE team in February of 2022. Charlie creates the Season Watch Newsletter, writes segment summaries for the website, and coordinates our Engaging Minnesotans with Phenology project. With a background in wildlife biology, she enjoys learning a little bit about everything, whether it's plants, mushrooms, aquatic invertebrates, or the short-tailed shrew (did you know they can echolocate?).