"First Colorful Signs Of Spring"
- wacoutanaturenotes
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
As we are anxious to observe our first dandelions or robins of the new season, other signs are more subtle and require more intense searching.
With the ideal conditions this spring of spastic up and down temperatures followed with a 13 inch dump of snow, the maple sap flow was bountiful. It should have made a wonderful maple syrup season.
One bird taking advantage of the situation was the Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker.
Sapsuckers make small 1/4 inch deep holes (sap wells) usually arranged horizontally. Sometimes these holes are made prior to the sap flow. These birds will move from hole to hole feasting on the nourishing sap.
As the spring season warms up, insects will be attracted to the sticky sap. These insects will provide additional food for the sapsuckers.
On March 2, 2026, the city of Red Wing with help from the Conservation Corps on Minnesota and Iowa conducted a prescribed burn to help manage the prairie on the south side of the bluff. According to Steve Kohn Planning Manager for the city, conditions have to be ideal to have a successful burn. For best results, these burns should be conducted every two or three years.
Fire is necessary to help maintain grassland health and vigor. These burns reduce leaf litter allowing sunlight to penetrate and stimulate new growth.
The black soil will warm faster increasing microbial activity releasing nutrients from decayed plant material.
In the spring of the year, I am frequently asked where they can look for pasque flowers? I have observed a few out on the southern exposure at the tip of Rattlesnake Bluff.
Without a doubt, the best area to have success is on the prairie of Barn Bluff. These pasque flowers were photographed on April 6th.
As spring weather begins to warm up, more of these beautiful flowers will appear. If the spring has sufficient moisture, clumps of these flowers will become more robust.
Their common name comes from the French word for Easter referring to the Eastertime flowering.
Blooming at the same time as the pasque flowers are Minnesota's smallest trilliums the woodland snow trilliums.
Unfortunately, populations of several spring ephemerals including snow trilliums are being threatened by invasive species such as buckthorn and garlic mustard.
In addition, our high numbers of deer have a devastating impact on these trilliums in the immediate area.
Even though we have observed several flocks of trumpeter swans over the winter, they prefer to pair up and isolate themselves when nesting season arrives. There is a pair of swans that seem to have established a nest on the pond just down the road from Wacouta Pond. With all the aquatic vegetation along the edge of the pond, conditions favor such a nest.
During the summer, these swans move between Frontenac and Wacouta Ponds. Unfortunately these ponds lack the aquatic vegetation for successful nesting.
At this time of year, one doesn't have to look too hard to observe wild turkey activity in our area.
There have been male bluebirds checking out some of the nesting boxes along the trail. No sign of any nests being built yet. Survival rate is not very good if young birds hatch early because of low insect numbers. Young birds are very reliant on being fed a variety of insects in the early stages of their lives.
We always enjoy your postings, Bruce. We always learn something, much as our boys did when they were active in ELC. What a gift that program is to the youth of Red Wing.