I went outside after midnight this morning to check on the northern lights, but I was about an half hour too late as the Aurora Borealis were already starting to fade. The sky had more pink color to the west and more green rays to the east. I prefer seeing the northern lights over water but I didn’t walk down to my pond in the dark as I was uncertain what wildlife I might encounter as the bear have come out of hibernation.
Fading Northern Lights
It was a nice change today with the sun out and without waking up to more new snow. Plus when the temperature finally reached 50 degrees, it felt good to take a walk outdoors. This natural bridge arch, which survived the last ice age in the Driftless area of Wisconsin, is about 35 feet tall and its opening is 25 feet high by 35 wide. Below the arch, which a corner of it can be seen in the photo, is the Raddatz Rockshelter, once used by Paleo-Indians. The oldest artifacts found in the 60 feet wide by 30 feet deep shelter dated to around 12,000 years ago.
Natural Bridge State Park
Morning revealed another new layer of snow as a pileated woodpecker attacked my suet block. For being the largest woodpecker in the country, the pileated woodpecker is hard to spot and harder to get a photo of one although I often hear their call. I have been seeing one for the last month, but he always hears and flies away when I try to open the door from my kitchen into the garage so I could get to a window without a screen to take a picture. With their body shape and head, I can almost picture them as a prehistoric age type of pterosaur found on the set of Jurassic Park. It was six years ago when I was able to get a couple photos of the big woodpecker.
Pileated Woodpecker
I just couldn’t make myself take a picture of the “pretty snow” this morning as I’m tired of that white stuff and want spring to arrive. And I think the ducks in my pond would prefer this summer scene with the white in the clouds instead of the white snow on the ground by the pond this morning.
White at the Pond
That groundhog sure was wrong about when spring would come as it was another cold, dreary rainy/snowy day. This cat looks as disgusted as I feel about the late arrival of spring.
Cranky Cat
The other day I spotted a chipmunk in one of my birdhouses. I don’t know if he thought the birdhouse would be drier than his underground tunnels with the melting snow or if he is a teenager wanting a tree house to play in. And it looks like he stuffed his mouth full of my bird seed so he could play all day in his boy’s fort without going home for lunch.
Chipmunk Tree House
I’m not sure that April snow showers bring May flowers especially if the snow doesn’t stop. But there was a little hint of spring when I was down by the pond this evening. There was some green shoots of the blue flag flower but it will be a couple more months before there are some blossoms to see.
Northern Blue Flag
The word must have spread that the ice was off my pond as today I had seven wood ducks and a pair of geese swimming around. Although there was only one female wood duck, the colorful males sure brightened up the scene.
Wood Duck Pair
As the temperature remained above freezing last night, most of the pond ice melted which allowed some mallards to enjoy the open water today and dabbled for food. At least when the two males weren’t chasing each other as there was only one female. But it will be a couple months before any baby mallards can be spotted enjoying a swim at the pond.
Waiting for Baby Ducks
Well at least Mother Nature didn’t play an April Fools Day joke today with more snow, although the forecast does have some snow for later tonight. But the joke is that there still isn’t hint of any spring flowers yet.
No Wildflowers Joke
