Archive 2009

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Nature Notes and Phenology Archive 2009


1/11/11: Ccoss-Country Skiiers reported 4 trumpeter swans down on the open waters of the Manitowish River -L


1/6/11: Flock of Pine Grosbeaks near the bank in Mercer -Z


1/1/11: 40 mile and hour winds and -14 degrees temp. Ice everywhere.-Z


12/31/10: Still raining-Z


12/30/10: With these warm temps, some of our not-so-true hibernators can be woken up and become active-proven today by a distinct skunk smell on Hwy W -L


12/30/10: 40 degrees and raining.-Z

12/21/10: This years Chrismas bird count survey broke new records with a total of 31 bird species. White winged crossbills,White Crowed Sparrow,Northern Cardnial,and Evenning Grossbeak were some of the new additions.-Z

12/20/10: Set your alarms! Early tomorrow morning, which also happens to be the Winter Solstice, we will have the only lunar eclipse of 2010. A lunar eclipse takes place when the sun, Earth and moon are all perfectly aligned with the Earth in the middle. When the moon passes behind the Earth, the sun's rays are blocked from striking the moon. This can only occur when the moon is full. It will last about 3.5 hours-approx. 2:17 am will be the peak of the eclipse- get up and enjoy it!! ~L

12/15/10: Our first really cold morning here: ~-15 F! Brrrr! -L 12/14/10: While out snowshoeing on our trail two flying squirrels glided in next to me...in the middle of the day! They are normally nocturnal. -L 12/7/10: Flash the ferret has his winter coat- it almost seems that overnight he becomes this fluffy beast with thick fur! -L 12/6/10: First skiers arrived at the Center today, snow is a bit "fluffy" to pack and get a good base, but it's still fun to play in! -L 12/6/10: Saw a gray fox just east of the Center on Hwy W-no matter what color phase the fox is in, the gray fox will always have a black tipped tail, and the red fox will always have a white tipped tail. The black tip on this animal's tail told me right away it was a gray fox- this is the animal's "fieldmark" -L

11/24/10: Statehouse Lake is frozen over. -L

11/23/10: Half of Statehouse Lake is frozen today. Last year the lake froze on 12/5/09 and 11/18 in 2008.-z

11/22/10:Thunder and Lightning during a snowstorm. Unuasal weather once again.-z

11/22/10: Dark-eyed junco's are still hanging around. Also I have noticed lots of gold finches. I predict a big finch year.-z

11/22/10: We still have just a light dusting of snow, no major falls yet this year. Statehouse Lake is about 60% covered with ice as of today. ~L

11/19/10: Black bear spotted by County Road O east of the Center. Bear was a bit drowsy looking and it's face was covered with porkie quills. Most bears go into hibernation early to mid November. We wonder if this bear will be able to hibernate normally this winter. ~L

11/4/10: Snow buntings are here! -L

11/3/10: Monarch Butterfly seen flying around Eagle River. Most likely one of the last ones still in the Northwoods. ~L

10/26-28/10: Record wind tore through the Lakeland area. Gusts over 60 MPH left over 62,000 people without power at the height of the storm. Air pressure got down to 28.31 inches, what you might see in a category three hurricane. Clean up is still going on a week later.... ~L

10/18/10: 3-point Buck at the bird feeders last night.

10/16/10: Swans still with us - beautiful looks for visitors all day long!

10/12/10: 5 swans were on Statehouse lake tonight after work. They were also seen there last week, two adults and three young. -L

7/27/10: Severe storms hit area. Tornado damage on Turtle-Flambeau Flowage -K

6/31/10: Blue bead lily blooming -K

6/29/10: Saw albino deer near hwy 51 -K

6/16/10: Turkey at center...chased a crow -K

6/14/10: Two weeks of rain, water levels on Statehouse Lake increased by 8 cm. -Z

6/3/10: First monarch caterpillar found. -L

5/30/10: White-tailed Deer fawns are born. -H

5/28/10: Lake water temperatures above 80 degrees fahrenheit -Z

5/16/10: 93 species of birds counted at Bird Fest -Z

4/30/10: Black-throated green warbler, black and white warbler, and wood anenome are out -L

4/22/10: Early morning bird survey and Lac du Flambeau's Powell Marsh came up with Sharp-tailed grouse, Sandhill Cranes, Lincoln Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, Myrle Warbler, Song and Swamp Sparrows.-Z

4/12/10: Pine Warbers are here.-Z

4/11/10: Completed our Owl survey. Heard several woodcock and two Barred Owls. Also, the Northern Lights made an appearance, so awesome! -L

4/10/10: Woke up to the sound of loons calling...ahhhhh... -L

4/7/10: First bear reported to us- see across from Marywood Spirituality Center, off of HWY 51 in the state forest -L

