BY JOHN KARRIGAN
As all runners, walkers, dog walkers, or others could see, the Powderhorn Lake froze probably on the day after Thanksgiving. But I was gone for three days—before, during and after Thanksgiving—so I don’t know exactly when it froze. I know it did not freeze very hard and now (Dec. 2) we are supposed to have six sort of warm days in a row so it could open up again and a few water birds could show up. I did see a lot of water birds when I was gone. Maybe I can get to that later.
Just after my last month’s writing, I found a Brown Creeper and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the west side of the lake, and on Nov. 1, I found a Winter Wren near the southwest lakeshore. Every few years I find a Winter Wren in that area, where they make short stays. The Pied-billed Grebe which I mentioned last month stayed (mostly out of sight) until Nov. 6. The Grebe must have been staying for the Empty Bowls Event in the park building, always worth attending.
I have not seen a Bald Eagle over the park lately but I did see one crossing the Lake Street Bridge on Nov. 4. He (or she) was not walking across the bridge, but flying low going south. The next day, over the park, I saw a large hawk that I could not identify.
Before the ice came in, there were 25 to 50 Ring-billed Gulls, about two dozen Mallard Ducks, and from 50 to 200 Canada Geese on most November days. Sometimes the geese were all on the grass, sometimes all on the lake, and sometimes in most any combination of land and water. I always enjoy seeing the geese and the anti-goose-poop people.
The non-water birds remained fairly scarce most of the time. Besides the small birds I mentioned, I would occasionally see Downy Woodpeckers, Dark-eyed Juncos and American Crows. The crows were still in very small groups, not the sometimes groups of hundreds that will probably show up a lot later in the winter.
My biggest songbird surprise, late in November, was a flock of about 25 American Robins in one of the few remaining old trees near the park building on Nov. 22.
Now back to my going away for Thanksgiving. We stayed near La Crosse and wandered up and down the Minnesota side of the Mississippi River, near Iowa, looking at birds and shopping for apples and things like that. We usually try to make this bird/apple/etc. trip in late October or early November, but a medical issue caused a delay this year. Nevertheless, it worked out well for birds, apples and other things. Also, the long-lasting, warmer fall weather might very well have changed the onset of bird migration and what we ended up seeing.
By the way, someone asked someone on the trip if we were going that way to see relatives, and that someone answered, “No, to avoid relatives!” So much for that.
Anyway, I had no idea if the Tundra Swans and normal geese and ducks, etc., would be around on the last few days of November. They were—by the hundreds and thousands—depending on which birds. The thousands being the Tundra Swans that are migrating from waaaay up north to the Chesapeake Bay area, stopping to fuel up for the rest of their journey.
There were plenty of Canada Geese and quite an assortment of ducks, including, of course, Mallards, plus Redheads, Scaup, American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Buffleheads, at least a couple of species of Teal (Blue- and Green-winged) and at least a couple species of Mergansers, and who knows what else. There was a period of time when large duck flocks—tiny specks in the sky and way too high to identify—were coming down the river and every few minutes, Bald Eagles, from one to 10 or more would appear and then disappear into the clouds or over the ridge. This was all done in rain and snow and wind. Probably not a normal experience for the end of November but still a great birding experience.
The backyard birding is going good so far with lots of the usuals: Chickadees, Goldfinches (not gold this time of year), Juncos, Cardinals, English Sparrows, etc.
I hope for good winter weather for birds, animals and people.
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of Southside Pride. Thank you.
