Beaver Activity
In my last post, I gave you an update on all the wildlife activity in and around the beaver pond adjacent to Goodhue County Road 21. While driving on the road September 16th, I noticed a large cottonwood tree in the ditch.
Beaver Cutting
Upon closer examination, I discovered a 16 inch diameter stump the evidence of some night time beaver activity. Within a couple nights, most of the limbs from this downed tree had been removed and used to reinforce their existing dam.
Highbush Cranberries
With all the moisture this summer, wild berry production has been impressive. The last couple weeks I have observed an abundance of elderberries, wild grapes and highbush cranberries. These red fruits are technically not cranberries, but have a similar flavor and ripen at the same time of year.
These sour fruits are rich in vitamin C, can be eaten raw or cooked into a sauce and served with wild game. A refreshing beverage was made and served at several ELC wild edible foods banquets several years ago.
Shamrock Orb Spider
I recently received a phone call from Sue Milbright a neighbor in Wacouta. Sue informed me of a very unusual spider hanging from the outside trim of her porch sliding door. After a visit to Google, we determined it to be a shamrock orb spider.
Monarch
As of September 21st, there were still a few monarch butterflies migrating through our area as evidenced by this butterfly feeding on the nectar of a "Mexican Sunflower" (Tithonia) in our backyard prairie.
Female Belted Kingfisher
With the river back up to 8.4 feet, I decided on September 24th to take an early morning paddle in my solo canoe up into Wacouta bay. The most frequently observed birds on this outing were Canada geese, ring-billed gulls and mature as well as immature eagles.
The most unusual sighting was a pair of belted kingfishers. These birds spend much of their time perched in trees along the water's edge searching for small fish. They hunt by plunging straight down into the water after a fish they have spotted. I have watched them be completely submerged.
Cardinal Flower
Due to the persistent high water most of the summer, the number of cardinal flowers surviving in the adjacent bottomland forest was greatly reduced from the summer of 2018. However, I did manage to locate a small isolated patch on higher ground.
Feeding Hummingbird
While photographing the cardinal flowers, three hummingbirds were flying from one bloom to another. I found it difficult to obtain a good quality photo because they would never stay in one place for more that a few seconds. This one entered the viewfinder just as I snapped the photo. Cardinal flowers rank near the top of the popularity charts for hummingbirds.
Feeding Canada Geese
Later that morning, I came across nearly 100 Canada geese feeding in the nearby maturing soybean field. I have also recently noticed large numbers of geese resting on Wacouta Pond. With the current waterfowl hunting season in place, these birds are seeking out a safe refuge.