Two monarchs, first of the year, spotted in the garden. Likely hatched nearby, as their wings are extremely fresh and they seemed a bit awkward at flight. Odd to have it so late; wondering if there is some sort of correlation between the recent streak of warm temps (80's with high humdity).

Warm lately, highs in the low 80's. Leaves already starting to turn. Has been a horrible year for Bergamot, but a bumper year for Purple Coneflower and Joe Pye Weed.

The Bergamot faded almost as fast as it bloomed. More fall favorites coming into bloom; Sneezeweed and Turtlehead, Monkey Flower and Butterflyweed still going strong. Weather's been warm lately, some nghts with lows in the 80's! Still no sign of the Monarchs here, though I've seen the occasional straggler elsewhere in MN. Heavy rains through the weekend.

Natives in Bloom:

• Butterfly weed
• Compass Plant
• Harebell
• Sneezeweed
• Spiderwort
• Swamp Milkweed
• Sweet Joe Pye Weed
• Turtlehead
• Woodland Goldenrod

Stormclouds in Stacy, MN


Storms yesterday and throughout the morning, overcast sky and the almost constant din of thunder followed by a bout of sunshine that have pushed the temperature into the humid 80's. Swamp milkweed, that solid symbol of summer, is taking to seed, while more typical autumn flowers like Goldenrod and Sweet Joe Pye Weed are starting to bloom. Turtlehead grown taller than in past years, and looks like it will pop within the next week or so.



Still no Monarch caterpillars, though I did catch a glimpse of a butterfly in the front garden this morning. Something building a nest in one of our oaks; looks to be a robin's nest, but won't know until I catch sight of the bird.

Wildlife Spotted:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Nuthatch
• Sandhill Crane
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Natives in Bloom:

• Butterfly weed
• Compass Plant
• Harebell
• Spiderwort
• Swamp Milkweed
• Sweet Joe Pye Weed
• Wild Bergamot
• Woodland Goldenrod

Purple Coneflower

Unseasonably cool again. Temps peaking in the 80s this week, with regular bouts of rain last week into early this week. Wild Bergamot is exploding, but the plants themselves seem to be growing much lower to the ground than usual. Also far fewer bees than last year, and I haven't seen a single Monarch on our milkweed (no caterpillars either!)

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole


• Black-capped Chickadee


• Blue Jay


• Canadian Goose


• Chipmunk, Eastern


• Cottontail Rabbit


• Goldfinch


• Grey Squirrel


• Nuthatch


• Red-shouldered Hawk


• Ruby-throated Hummingbird


• Sandhill Crane


• Squirrel, Grey


• Turkey Vulture
  
  

In Bloom:

• Butterfly weed


• Compass Plant


• Harebell


• Spiderwort


• Swamp Milkweed


• Wild Bergamot

A Shot of Pelican Lake



Loon on Pelican Lake

Spent the weekend out on Pelican Lake, aboard a sailboat we bought for a song. Saw loads of wildlife including a congregation of six loons, several cormorants, what appeared to be a merganser, great blue and green heron.

Sailing has to be one of the most rewarding (and economical, and eco-friendly) modes of transportation; you only use your motor to tool around in harbors, and easily 80% of your time is spent utilizing one of the most renewable resources the planet has.

Bluebirds gone from the nest; so far we've put at least four back into the ecosystem this year. No sign of Monarch yet. Glade Mallow is almost out, while the Wild Bergamot is just starting to pop.

Cold this week with highs occasionaly only broaching the upper 60's; they say the coldest comparable week on record.

Young Eastern Bluebirds in bluebird house Saturday

Well, the Early Meadowrue is fading, the Glade Mallow is quickly going out, the Swamp Milkweed is in its prime, and the Butterfly weed is just starting to burst. Sad to say we haven't seen any Monarch caterpillars on our milkweed yet this year. Usually they hang around for weeks.

Also, save for the single Tree Frog, no frogs in the pond, though we weren't technically filled with water until mid-June. While we're getting a little rain, it's been extremely dry lately; White Bear Lake is said to be down over six feet.

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Northern Cardinal
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Wildflowers in Bloom:

• Butterfly weed
• Glade Mallow
• Harebell
• Spiderwort
• Swamp Milkweed

Eastern Bluebird Hatchlings

Baby bluebirds this week! Counted five in the nest.