4/5/10: the phoebes and merlins are back at the Center-also the hepaticas are blooming and the shooting stars are emerging -L

3/31/10: On a hike around Zach's house we heard spring peepers and saw June bug's flying around. Also the lack of bugs and 70 degree weather was awesome! But I did get my first mosquito bite :( -L

3/23/10: Woodcocks and woodfrogs out tonight for the first time. -L

3/22/10: Ice out on Statehouse Lake- earliest date on our records- L

3/22/10: Ruffed Grouse heard drumming all last week. Also, Dark eyed juncos have returned to the Center today. -L

3/19/10: Two year old beavers are leaving their winter lodge and heading down rivers to find a new mate and new territories.-Z

3/18/10: Canada Goose siting on a nest near Rhinelander. -Z

3/17/10: Also, red-winged blackbirds, robins, killdeer, belted kingfisher, wood duck, mallard, bluebird, sandhill cranes are back (seen on the WI river today) -L

3/17/10: Just saw a mourning cloak butterfly on my lunch hike. They are one of the few butterflies that hibernate as adults in the winter- they stay under the bark of trees and when the spring sun warms up the tree they come out. -L

3/15/10: Saw whet owl heard calling in Arbor Vitae. -L

3/15/10: On a recent bird club outting, in N.Iron County, we saw 4 gray jays and 15-20 evenning grossbeaks.-Z

3/10/10: The forecast is for rain today. Also, the first road weight limit sign went up today in Manitowish Waters.-Z

3/6/10: The first evening grosbeaks and a chipmonk at my feeder today.-Z

3/5/10: Reports of bear scat filled with bird seed at a home near Lac du Flambeau- it is possible with these warm temps that male bears may come out and explore early (most bears come out mid-April)-L

3/5/10: When the temperature is in the 40's during the day and below freezing at night, this is the best time for maple syruping. -Z

3/4/10: Reports of skunks wondering the roadside. Temperatures in the upper 30's during the day.-Z

3/3/10: Warm day, reached 40 degrees. Ed also reports mourning doves at his house in Lac du Flambeau, first he has see there this year -L

2/23/10: I noticed that the black-capped chickadees have changed to their spring time call.-Z

2/23/10: Feels like spring with a few snow showers. Cold nights and in the upper 30's during the day.-Z

2/22/10: There is hard crust of snow covering the Northwoods. Many critters take advantage of these snow conditions.-Z

2/20/10: A barred owl was seen mid day at the Discovery Center. It appeared to be hunting for squirrels.-Z

1/15/10: January thaw. Unseasonably warm temperatures. If I'm not mistaken this seems to be fairly common for January.-Z

1/1/10: Great walleye bite over the new years weekend.-Z

12/31/09: Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. A blue moon is the second full moon in a month.

12/21/09: Winter Solstice - Cold temperatures with lots of good snow -Z

12/17/09: 200+ Bohemian waxwings were seen in a tree in the Minocqua area -L

12/14/09: 6 more inches of snow today. -Z

12/7/09: Tom Joseph went for a lunch time ski and came across 15 trumpeter swans down on the river trail.-Z

12/5/09: Statehouse Lake finally froze today: I believe that this is the lastest in the 9 or so years that I have been watching.-Z

11/24/09: Preliminary reports show a sharp decline in deer harvest this year. Maybe weather, maybe, lack of deer.-Z

11/24/09: Unusually warm weather. This time last year I was walking across the Turtle Flambeau Flowage.

11/18/09: Bryan Hoover of Lac du Flambeau called me the other day to report 13 Tundra Swans on Little Trout. Tundra Swans have a yellow spot at the base of the beak. - Z

11/16/09: First significant ice cover of the year was on Statehouse Lake this morning- about 2/3 covered- went away with the afternoon sun. -L

11/7/09: Imagine you're a white snowshoe hare living in a brown forest. Would you be terrified if just about every predator in the Northwood’s wants to eat you? This is the scenario I saw today. Climate Change is and will have a major impact on our local environment. -Z

10/24/09: First significant snowfall this winter, required plowing, small snowbanks lasted about three days. Also, Troy had his first ski of the season! -L

10/12/09: I found moose tracks in N. Iron County today. Keep a look out for bull moose in our area. This is the time of year when young bulls are looking for cows. - Z

9/29/09: First hard frost of the year. 1/2 in. of ice in a bucket with water.-Z

9/29/09: First snow flakes of the year fell here at the Center this morning- only lasted a few minutes. Also, I saw a wolf south of Island Lake Road last night, not a phenological event, but a pretty cool sighting. :) -L

9/26/09: Dark eyed juncos are migrating through. -Z

9/25/09: I've been hearing a strange screeching noise at night near my house in Manitowish Waters. At first, it had me baffled but through process of elimination I figured out the mysterious sound. It was a long eared owl. They must be migrating through our area. -Z

9/14/09: Monarch butterflies are now on their way to Mexico- about a 3,000 mile trip! I have tagged 23 of them. This summer we successfully raised and released 22 male and 22 female monarch butterflies!!!

