We have our eye (and formula) out waiting for Quill, but no bears have been seen in the neighborhood yet.
Purple finch It’s early, but it seems late with the warm weather, the snow disappearing already and Woods Lake ice free as of today.
Pine martenI didn’t hear anything about the four ambassador bears today, but it was good to see all the nature out the window. With Woods Lake opening up, we are now seeing at least two pairs (plus male competitors) of hooded mergansers that undoubtedly will nest in our nest boxes as usual. They will probably have their young on Woods Lake for any canoeists to see during the Black Bear Field Courses. Three canoes are always at the ready.
Herring gullAll day, crows were peeking in to see if I’m at my desk, which I was, which meant they didn’t dare come to the railing for sunflower seeds. During my 20-minute nap, I heard them on the railing pecking away. One crow lands on the railing, like last year, and doesn’t mind when I move. There was some beef fat left in the bottom of the box below my window. I was surprised how close the crow came to look in the box. Once today he dared take the chance to dive into the box and get a piece. Another time, he kept peeking up to see me and chickened out.
Hooded merganserA purple finch flew just as I snapped through the window, giving a flying shot. I happened to see the pine marten heading toward the stairway to the second floor deck and got him just starting up the steps.
Dark-eyed juncos are still everywhere in the yard as they make their way through here to their nesting grounds farther north (and sometimes around here). They’re often called snowbirds because they appear in fall about when the snow starts and they come in spring about when the snow is receding.
Dark-eyed junco
No gull was here until late afternoon, and then there were three. I think our gull has a following. One of her followers is familiar with the program here and also lands readily for bologna.
Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center