The talented Charlie Mitchell is away this week and I get to tell you about some of my favorite parts of this week's Phenology Report with John Latimer.
I always describe John as the pied piper of nature. If he talks about things like scat, subnivean tunnels or aspen bud break, we all follow gladly along. His delight with nature never dims.
The Gray-Crowned Rosy Finch Anniversary
January 13 marks the one-year anniversary of a rare visitor—a Gray-crowned Rosy Finch—that delighted birdwatchers at Williams Narrows Resort on Lake Winnibigoshish. Bird enthusiasts traveled from as far as the East Coast to glimpse this feathered guest, which stayed for over a month. John gives us the reminder of how nature’s surprises can unite us all.
Robins in January?
Speaking of birds, a dozen robins were recently spotted in La Prairie by John’s friend, Brian Kaiser. This sighting raised eyebrows as robins are typically harbingers of spring, but some seem content to hang around this mild winter. Meanwhile, the great horned owls are calling—a deep, resonant “whoo, whoo, whoo” — signaling the search for a mate. Spring’s courtship season is near.
Following the tracks
John’s walk along Crooked Lake revealed a tapestry of tracks in the crusty snow. Fox tracks, small and delicate, contrast with the larger coyote tracks. Grouse tracks weave like tiny chains through the forest, while turkey tracks, enormous by comparison, dominate the landscape. Even mink tracks made a cameo on a Beaver Dam adventure. All very different, if you take the time to study the tracks.
Snapping trees and drumming birds
Have you heard the pop of frozen trees at dawn? John describes it as nature’s gunshot—startling yet magical. Meanwhile, chickadees are singing their “Phoebe” songs, and woodpeckers are starting their rhythmic drumming. These early notes of spring music signal hormonal changes and the promise of new life come April.
Seeds galore and popping buds
In the black spruce swamps, birch and alder seeds speckle the snow, a quiet promise of regeneration. At the end of John’s driveway, an aspen tree is breaking bud, revealing fuzzy catkins—a small but undeniable sign that the cycle of seasons is turning.
Listen to the full Phenology Report with John above!
What have you seen out there? Let us know: email us at comments@kaxe.org or text us at 218-326-1234.
That does it for this week! For more phenology, <b>subscribe</b> to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
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).
