Tundra Swan Migration

Last week thousands of tundra swans were crossing over Crex and the surrounding area. A few stopped to rest along the way and I was lucky to watch this group rest then group up to take off and continue their migration. The whistling chatter was amazing and to me much more pleasing than the raucous sound of trumpeters. This group was on North Fork Flowage.
Dale

Spring, again!

No more false promises, it has finally arrived. The next several days should be peak for early season migrants. A couple of unusual sightings, at least in my experience, occurred yesterday. A golden eagle was sharing a tree with an immature bald eagle providing a unique chance to compare them. As I was ending my day a short eared owl nearly took my cap off. I was too shocked to move when I saw a bird coming at me in near darkness. I must have done something because at ten feet in diverted.

Butterflies have also warmed up. Two hibernators were out yesterday: the eastern comma and mourning cloak. The orange of the comma was a welcome sight as it floated about. For the plant lovers the skunk cabbage are out in the seeps along the St. Croix.

This weekend promises to be a spectacular show of early spring at Crex Meadows.
Dale

Reading Bones

With the temporary return of winter it is a good time to read an article that has been around awhile, since 1949! A wildlife pathologist by the name of E. L. Cheatum published a landmark article on bone marrow analysis of white tail deer which gives an estimate of the animal's nutritional status at death. The bone marrow consists of fat and blood cells giving a normal bone marrow the color and consistency of fat. Once a fawn reaches 4-6 months its marrow is the same as an adult. Cheatum determined that when marrow fat becomes 50% depleted the other body sources of fat have been utilized for energy, the marrow then becomes a solid red color. How does all this relate to the two coyote killed deer I found last month? One deer was in good shape and the other was severely malnurished.

A copy of the is interesting article is available on request.
Dale

It must be Spring!

Fifty degrees yesterday and rain during the night means I can now rely on my solar powered snow shovel for the rest of the season. Any new snow will soon be gone. This time of year is a good time wander around looking for evidence of old foundations, basements, and other signs of previous human use. There are no insects, the ground is hard: perfect for wandering. No luck finding an old homestead yesterday, just a nice dropped antler.
Dale

An Otter with Attitude

I watched this otter most of last week and one day there was an intense confrontation between the otter and two trumpeter swans. With limited open water each was vying for space but different foods. I'm sure the swan feet were disturbing the fish for the otter. In any event it was willing to take on two swans to protect its turf. In the end all left the area and returned the next day.
Dale

Wisconsin Confrontation

I prefer this confrontation to the one in the news. This otter was minding its own business when swan 24A and its mate decided to eat in the same area. With the odds of size and 2 on 1 it seemed clear who would win. However the otter chased both birds out of the water before swimming away, leaving the pool empty except for the food each was vying for. There might be a political message here.
Dale

Grettum Pines Cafe

I came across the remains of this deer while exploring the Grettum Pines area. As I was following a trail there suddenly was a profusion of tracks. Looking ahead the deer ribs immediately caught my attention. The recent snow had obscured the details of the myriad of tracks leading to it making species identification impossible. Once at the site the overlap from multiple species further complicated track identification. A fox or coyote had bedded down to keep watch on the carcass. The absence of the skull and distance of the skeleton from the entrails may be meaningful to a trained biologist, however, to me these details raise intriguing questions but no answers. Square patches of fur are pulled off to the side in multiple directions where something has been chewing. It is tempting to assume this is a wolf kill but other predators also kill deer or perhaps this is a winter kill. Clearly the deer is feeding many hungry customers.
Dale

I checked the bone marrow with Steve Hoffman and this animal was malnourished but not starving at the time of death therefore it was a predator kill. Since the skeleton is relatively intact it was not killed by wolves. The remaining possible predators are a bobcat, bear, or coyotes. It seems to remote for a dog kill.
Dale