May 22, 2022 - More Signs of Spring

Spring is coming slowly to Minnesota. Here are some more signs that the season is creeping up on us.

Red-winged Blackbirds are one of the earliest migrants to our area. Seeing them tells us that spring is finally arriving. This male was photographed at our apartment in the St. Paul suburbs about two weeks ago. He’s belting out his kon-ka-reeeee call trying to establish his territory.

BlackbirdRedwingedmalesingingWaverlyGardensNorthOaksRamseyCounty20220510

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have arrived at our lake home in northern Minnesota. This is a male; he has a red throat while a female would have a white throat. The name sapsucker comes from the rows of rectangular holes that these birds drill in the bark of sap-producing trees. The bird then laps up the sap that fills these holes in the spring. Early arriving hummingbirds also partake of the sweet sap.

SapsuckerYellowbelliedmaleDunningLakeItascaCounty20220514

The earliest flowers we see at our lake home are Round-lobed Hepatica. They are small flowers that grow low to the ground. They bloom early so the sun can still reach them before trees get their leaves.

HepaticaRoundlobedwhiteDunningLakeItascaCounty20220513

Most of the Hepatica at our home are white, like the one in the previous photo. But we do get some purple ones as well.

HepaticaRoundlobedpurpleDunningLakeItascaCounty20220513

The property right next to our lake home was clear cut two years ago. That is giving the grasses and low plants a chance to thrive. I walked around that area about a week ago and found many patches of grass like this. I’m assuming these are seed heads from the grass.

GrassSeedsDunningLakeItascaCounty20220514

I found this small butterfly sipping nectar from the dandelions at our apartment. When I submitted a photo of it to BugGuide.com, the consensus was that it’s a Cabbage White

ButterflyWhiteCabbagePierisrapaeWilkinsonLakeNorthOaksRamseyCounty20220510

What would spring be without Robins? We’re seeing many of them at our apartment building.

RobinAmericanWaverlyGardensNorthOaksRamseyCounty20220510

Diana got a phone call from one of the other residents in our complex saying that there were lots of Cedar Waxwings in the trees outside her window. Naturally, I had to go get some photos. They were eating the many crab apples that remained on the trees since last fall.

WaxwingCedarWaverlyGardensRamseyCounty20220516TDNEF