springtime notes(can't call it winter here)

20 years ago

Our temps have been in the 60s again lately, which as usual is really enjoyable to be out in, but who knows what kind of intricate natural rhythms are getting screwed up as a result.

The tips of the sassafras are greening, with buds swelling as well. While there is just enough cold to leave a thin skin of ice on standing water, it's usually gone by mid morning. I have spotted several water striders out and about, as well as a few larger crawdads meandering about the shallows. Still too early for the big rush of egg-bearing females but they would get fooled too if it stayed this warm for a month or so. Oh and snakes! The count is up to three road-kills: a larger rat snake, a small northern water snake which got flattened crossing the road between ditches, and a garter. This is January, our typically coldest month. I have not kept exact numbers but I am pretty sure that the number of days over 60 degrees has got to be somewhere around 7 or 8, and they are not all lumped together during one freaky warm spell but instead spread out over the entire month. At one point there, my 10-day forecast had every day at or above 50 degrees and not a single nighttime temp below freezing. I think I saw one night at 34 and that was it.

And the biggie: yesterday I spotted an eagle out over the reclaimed strip mine lakes north of here. This is exciting since they are still in the process of repopulating this area. A pair had a nest just to the west of my parent's house the last few years and I was hoping something similar would happen here since we have the lakes. BUT for some unknown reason the DNR took out the few lone oaks that dotted the areas around the water. There were only three or four mature trees anywhere around this old mine area and these would have been perfect for ospreys and eagles to perch on after snagging a fish. Now there is nothing and I wonder what they will do. I saw an osprey actually catch a large fish last year. I couldn't help but whoop and holler like a complete idiot at the time...firstly, you don't just casually glance up and see your first local osprey hovering overhead taking YOU in and not have a visceral reaction. Unless you don't give a rip about nature in general and in which case you won't be here reading this anyway....ANd then as if to add an exclamation point to the whole experience it actually plunged into the water and caught a fish. Right there. But as soon as it had its catch I began wondering where it would go to eat it now that the trees were gone. I never did see it land, it just headed due north. Maybe they will go to ground if nothing else is close??

And since both are fish lovers I do wonder how the eagle and the osprey will get along....

That's it (and plenty of it) for now

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Comments (4)

gardener_sandy
20 years ago
Wow, DirtGirl! That osprey sighting must have been quite a thrill. I've never seen one and I'm jealous! We have a small retention pond just across from our front yard and we see Great Blue Herons there along with assorted ducks, geese and other water lovers but it's too small for ospreys or eagles. At least I've never seen any there.

Our so-called winter has been very mild, too. Only a few times this month has the nighttime temperature been below freezing with the days mostly in the upper 50s and 60s and we haven't had any snow since mid-December. We don't usually get a lot of snow but tend to have freezing rain and sleet instead. Personally, I'm glad we haven't had any of that! I agree that there are delicate balances that are probably being messed up this winter. My MIL's saucer magnolia is trying hard to open it's buds. It doesn't usually bloom till late March. Maybe February will be a real bear of a wintery month this year. Some people think it's the longest month of the year anyway. LOL

Enjoy the mild weather while you can. I suspect we'll get payback for it.

Sandy
catherinet
20 years ago
I'm not worried about the weather being funky hurting the balance. Because funky weather is part of the balance.
I'm just glad we had a freezing cold spell at the beginning of winter. Hopefully that kills off the mosquitoes for next summer.
Dirtgirl, why don't you call the DNR and ask them why they took those trees down? I know they can't put them back up, but it would just be nice to know their reasoning. And then ask them if they're aware that now the big guys won't have anywhere to nest there.
How cool to see an Osprey.......and then to see it take a fish!
We're having a warm spell too. Hopefully this doesn't mean we'll get a bad storm in March.
My 2 little carolina wrens are still sleeping at night in a little tuck in the tarp over the front of the chicken coop. One night, only one of the was there, and I was worried. But the next night the other one was back.
Speaking of carolina wrens......let me try to post a pic I took last year of some carolina wren babies in a nest in my barn. In fact, these might be the ones sleeping near the coop now.
I can't wait to hear those chorus frogs and peepers in the spring.
Here's the babies:
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dirtgirl
Original Author
20 years ago
Good grief how could I forget the FROGS?? Gotta add that to my list--have heard a couple of lone calls out in the slough, and just yesterday heard the first of the chuckle frogs (leopard frogs I guess) which sound as though they are saying 'ho ho ho ho ho ha ha ha ha ha, yup yup yup'
I should try to find a link to that and post it.
ok, this is the long way around to it, but here is a link to one of our common spring/early summer sounds...leopard frogs (chucklers)
http://allaboutfrogs.org/files/sounds/sleapard.au

And then here is a link (copy paste if you will) to the sounds of our other springtime serenaders, the stuff we go to sleep with about the time the windows start staying open all night. Ahhh, Cathy, hearing this is about as sweet and refreshing as seeing those wonderful little gaping mouths on your wren babies.
Spring just can't get here fast enough!!!

http://www.habitatproject.org/frogs/Sounds/WesternChorusFrog_Call.mp3
ericwi
20 years ago
We seem to be having an odd winter here in Madison as well. But not as warm as you, dirtgirl. Today we had sunshine and mid 40's, but there was frost on the car windshield when I got up this morning. I think it gets down to the mid 20's at night. We still have some small piles of snow, left over from the last storm. More typical January weather would be mid 20's during the day, and down near zero at night. I am not hearing much complaining about the weather, though. Last night we watched a news story about some local construction projects that are ahead of schedule, and under budget, due to the fair weather we are having.