As February winds down and March begins, non-game wildlife biologist Pam Perry is eager to watch the influx of migrating birds.
She has already spotted flocks of Horned Larks in open areas, while ducks and Northern Harriers will arrive in March.
Over the last month, Pam has also gotten reports of Red-headed Woodpeckers. These bold-colored birds are more social than other Minnesota woodpeckers, hanging out in family groups that typically migrate south during winter, though some flocks are known to reside in Minnesota year-round.
Additional sightings included the first flocks of Horned Larks (prairie- and field-loving birds that typically arrive to the Brainerd area around Valentine's Day each year), opossums (Minnesota's only marsupial), and Black-backed Woodpeckers (rare bog-loving woodpeckers that specialize in foraging for bugs on spruce trees).
For more phenology, subscribe to our Season Watch Newsletter or visit the Season Watch Facebook page.
And take a listen to the Season Watch pod, a weekly conversation filled with the delights and curiosities of nature.
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).
