Slowed spring

Despite the rather cool weather, the birds are trickling back north. On Thursday, 1 April, three vultures were wheeling over the transportation vehicle depot in the early afternoon, and various individuals have been sighted before and since then.

The ferry moved back to the village dock on Saturday, 3 April, after the contest van finally sank into the lake beside the dock, on what was surely the last remaining bit of ice around the island, broken apart, no doubt, by the high winds that day, a wet and rather miserable day, followed by snow the next. On Monday, I noticed cormorants and a tern flying over the Marysville Bay.

Ed Taugher reports numerous ducks, including canvasbacks, redheads, and scaup, toward the foot of the island. I've heard the rather raucous voice of the flicker in the village, but have not yet seen this species this spring.

On the other hand, some northern birds are still here with us on the island. On Wed., 7 April, in the early afternoon, three roughlegged hawks, including one dark phase, were hunting near the junction of the Base Line and the 5th Line.

Has anyone seen a snowy owl during the past week?

Posted by Marjorie at April 8, 2004 04:26 PM | TrackBack