Swamp Milkweed in Bloom

Swamp Milkweed, Early Meadowrue, and Spiderwort just popped this week. As plants of the Milkweed family are the host plants of the Monarch Butterfly, and we have loads of Swamp Milkweed and Butterflyweed in the garden, hopefully we can count on some orange-banded visitors soon. Cherries on choke cherry tree.

Have seen several birds we don't normally spot at the feeder, including the Northern Cardinal and the Red-winged Blackbird.

90's up until the past few days we've had storms and 70's.

Natives in Bloom:

• Early Meadowrue
• Harebell
• Prairie Smoke
• Spiderwort
• Swamp Milkweed

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grackle
• Grey Squirrel
• Northern Cardinal
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Tree Frog (first frog to enter the new pond) heard calling in the pond last night. With any luck, mating season is on, and we might have young on the way.

5 Bluebird eggs in the house so far. Columbine have just gone to seed, while the Prairie Ninebark and False Indigo are starting to fade and the Swamp Milkweed are just about ready to pop. Hot and humid with temps in the 80's and 90's. Steady drizzle yesterday, but otherwise pretty dry.


Currently in Bloom:

• Canada Anemone
• False Indigo
• Harebell
• Prairie Ninebark
• Prairie Smoke
• Swamp Buttercup
• Wild Geranium
  

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Loon
• Mallard Duck
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Spring Peeper
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Some pictures from this past week:

Bluebird nest spotted in the house yesterday. Two tiny blue eggs so far.

Heavy rain over the weekend and early this morning. False Indigo's beginning to bloom, while Wild Geranium is starting to go to seed (have a massive patch of it this year). Almost done with the last stage of the pond; now have almost all of it the cement apron finished.

Swamp Buttercup in bloom

Swamp Buttercup just exploded last week. Wild Geranium coming up in huge clumps now, while the Canadian Anemone is just starting to burst. Stalks of Swamp Milkweed starting to crop up, as are Wild Bergamot, Harebell, and several varieties of Goldenrod. Columbine has started to go to seed.

Very dry lately, but cool; was a frost in fact just last week. Hummingbirds have been territoreal lately, attempting to chase humans away from their flowerbeds. Pond has been going well; have added a polyurethane sealant to the cement (have been assured by chemist friends that when cured this will not affect the fish or amphibians), and have begun to add dirt to the basins, allowing the frogs something to burrow in in the winter.

Natives in Bloom:

• Canada Anemone
• Columbine
• Rue Anemone
• Wild Geranium

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Canadian Goose
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Eastern Bluebird
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Loon
• Mallard Duck
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Sandhill Crane
• Spring Peeper
• Squirrel, Grey
• Turkey Vulture

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium now in bloom. Been dry lately; what remains of the lawn is looking a touch brown, and the invasive patches of creeping charlie that were exploding across the garden throughout the damp spring are dead. Native plants, even the water-loving Swamp Milkweed, seem to be doing quite well.

Pasque Flower has gone to seed. Have seen several baby Cottontails in the yard; one seems to have made a home for itself in the Wild Bergamot.

Eastern Bluebirds are back; a male's been staking out one of the houses, but no female and no nest so far. Huge bands of blackbirds; Grackles mostly, with the odd Red winged scouring yards and farmer's fields all over the county.

Relatively dry with temps jumping between the 70's and 80's, some 90's earlier this week down in the cities. Trill of the American Toad joining the peepers and chorus frogs in their chorus.

Mohican Viburnum

Columbine flower

Jacob's Ladder have been blooming for a few days now; Columbine and Mohican Viburnum just burst over the weekend.

Pond Stage 4


A Little Detail

Pond Garden Stage 4 is a go; so far I've covered about 28 square feet of overlayment covered in poultry wire (for reinforcement) and coated it with a mixture of cement, peat moss, the occasional rock or stone, and various decorations including sea shells and chunks of marble tile.

First ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year spotted buzzing about the Columbine. Add to that the first Baltimore Oriole seen in the Maple trees. Peepers not quite as prevalent as they were a few weeks back, but it may be due to the cold stint we've been having (frost in some areas last night). A male Eastern Bluebird has been hanging around the houses, but no nest yet. Red-shouldered hawk has been quite vocal for the last week.

