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Summertime in the country
Jun. 29th, 2022 02:35 pmIn May when I last wrote in this journal, it was only at the very beginning of spring like conditions in the Upper Midwest. The rest of May had a more than average number of cool and wet days, and that persisted into June. However I do not have a full picture of the situation locally because I was out of town for more than 2 weeks since the last time I wrote. I ventured into the Lake Superior country for the first time since 2017 apart from brief visits to Duluth in the interim. This took me to Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. That experience will be worth its own entry in due time.
The spring migration this year was really remarkable. It was an endless procession of novelty and it only built from the time that I wrote the last post. However it was pretty clear by The time I left town that migration was coming to an end. We were beginning to see the species that will nest locally rather than move north. As soon as the waves of migrant warblers left, different ones moved in but they are the ones that take up permanent residence in the area. We also had transient waves of white-throated sparrows and such. As warmer weather came in, the Baltimore orioles were seen regularly, so I put out small pots of grape jelly for them.
On the novelty front, we had large numbers of indigo buntings into the feeder. In the metropolitan area, I would see these rarely during the migration time, but we had a dozen at any one time. We also had scarlet tanagers into the feeder as well, certainly a rare enough occurrence. Cowbirds started to move in and occupy the feeder in large numbers as well, and they have stayed into the summer. I have rarely had the opportunity to observe these brood parasites in the past, and they can be quite aggressive – for instance, they ran off the blue jays who would come into the feeder.
Another thing that really tells you that spring has arrived is the waves of rose breasted grosbeaks. In some ways, these oversized finches sound like robins. However, their song is more flowery and ornamental than a robin, whose song sounds plaintive by comparison. They took up residence in the spring but they have stayed into summer as well. I still hear the song of the tufted titmouse, but I see them much more rarely; undoubtedly they are on the nest. The yard also fills with the song of the house wren, a very liquid sound. And the large number of goldfinches first seen in the winter time stayed for the summer as well.
One of the more colorful visitors to the yard in summertime is the gray catbird. I first heard them while walking at the nearby prairie. Sometimes their call sounds like the meowing of a cat, which is why they are named so, but they also have a chattering improvised call during breeding season. This is an ever-changing comical stream of notes. I used to see them in the city as well, but it seems that the alternating field and thicket here is a very good habitat for them. Never could they be observed in such numbers, even at the parks in the city. We finally attracted a mating pair into the yard, and they have remained visitors this summer so far.
Summertime is oftentimes not the best season for bird watching. This is the season of the rearing of young. Trips to the marshlands looking for waterfowl might end in disappointment, as they become extra cautious at this time of year. But having a feeder makes all the difference, it scarcely matters what time of year it is, there will be a constant succession of birds through the area. The species will change along with the seasons and this is part of the fun. Walks in the area are also likely to turn up sightings. For instance, the impressive flycatcher called the kingbird can be seen in this area, never very far from the abundant patches of meadow. Once again I am impressed to note the amount of variance from my old locale, though it’s maybe a few dozen miles away and at the same latitude.
Overall, the Wisconsin side of the St Croix valley has not yet succumbed to the suburban development of the Minnesota side. This has left large continuous patches of nature for birds and other wildlife to breed in. And this reality is reflected in the much larger numbers of wildlife locally. It should be noted that urban and suburban parts of the Twin Cities still have a lot of nature relative to the development, but living here has given me a very clear illustration of just what a difference unspoiled nature makes for biodiversity in abundance. It also seems that anthropogenic landscapes like this one can be ideal habitat for a lot of different species. This is the "forest edge" biome created in agrarian regions. As I have pointed out in the past, The driftless area with its hills and valleys prevents the kind of strict monoculture that exists in some parts of farm country.
The only question mark with regard to this year is how harsh the summer will be. There was enough rain in the spring that the drought from last year was completely wiped out, and it was also cool enough that evaporation was not taking place. During that time the river was the highest I had ever seen. That has all changed now. This June has been generally hot and dry. Not quite so extreme so far as last year, but not encouraging either. Temps are several degrees above average, and rainfall is several inches below. Occasional winds have blown as well. At this rate, the Midwestern drought will return in a hurry. With July just around the corner, there is more than enough cause to be concerned. So far crops are not suffering, but the topsoil is dry, and the last thing we need this year is another piece of bad news – such as crop failure in the Midwest at a time when the world’s food supplies are already precarious.
