Articles

Northland Nature: Barred owls continue their spring nesting

During May, those of us who watch nature closely will find plenty to see. The woods is filled with spring wildflowers and fern fiddleheads on the forest floor, while the trees provide a greening canopy overhead.

• Barred owl
• Larry Weber

Northland Nature: Bellworts now blooming in the May woods

This week while walking in a rich patch of vernal ephemerals at Jay Cooke State Park, I found about twenty kinds in bloom.

• Bellwort

Northland Nature: A couple of May butterflies arrive

During the first week of May, we see the beginning of flowering and greening of plants that this month is well known for. Like many other natural things in this spring, the trees have been opening leaves before the normal time.

• Red admiral butterfly
• Painted lady butterfly

Baby painted turtles emerge from last year’s nests

The recent weather of the last couple of weeks of April has demonstrated the varied conditions that this month can give.

• Baby turtle

The records continue: Early leafing of shrubs and trees

After the winter that we just experienced and the incredible record-setting month of March, it is hard to use the word “normal” in regard to the regional weather.

• Larry Weber
• Lilac leaves

Early awakening in Northland forests

If the mild weather persists, we will continue to see nature’s awakenings far before normal.

• Larry Weber

Migrant robins arriving in the Northland

Thanks to the calendar-correction factor of leap year, this year’s vernal equinox happened in the pre-dawn hours of March 20, a bit earlier than most years. And even if this follows a milder winter than usual, it may have not come too soon for many Northlanders.

• Spring snow shower
• Searching for food
• Larry Weber

Stoneflies emerge early from streams

The days of mid-March show huge variations. During this time, we may shiver in the chill of single digits (even occasionally subzero) in the a.m., and in the lengthening sunlight of the p.m. we’ll bask in the sunny 50s or 60s.

• Larry Weber

Hungry beavers emerge through the ice

Thanks to the recent snowfalls, we now have an impressive snowpack, as expected in March. A foot to a foot and a half of snow on the ground at many sites is not unusual.

• Beaver tracks
• Larry Weber

Will the recent snows save our frogs?

March follows February, and yet the weather of the two months can be quite different. February tends to be arid, and though we do get some snow each year, it is normally light and dry.

• Spring pond
• Larry Weber

Columns

Walking and tracking in the new snow

The ground is frozen, and after several nights of temperatures lower than 20 degrees, the ice has formed on the nearby lake and swamps. And with the new snowfall that fell yesterday, these are great conditions for a walk. The snow cover is about only one inch, and substantial snowfalls are yet to come. This makes walking on the trails, in the woods and over the ice easy.

• Muskrat tracks
• Weasel hopping in snow

Wildlife prepare for winter

As we exit November, we leave a time of change. The forest trees stand ready for the coming cold. The frozen ground and ice-covered wetlands are receptive for weather’s next move – a blanket of snow.

• Photo

Milkweed seeds take to the air

With the cold and snow of late November, we get to witness the onset of the chilly season in the Northland. Each year we observe this seasonal change during the second half of this cooling month. Starting with the small ponds and then the shallow swamps, the wetlands wear a coat of ice. Lakes, being larger and deeper, postponed the freeze until recently. Subsequently, the ground freezes too and with this cold substrate, snowfall is able to stay and maybe even accumulate. Many years, the snow that falls at this time will remain and mark the beginning of our continuous snowpack, lasting until April, frequently for more than 120 days. The landscape has taken on a new view, one that we’ll get used to and live with in the coming months.

• Photo
• Photo

Waterfowl pause before heading south

The migration of birds has been going on for the last three months in the Northland. As the daylight of late summer days begins to lessen, the earliest ones, mostly swallows and shorebirds, started working their way towards the south. This was followed by an abundance of songbirds as we entered September. The flights of warblers, vireos and nighthawks were passing by.

• Photo

Small mammals prepare for winter

During the first half of November, we can easily see many of the wild critters around us preparing for the coming cold. We might see much of this happening right in our yards or near our homes.

• Photo
• Snowshoe Hair

Abundant wildflowers along the bike trail

Flora of September are diverse, but three groups stand out as most dominant: sunflowers, goldenrods and asters.

• Photo

Orb webs of early September

Early September is the best time to view the abundance of spider webs that have been constructed.

• Spider web
• Larry Weber

Animal Tracks in Snow