"Winter Weather Whiplash"

There has been a mixture of extreme weather conditions since the "Winter Solstice" including nice snowfalls followed by significant rain events.  Temperatures have ranged from 50 degrees to minus 20.

These wild swings significantly impact plant and bird life by disrupting a dormant state of local ecosystems.  Further impacts can result with plant life no longer matching food availability for migrating birds come spring.

On a more personal level, rain events in January with subsequent patches of ice greatly diminish opportunities for safe x-c skiing.

Male Northern Cardinal

Both male and female cardinals have been regular visitors to our feeding station this winter.  In the morning, they arrive a little before sunrise.  They are the last birds we observe at sunset.

We are still waiting to hear the spring call of the male cardinal "what-cheer, cheer, cheer."  This can happen anytime between the first week of January thru early February.

New Beaver Lodge and Feed Pile

In a previous post from late this past fall, I mentioned my concerns with how resident beaver might survive the winter after having to abandon their lodges due to the extremely low water levels.

Early in the morning of January 4th, I set out on my skis to check out the upper reaches of Wacouta Bay.  Any concerns I had about beaver welfare were soon put to rest with the discovery of an emergency constructed long dwelling extending out into the river.

Beaver Feed Pile

Beaver are most active at night procuring their food.  Some food is immediately consumed at the site where they cut down willow branches.  The rest is stashed for future consumption.

Beaver Breathing Hole

The best way to verify if a  beaver lodge is occupied is to look for frost around an opening at the top.  The warm moisture given off from their breathing and frequent ventures out to gather food will rise and collect on cold objects.

I have fond memories of ELC winter camping trips to the BWCA in which we would travel from lake to lake using cross country skis. On these adventures, we would observe numerous beaver lodges along the shorelines.

When a lodge was spotted, we would change course and head to the lodge to check for beaver inhabitants.  If the lodge was active, invariably we would encounter fresh timber wolf tracks in the snow.  Through recent research by the University of Minnesota they have discovered wolves will be attracted to active lodges in the spring and prey upon beaver kits as well as adults.

Ski Trail Along The River

With the current low water level, it was possible for me to ski along the shoreline for nearly a half mile.  This opened up opportunities for discovering many interesting surprises.

Evidence of Bald Eagle Activity

In addition to observing a vast amount of recent beaver and otter activity, I came across a small area with numerous bald eagle tracks in the fresh snow.  They obviously enjoyed a fresh fish dinner.

Interesting Reflection on the River

When I started my ski tour this morning, it was very foggy and absolutely no trace of wind.  As I approached the upper end of the bay, I started to make my way out to the river through a big area of sedge the sun came out. 

The smooth surface of the water set the stage for a variety of photo opportunities.  If you look beyond this large cottonwood tree anchored to the bottom, a large eagle nest is visible on the Wisconsin side of the river.  This nest has been productive for the last five years.  With the aide of spotting scopes, some of our neighbors have watched activity at this nest from their riverside windows.

Otter Tracks

On January 17 and 18, we experienced a couple nice snowfalls totaling nearly 3 inches of the white stuff.  On January 20th, I made plans for another ski tour on the bay. I was soon to discover that the 50 mph northwest winds we dealt with on January 18 had swept all the snow off the ice.  There were huge snowdrifts along the south shore.  The exposed ice would make skiing impossible.

Option # 2 would be to ski the north side of Wacouta Pond down the Rattlesnake Bluff and back. For a good portion of my time skiing, I traveled  alongside fresh otter tracks.  

Over the years, I have observed otter signs  traveling between Wacouta Pond and the river via Bullard Creek.  When snow depth is sufficient, I have even observed otter slides on the steep bank adjacent  to Wacouta Road.

Gray Squirrel eating Nannyberries

Looking out our kitchen window early one morning, I noticed one of our resident gray squirrels perched up in a nearby nannyberry tree eating the dark purple berries. It took advantage of the situation for at least 15 minutes.

Evidently this squirrel wanted a change in diet from all the sunflower and safflower seeds we were providing.  In addition to mammals eating these berries, songbirds and game birds eat them as well.