Canvasback, Redheads and Scaup
With the record setting snowfall/blizzard of April 14th and 15th, a large number of migrating songbirds and waterfowl faced some serious survival challenges. Fortunately Lake Pepin was mostly free of ice and offered a safe harbor for many waterfowl. During the height of the storm, many of these birds simply hunkered down. This photo features the most numerous and common diving ducks I observed; canvasbacks, redheads and scaup.
Scaup
Scaup, sometimes referred to as bluebills, numbered into the hundreds at the Head of Lake Pepin. During the fall migration over the past 15 years, large numbers of scaup, coot and other diving ducks have died from a parasite carried by an invasive snail. While these snails provide a food source for waterfowl, they carry this intestinal parasite infecting the birds resulting in death in 3 to 8 days.
Common Loon
For a week before the big snowfall, I received several reports from individuals hearing and or observing loons at the head of the lake. Unlike other waterfowl, loons do not migrate in large groups. They typically are observed on lakes immediately after the ice goes off. It might be hard to imagine, but in one documented case a loon traveled 670 miles within a 24 hour period. On Sunday, April 29th, our daughter in St. Paul observed 16 loons on Como Lake anxiously waiting for the lakes to open up further north.
Yellow-Rumped Warbler
As the heavy snowfall subsided a bit on April 14th, we observed a yellow-rumped warbler the first of the spring. It was taking advantage of our peanut feeder. Generally speaking, warblers are insect eaters. Fortunately this species of warbler can survive on seeds and berries when insects are no where to be found.
Tree Swallows
Unfortunately that is not the case with tree swallows. After the storm broke on April 16th, I observed two swallows perched on a wire providing evidence that some do survive. For those people building, setting out and maintaining bluebird nesting boxes, it is not all that uncommon to find dead swallows in the boxes following a severe cold snap in the spring. Swallows are exclusively insect eaters.
Crow and Great Blue Heron
Truth be told, this crow was not perching on the head of a great blue heron. I took this unusual photo near open water at the Bay City public access. I think the heron was still in a state of shock following the storm and permitted this close encounter by Mr. Crow.
Hungry Deer
As we were eating evening dinner in the midst of the snowstorm on April 14th, all of a sudden four deer appeared at our bird feeder outside the window ten feet away. Shortly there after, they ventured down to our leaf compost pile and began pawing for nourishment. I use these leaves around my raspberry canes in the summer and can't imagine there were many calories for these hungry animals.
Barn Bluff HIkers
On Saturday April 21st, I joined 456 other people in an event sponsored by the Friends Of The Bluffs-- "Hiking Up Barn Bluff." The purpose of this event was to showcase this wonderful city park and draw attention to the 48th anniversary of "Earth Day." In recent years, the city of Red Wing has made some impressive improvements to this amazing recreational resource. Hikers featured in this photo are former Wacouta resident Summer Barth Ryan and her friend.
Highway 63 Bridge Construction
For hikers traveling from one end of the bluff to the other, they had the opportunity for a bird's eye view of construction progress on the new Highway 63 bridge over the Mississippi River.