Happy New Year! We start 2024 with five phenology reports.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your observations, nature tales and insights! Get in touch with me (cmitchell@kaxe.org), John Latimer (jlatimer@kaxe.org), or text "phenology" to 218-326-1234.
Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade
“Hello my name is Brian from Migizi in Minneapolis. We went to Long Lake for a field trip.
“The coldest it got here was 6 degrees, and then the highest was about 35 degrees. The real fun part about it was walking across the lake when it was frozen over.
“Overnight after dinner, we got to see a porcupine. It was close to the dining hall, and we saw it walking around. We were following it to get a picture of it and we saw it climb up a tree.
“ ... It was a surprise because it was really dark out. It looked like a giant lump. At first, we thought it was a beaver because of its tail.
“But then when it started walking into the light, we saw it was a porcupine, and someone screamed and startled it and it started waddling really fast towards the trees. So, we followed it and it was really cool to see.
“I think it was Dill Prickles, the long-lost porcupine.
“You never know what you’ll see when you explore nature, so Unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”
This poetic report is brought to you by Louie, Nora and the students from Oneka Elementary School in White Bear Lake:
“'Twas the week before Christmas, when all through Long Lake
Lots of creatures were stirring, a nature journey ‘fore winter break;Nests still hung in the trees from last summer,
We studied one that had fallen; no wasps, not a bummer.
Oneka children were nestled all snug in their beds;
We arose and found the tracks of a fox that was red.All dressed in warm clothing, including a cap,
We followed some tracks and found some fresh scat.
On our walk to the bog there arose such a clatter,
We searched and we spied for the cause of the matter.
Away in the distance we saw a white flash,
A short-tailed weasel raced in search of a snack.
The moon shone its light on what’s left of the snow,
Will there be more? Soon, we’re sure, but who knows?
When what to our wondering eyes did appear,
But Bigfoot; all giant and grizzly, causing ripples of fear!
The sighting was questioned and we have our doubt,
But nature’s a wonder, one never knows what’s about.
We searched the site and found a wrapper of candy,
It was probably not Sasquatch, but the maintenance guy Andy.
The ‘cheeseburger’ song filled the air and the land,
A chickadee was spotted eating seeds from a hand.
Woodpeckers, red breasted, were seen flying about,
Eating insects and the suet that we had left out.
Nature’s abundance is always a thrill;
Just sitting and watching a squirrel eat its fill.
As we head to the bus to return to our home,
We encourage you all to explore and to roam.
Turn off the phones and do something unexpected,
Life is good: Unplug, get outside and LIVE CONNECTED!”
North Shore Community School near Duluth
“Hello from North Shore Community School on the North Shore of Lake Superior. This is the phenology report for the week of Dec. 16, 2023. My name is Atley, and I am your phenologist for this week!
“On Saturday, Dec. 16, we had only eight hours and 47 minutes of daylight. On Sunday night, Dec. 17, a small snow squall passed through our area. A snow squall is a sudden, somewhat heavy blowing snowfall with strong gusty surface winds. Snow squalls can produce short bursts of low visibility and caution should be taken while driving.
“We woke up to a trace amount of snow. On Monday, Dec. 18, the city of Duluth reported a snow drought for this time of year with a deficit of 21.5 inches of snow. At this time last year, we already had 55 inches!
“This December is also a record month of warm temperatures for Duluth and the record forecast is expected to continue through at least Christmas Day. Only 6.3 inches of snow so far this season has been recorded.
“According to our last year’s phenology report, we had such snowy conditions during this time last year that school was canceled for three days! There were even two blizzard warnings due to extreme wind and low visibility. A cold snap in the weather quickly followed. This year, it is forecasted to be a brown, rainy Christmas.
“On Sunday, Dec. 17, Mr. Jim, our school custodian, spotted 50 Cedar Waxwings sitting at the top of several spruce trees in his yard. They like to travel in flocks and primarily eat a fruit-based diet. Mr. Jim has several mountain ash trees that keep them sticking around.
“On Thursday, Dec. 21, Mrs. Lampela’s class saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings outside their classroom window. Also over the weekend, Mrs. Rolfe’s neighbor had two Black-billed Magpies in their yard, and they were counted in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. It is their understanding that this was only the second time magpies were seen during the 25 years of the count. This is the Audubon's 124th Christmas Bird Count and it is being held from Dec. 14, 2023, to Jan. 5, 2024.
“On Sunday, Dec. 17, Ms. Urban saw raccoon and bobcat tracks at Chamber’s Grove Park. On Monday, Dec. 18, Ms. Urban saw a shrew running next to her house.
“The winter solstice began on Thursday, Dec. 21. The winter solstice, also called the hibernal solstice, occurs when either of Earth's poles reaches its maximum tilt away from the Sun. This happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere.
“The winter solstice is also called Midwinter; the Shortest Day; or the Longest Night. The significance of the winter solstice was that it astronomically marks the beginning of lengthening days and shortening nights.
“People like to celebrate the winter solstice by festivals, spending time with loved ones, feasting, dancing, singing, and having fires. For indigenous cultures, it's an opportunity to reconnect to the natural world.
“This concludes the phenology report. Have a great holiday, Happy New Year, and be observant!”
Lake of the Woods School in Baudette
“This is Lynk with the phenology report from Baudette for Dec. 16-21.
“On Saturday, Parker reported seeing what he believes were marten tracks while in the woods with his grandpa.
“Mr. Birchem reported still seeing a number of Rough-legged Hawks around the area.
“Finally, many students are worried about the possibility of a brown Christmas. The Baudette area still has a mostly white landscape, but some fields, ditches and yards are showing grass and dirt.”
Charlie in Marine on St. Croix
“This is Charlie from Marine on St. Croix and I have some strange sightings to tell you about.
“My mom found a leopard frog that seemed to be out and happy in the middle of the road on Christmas Day.
“Then, on Dec. 30, my wife and I were able to go canoeing on the St. Croix River, which was completely open – so that was a bit surprising.
“While we were out there, we found a bunch of very small spiders that were just floating on the surface of the river. There were dozens of them that seemed to be coming from this patch of tall grass.
“I was wondering if they might be little spiderlings that were doing their ‘ballooning’ behavior, but it seems like an odd time of year. So, I was wondering what you might think!
“I hope you guys are having a great morning, and I’ll talk to you soon.”
That does it for this week! For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
Fundingfor this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