9/11/09: The deciduous trees have started changing colors. It seems like the color change is early this year. My guess is that peak will be the last week in September or first week in October.-Z

9/1/09: Lake Surgeon have been seen jumping out of the water on Benson Lake, and the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage. -Z

8/22/09: I picked my first batch of apples today near the Steven's Point area. -Z

7/20/09: 3 Female and 1 Male Monarch emerged today. -L

7/15/09: First monarch emergence of the year! Two monarchs I am raising emerged from the chrysalis today, one male and one female- we released them here at the Center. -L

6/22/09: I'm feeling "Hot.. Hot.. Hot".. 90 degree temperatures today.-z

6/18/09: Lots of bear sightings this year.-z

6/17/09: Eagle chicks are quite large. -z

6/16/09: First attempt Loon chicks hatching. So far it appears to be a good year.-z

6/16/09: Monarch Butterfly in Eagle River. -L

6/14/09: Painted and Snapping turtles laying eggs on Hwy K. -L

6/9/09: four baby Eastern Phoebes hatched at the Center. -L

5/26/09: White-tailed deer are dropping their fawns.-z

5/15/09: Watch for the warblers.-z

4/30/09: Leopard frogs calling at Powell Marsh. -Z

4/28/09: First frog eggs at Deer Lake near Mercer. - Z

4/26/09: Blue spotted salamander in salamander survey traps. -Z

4/23/09: Saw my first Morning Cloak butterly today- saw a butterfly last Tuesday that I couldn't identify- looked tortoise-like... -L

4/18/09: Crane Count Day- Ice is completely off of Statehouse Lake! -L

4/13-4/17/09: Many new things this week: spring peepers, chorus frogs, wood frogs, sandhill cranes, loons up in Mercer and at Sherman Lake (many other areas as well, song sparrow. -L

4/17/09: I came back to the cabin to see a medium sized black bear standing next to the porch... -L

4/13/09: Phoebe calling outside the Center -L

3/31/09: 12-15 eagle seen 1 1/2 miles from the intersection of Hwy M and 51 near sayner.-Ann Swift

3/28/09: First woodcock heard at my house near Manitowish Waters.-z

3/28/09: First Sandhill crane call of the year near Mercer.-z

3/25/09: Woodcock heard in Eagle River, also chipmunks are now out here at the Center. -L

3/23/09: First chipmunk of the year seen in Minocqua.-z

3/23/09: 3 female white winged crossbills at the feeders at the Center -Z&L

3/17/09: First Robin singing at the Discovery Center for 2009~ -L

3/16/09: Mourning Dove cooing this morning at my house near Manitowish Waters. -Z

3/15/09: Today, I saw a flock of snow buntings just off of Hwy 182 near springstead. -Z

3/9/09: Bear tracks seen at birdfeeder near Winchester. -L

3/8/09: Saw a skunk on the side of the road- must be warm enough for them to come out now! -L

3/6/09: Woodcock peenting and bluebirds singing in SE Milwaukee County...they are on their way! -L

3/6/09: Cardinals singing in Eagle River -L

3/5/09: Cougar sighting near Spooner,Wisconsin and its offical. The DNR now has some hard evidence of a wild cougar in Wisconsin. Probably, a male looking for a mate. -Z

3/3/09: Saw-whet owls calling in Arbor Vitae -L

2/9/09: While snowshoeing at Langley Lake, near Star Lake, this weekend, Troy and I saw a lot of great animal sign. All along the trail there were urination spots with blood- telling us that wild canine females are in estrus, and mating will begin soon. There was also an active beaver out and about, cutting trees down and dragging them to the lodge. -L

2/3/09: Approx. 20 Pine siskins and one redpoll were at our feeders today! –L

1/31/09: Bird Club members went to Rhinelander to see a Varied Thrush. -L

1/30/09: Trumpeter swans (2) were down on the Manitowish River along the ski trail. -L

1/27/09: Black bears are giving birth in their dens this time of year. Baby black bears weigh less than a pound at birth and are naked, blind and deaf. -L

1/26/09: -25 degrees this morning. Radio collared American Pine Martens were found in ground holes under the snow. Snow is a great insulation layer and many animals go under the snow to keep warm.

1/15/09: A Townsend's Solitaire was seen and photographed near Phelps, WI -L

1/14/09: Zach reports seeing crossbills all over the area

1/7/09:We caught a marten near Carey that turned out to be a reintroduced marten from Winter, WI!-L ..