Natives in Bloom:

• Canada Anemone


• Columbine


• Jacob's Ladder


• Rue Anemone


• Purple Pasque Flower

Wildlife Spotted:

• Baltimore Oriole


• Black-capped Chickadee


• Blue Jay


• Chipmunk, Eastern


• Chorus Frog


• Cottontail Rabbit


• Eastern Bluebird


• Goldfinch


• Grey Squirrel


• Loon


• Nuthatch


• Pileated Woodpecker


• Red-shouldered Hawk


• Red-winged Blackbird


• Ruby-throated Hummingbird


• Squirrel, Gray


• Turkey Vulture

White Oak Flower

While these may not be the more "traditional" blooms of the cherry or lilac most people are familiar with, they are flowers. The little bumps on the catkin above are actually the male portion of the flowers. When the male portion spreads its pollen, it is shed by the tree; you'll often see loads of male catkins on the ground in late Spring.

Pond, Stage 3


The bog portion of the pond

The pond is now at stage 3... the underlayment is complete, the main tarp has been laid down, and several overlapping layers of old liner have been added on top of it as overlayment. Have secured it to the sides mostly by way of bricks or stakes for nwo. We've added plant shelves, and have roughed in the bog section. The deepest section is around 3'6, not counting the 3 inches of dirt I have added for burrowing amphibians and reptiles.

It's been good weather for pond work; holding in the 50's in the afternoon. Quite cool for mid-Spring.

Cherry Trees in bloom

Cherry trees (seen here in this morning's mist) are currently exploding with white blossoms. Clusters of Columbine leaves are coming up in droves (no flowers yet), and we're just starting to get buds on our Prairie Smoke.

Temps have been cool; 40's in the morning pitching into the 70's in the late afternoon, with a good amount of stormclouds and light rain. Fewer birds than usual at the feeder, though they're all extremely noisy in the morning. Have heard a few Tree Frogs announcing themselves amongst the chorus of Peepers and Chorus Frogs which, since the rains, have extended from morning to late night.


Pond Rework, Stage 2 (now an unholy mess)

Pond is fully flushed out now, except for one plant shelf. Have started filling the finished parts with underlay; the stuff that keeps any rocks, roots, or burrowing creatures from puncturing the liner. Have used everything from plastic landscaping bags to carpet to bits of the old pond tarp and even car mats and used (clean) towels and rags for that purpose. Looks like an unholy mess, but it's the second R of reduce, reuse and recycle, and better serving a purpose under my pond than taking up space in a landfill somewhere! Will use a good amount of the old pond tarp as an overlayment; especially on the plant shelves (which you'll notice are given ample space below the rim of the pond, and in the bog section.

Purple Pasque Flower

Rue Anemone

Rain and slightly cooler temps. The first Pasque Flower just popped up this week, and the first of the Rue Anemone are starting to unfurl their blossoms, and the leaves of the Rue Anemone are coming up in droves. Spring Peepers and Chorus Frogs quite loud lately. Have seen plenty of Sandhill Cranes and Redwinged Blackbirds, though the Bluebird houses are still empty. Would like to take a trip out to the Maplewood Nature Center perhaps early next week.

Pond Rework Stage 1


Have been reexcavating the pond lately. Got a few of the neighborhood kids involved in pulling off the dirt and tarps; have reexcavated the East basin to 3.5', have widened the stream, added plant shelves, and will be adding a bog section to the West basin. Would like to add some bullheads and other natives to the feeder goldfish this year; kids have even offered to donate crayfish and snails should they catch any.

Eventual plans include a third stream with waterfall and an underwater fishcam. A small de-icer and a solar-powered aerator should allow the fish to overwinter in some degree comfort. Did catch a few dragonfly nymphs and various other waterbugs; added them to the rain barrel for now; will be emptying that into the pond when it's done.

What's Blooming:

• Purple Pasque Flower
• Rue Anemone

Wildlife Spotted:

• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue Jay
• Chipmunk, Eastern
• Chorus Frog
• Cottontail Rabbit
• Goldfinch
• Grey Squirrel
• Loon
• Nuthatch
• Pileated Woodpecker
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Spring Peeper
• Turkey Vulture

Buds on maples!! We're actually starting to warm up in earnest now (though I still suspect we'll see more snow before this is all over). Temps in the 50's, with Sandhill Cranes and Redwing Blackbirds belting out their raucous calls.

It's been a long winter but things (for a while at least) were looking like rather Spring again. Thunderstorms, 50's, even 60's across middle Minnesota, blades of grass popping through the damp sod, and, just as quickly, snow and 30's again.