I’m not sure where the trumpeter swans went to when they passed over head earlier this month heading north as my pond is still frozen, but hopefully they found some open water. The trumpeter swans are our biggest native waterfowl, weighing more than 25 pounds and a wing scan of over 6 feet. My pond is too little for these swans as they need 100-yard runway to get airborne.
Trumpeter Swan
The surface ice along the shore of Lake Superior by the Meyers Beach was never stable this year to visit the ice caves, but there were other places to see ice formations, including inland areas like Devils Punchbowl near Menomonie. The 45-foot tall natural rock amphitheater and waterfall has nice ice formations and with a new staircase install last year, it is easier to made it down the cliff.
Devils Punchbowl
The temperature warmed enough that a chipmunk came out of its winter den as I saw a chipmunk running on top of the snow for the first time this spring. He was lucky a hawk didn’t swoop down and nap him since he stood out against the snow.
Chipmunk Emerges
With a narrow strip of ground showing aside the driveway where the snow was plowed off, the returning robins finally have a place to land that isn’t cold from that white stuff. And hopefully no more snow will cover the tiny patch of lawn.
Robin Returns
With all the snow on the ground, it is hard to remember that it is spring – at least according to the calendar – but another sign that spring may be coming was the return of the red-winged blackbirds as they voiced their arrival rather noisily today as they perched high in the trees (to stay far away from the snow).
Red-winged Returns
I saw a pheasant this morning that probably wished the snow was gone and he was wading through grass instead of that white stuff. I shouldn’t have chuckled when I saw his foot sinking deep into the snow every few steps, as I was breaking through the crusty snow later in the day too and it wasn’t fun jarring the body when my leg dropped a foot into the snow.
Pheasant Wants Green
The first full day of spring still looks too much like winter to me, but with some days above freezing maybe the snow will start shrinking.
First Full Day of Spring
Once in a while, there is a flower blooming by the first day of spring like in 2012, but not this year with deep snow still covering the ground.
No Flower for Start of Spring
The calendar may say spring starts tomorrow but the snow covered landscape this Sunday doesn’t show any hint of spring yet. With an enclosed bell tower and a small onion dome, St. Mary Orthodox Church was established in 1909 in a small village of Cornucopia on the south shore of Lake Superior.
Still White Sunday
Earlier this week, I had been raking snow off my roof before the predicted rain and snow came again, as I wasn’t sure the roof could handle anymore weight. And after it had been raining for a while, I heard noises on one end of my house and I maybe a rafter did break. But then I started to hear other noises too. What I discovered was four tom turkeys trying to break into my basement door as apparently they wanted out of the freezing rain. They been hanging around the last few days but I’m still not letting them inside my house.
Attempted Break-in Turkey
