Low Clouds Over Lake Pepin
If you had the impression the sun took a sabbatical during the month of November, you were probably right. According to climatologist Mark Seeley Minnesota's weatherman, southern Minnesota experienced exactly two full days of sunshine during the entire month of November. I realize that November has historically been one of our cloudier months, but two days of sunshine is a little depressing. Given the recent historic wildfires out west, we best count our blessings with the new normal of climate change.
Unique View Of Friedrich and Presbyterian Point
On a recent hike in Frontenac State Park along the north side of Rattlesnake Bluff, I discovered a rare opening in the dense forest, offering an unique view of Friedrich's and Presbyterian Points at the Head of Lake Pepin. Come spring green up, this view will be severely compromised.
Small Pond at the Base of Rattlesnake Bluff
People travelling on highway 61 would have no idea there is a very small spring fed pond located directly at the base of Rattlesnake Bluff. It is visible only from the observation viewing area along the bike trail or from the top of the bluff. During periods of open water, this isolated and protected pond will be host to an array of interesting wildlife. Over the years, I have observed beaver, otter, muskrat, red fox, coyote, deer, great blue herons, green herons, sandhill cranes and numerous species of waterfowl taking advantage of this special habitat.
Flock of Starlings
During the entire month of November, we observed large flocks numbering up to 50 European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in the lawns of our neighborhood. These birds will eat a wide variety of foods including insects, suet, fruits and seeds. Given the fact that the ground was frozen, we suspected they were consuming a variety of seeds in our yard.
European Starling
It is estimated the current population of starlings in North America is over 200 million. All these invasive birds are descendants from 100 birds brought over from England and released in New York"s Central Park in the early 1890's. The intention of this release was to have America have all the birds ever mentioned by Shakespeare. Because these invasive birds are not protected by the Migratory Bird Act of 1918, orphaned birds are sometimes kept as pets. These birds are quite intelligent and can even learn to talk. In fact, some starling pet owners feel they can talk better than parrots.
Cedar Waxwing
Without a doubt, one of the most sleek and colorful birds we observe in Wacouta is the cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedroum). Distinguishing characteristics of this bird are the pronounced crest, silk like gray plumage and bright yellow tip on its tail. The red spots on each wing, which reminded early naturalists of sealing wax used on envelopes, gave the birds their name: waxwing.
Berries on Eastern Red Cedar
The juicy berries of the common red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). are consumed by many species of wildlife especially cedar waxwings from which their name was derived.
Feeding Waxwing
On November 17th, I observed a large flock of cedar waxwings feeding on small crab apples in our neighbor's apple tree. These birds are highly gregarious in the fall and winter as they move about to various food sources. These noisy birds had this large tree free of crab apples within two days.
I would like to provide excerpts of an article that I recently came across in Minnesota Tree Farmer's fall publication entitled "Drunk Birds? How A Small Minnesota City Stumbled Into The Spotlight".
" They fall out of trees. They fly into windows. They stumble along branches and wobble their small feathered bodies as if they have had one margarita too many. Have the drunk birds come early this year?
In Gilbert, a city of about 1,800 people in northeastern Minnesota, the police chief sent out a lighthearted notice to residents informing them that there was no need to call the police on local birds that appeared to be inebriated.
The birds seemed to have been munching on berries that fermented as a result of an early frost. But bird experts are a little skeptical that this public debauchery was really the product of drunkenness. It is too early in the season for many berries to have fermented.
Instead, Laura Erickson Duluth bird expert attributed the bizarre behavior to coinciding with the peak of the fall hawk migration in northeastern Minnesota".