Spring has arrived 2018

Spring arrived last week on April 30. The cold weather in the 30s and 40s is gone.  In May the days have been frequently in the 60s and 70s and never highs below 50s.  It has finally gotten quite pleasant and frequently sunny.

Plants have popped out very rapidly. Nothing before April 30 and now ferns are approaching 2' high, everything is growing.  Trees are all leafing out.  The garden is planted.

Bird Report:

On the lake:
We saw one ring necked duck.
We saw Buffleheads, at least one pair up until a few days ago.  Also frequent Pied billed grebe visits now seem to have stopped.  The only current ducks are Mallards.
We started seeing Goslings just as things started warming up.  There are at least 3 families so far. They did not get oiled this year due to someone protesting.  A nest was built and tended for several weeks opposite us but seemed to have been raided by a fox and destroyed one night, lots of commotion.

Yard and feeders:
Starting a few days into may we have several Orioles and Humming birds all day long. And the typical small birds with many Gold Finches, House Finches, Grackles, Robins, Red-wing Blackbirds, Morning Doves, Chickadees, slate sided juncos,  downy woodpeckers, Red-bellied woodpeckers, flickers, etc.     Too many aggressive Grackles at the feeders!

So far no: Crows, Wrens,

Tax Day

It’s April 17th. And here is the view.  High forecast today is 35 F!

It’s April - Spring, but winter is still here!

It continues to be very cold, every day. Highs in the 30s and 40s!  Even the forecasts don’t reach 50.

The mix of birds has not changed much.
Waterfowl:
Canada Geese
Mallards
Buffleheads
Female Mergansers

At 6 PM there are two groups of Red Breasted Mergansers both males and females actively diving.
and the first Pied Billed Grebe.

At the feeders: Lots of:
Grackles
House finches
Goldfinches

Robins

And the occasional:
Chickadee
Titmouse
Slate sided Junco
Cardinals
Red Winged Blackbird
Starling
Morning doves
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Downey Woodpecker

Still Cold

Well it’s been a couple of weeks. Spring has officially arrived but it’s still cold every day. Temp in the 30’s And 40’s!  Now at 10:30 AM it’s 34 F.  And no forecast for warmer the next week.

Pretty much the same birds:

Today the feeders are swarming with goldfinches.  Frequent: grackles, Robins, Goldfinches, Cardinals, Morning Doves,
Have not seen crows since my last report of them

I see the occasional: Downey WP, Red Headed WP, Junco, Chickadee, Redwing Blackbird, Starling,

On the lake many Canada Geese, daily several pairs of Buffelheads, a few Mallards, and occasional
Scalp, Hooded Mergansers, Red Headed Mergansers, but that’s about all.

No snow recently

It's Cold

It's been a few days and the weather has been quite cold. Today Forecast is 38/19.  There  is a very light skim of ice on some of the lake.  The highest temperature forecast for the next week is 41F.

Today saw Morning Doves and Juncos for the first time.  Also seeing Robins and Goldfinches and Grackles.
And a Chickadee is exploring a birdhouse.

Daily there are 4 Pairs of Buffleheads, some Mallards and varying quantities of Canada geese.

On several days there have been 4 female Common Mergansers.  And occasionally one or two pairs of Hooded Mergansers.

And that's it.

More of the same

Last several days few changes. Temp in 30s & 40s.     Today 42/28. And sunny.

Same birds:
2 Canada geese
2-4 Buffleheads
2 Mallards

A few:
Goldfinches
Crows
House finches

Cloudy day

Forecast 54/34 Mostly cloudy

• Canada geese (2)
• Buffleheads 
• Hooded Mergansers 
• Scaup (2)
• Mallards
• Grackles
• Redwing Blackbird at feeder
• 
  

Beautiful Clear Day

Clear, Sunny and Cool. Forecast 54/39.

It’s 7:30 AM. So far:

• 2 Canada Geese
• Crows have returned 
• First sighting of one of our resident Minks.  (I used to think these were Muskrats but now I think they are minks.  We only see them swimming asa a rule.)
• A pair of unidentified ducks flying rapidly past.
• Goldfinches at the feeders

Later in the day:

• First Robin
• 100’s of Black Birds (un identified ) on trees and flocks in the air.
• First pair of Mallards
• 
  

Bright and Sunny Morning. Forecast 28/48    A link to our town

The two Male Buffleheads are still chasing each other. And I saw a female for the first time this year

Geese grazing on the far shore.  Flocks of geese flying way overhead honking noisily.

The sound of songbirds in the air.

Saw a squirrel. Saw a grackle.

Put out bird feeders.

A couple of Geese. No Ducks.

The two Buffleheads still here courting or squabbling all over the lake, air and water.

Today 5 Hooded Mergansers 3M 2F.

2 Canada Geese

Returned from Winter in Oaxaca Mexico. I am going to make an attempt to keep up this blog this spring and document how things develop and evolve.

Snow is gone for now. Lake Clare has thawed. Temp in the 40's and 30's at night.  Recent  heavy rains have flooding in the general area.

Two Buffleheads, one chasing the other all around the lake. Haven't seen them on the water at all. No geese.

Feeder not up yet.