BY JOHN KARRIGAN
I could start this with the same sentence I used last month, but that would not be nice so I will try to improve, though there are still not many—or any—small birds in the park.
I did see my first turtle of the season today (March 28). It was the usual, a medium-sized Painted Turtle (chrysemys picta). On Sunday and Monday (March 26 and 27), a Bufflehead duck spent two days on the lake, and may still be there today, hiding someplace. A Bufflehead is a fairly rare spring visitor. Another rare spring visitor showed up on March 23. A male Ring-necked Pheasant was on the hillside north of the lake and then on the island for a while. I don’t know how long.
Of course the second lake ice melt brought many Canada Geese, Mallards, Wood Ducks and Ring-billed Gulls. Most of these should be regular visitors until fall.
I missed seeing the American Eagle reported seen on March 26.
The backyard has been going well, and Dark-eyed Juncos are still regulars. I expect them to be heading back to Canada soon. And the first Robins of the yard have returned.
I am hoping and expecting all sorts of birds, mammals, insects and other creatures to soon be arriving in the park and neighborhood.
I actually spent most of the first three weeks of March at my manse in southwest St. Paul. I normally have people that take care of that for me but every now and then I let them take a short break such as these three weeks. As usual, I had my regular white-tailed deer visiting the backyard, though this year I never had more than three deer at a time. One year, I had eight or nine deer in the backyard. And I had some other issues. One afternoon, I noticed a Falcon holding down with its talons an apparently OK male Northern Cardinal in front of the front window. I grabbed a pair of gloves, ran outside and found that the Cardinal had apparently made a successful escape. At least that’s how I like to think it ended.
Another new item there, on about my last night, and in the middle of the night when I was looking for deer: A very large Virginia Opossum came slowly wandering through the backyard. By reading my “Mammals of Minnesota” field guide, by Stan Tekiela, a very good little book by a very nice local gentleman, I was able to figure out for sure what is was. That is the only marsupial found north of Mexico, and it has been expanding its range in Minnesota over the past 50 years. We actually had a much smaller version of this opossum living in our block a number of years ago (in 2009).
Anyway, I hope that all kinds of living things will soon be in yards and the park; that the construction projects in the park will be finished by May Day; that the USA will get its various governments squared away; that Warren Park will continue to write great music; and that many more good years will happen in the neighborhood.
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of Southside Pride. Thank you.