The spring migration this year was really remarkable. It was an endless procession of novelty and it only built from the time that I wrote the last post. However it was pretty clear by The time I left town that migration was coming to an end. We were beginning to see the species that will nest locally rather than move north. As soon as the waves of migrant warblers left, different ones moved in but they are the ones that take up permanent residence in the area. We also had transient waves of white-throated sparrows and such. As warmer weather came in, the Baltimore orioles were seen regularly, so I put out small pots of grape jelly for them.
On the novelty front, we had large numbers of indigo buntings into the feeder. In the metropolitan area, I would see these rarely during the migration time, but we had a dozen at any one time. We also had scarlet tanagers into the feeder as well, certainly a rare enough occurrence. Cowbirds started to move in and occupy the feeder in large numbers as well, and they have stayed into the summer. I have rarely had the opportunity to observe these brood parasites in the past, and they can be quite aggressive – for instance, they ran off the blue jays who would come into the feeder.
Another thing that really tells you that spring has arrived is the waves of rose breasted grosbeaks. In some ways, these oversized finches sound like robins. However, their song is more flowery and ornamental than a robin, whose song sounds plaintive by comparison. They took up residence in the spring but they have stayed into summer as well. I still hear the song of the tufted titmouse, but I see them much more rarely; undoubtedly they are on the nest. The yard also fills with the song of the house wren, a very liquid sound. And the large number of goldfinches first seen in the winter time stayed for the summer as well.
One of the more colorful visitors to the yard in summertime is the gray catbird. I first heard them while walking at the nearby prairie. Sometimes their call sounds like the meowing of a cat, which is why they are named so, but they also have a chattering improvised call during breeding season. This is an ever-changing comical stream of notes. I used to see them in the city as well, but it seems that the alternating field and thicket here is a very good habitat for them. Never could they be observed in such numbers, even at the parks in the city. We finally attracted a mating pair into the yard, and they have remained visitors this summer so far.
Summertime is oftentimes not the best season for bird watching. This is the season of the rearing of young. Trips to the marshlands looking for waterfowl might end in disappointment, as they become extra cautious at this time of year. But having a feeder makes all the difference, it scarcely matters what time of year it is, there will be a constant succession of birds through the area. The species will change along with the seasons and this is part of the fun. Walks in the area are also likely to turn up sightings. For instance, the impressive flycatcher called the kingbird can be seen in this area, never very far from the abundant patches of meadow. Once again I am impressed to note the amount of variance from my old locale, though it’s maybe a few dozen miles away and at the same latitude.
Overall, the Wisconsin side of the St Croix valley has not yet succumbed to the suburban development of the Minnesota side. This has left large continuous patches of nature for birds and other wildlife to breed in. And this reality is reflected in the much larger numbers of wildlife locally. It should be noted that urban and suburban parts of the Twin Cities still have a lot of nature relative to the development, but living here has given me a very clear illustration of just what a difference unspoiled nature makes for biodiversity in abundance. It also seems that anthropogenic landscapes like this one can be ideal habitat for a lot of different species. This is the "forest edge" biome created in agrarian regions. As I have pointed out in the past, The driftless area with its hills and valleys prevents the kind of strict monoculture that exists in some parts of farm country.
The only question mark with regard to this year is how harsh the summer will be. There was enough rain in the spring that the drought from last year was completely wiped out, and it was also cool enough that evaporation was not taking place. During that time the river was the highest I had ever seen. That has all changed now. This June has been generally hot and dry. Not quite so extreme so far as last year, but not encouraging either. Temps are several degrees above average, and rainfall is several inches below. Occasional winds have blown as well. At this rate, the Midwestern drought will return in a hurry. With July just around the corner, there is more than enough cause to be concerned. So far crops are not suffering, but the topsoil is dry, and the last thing we need this year is another piece of bad news – such as crop failure in the Midwest at a time when the world’s food supplies are already precarious.
