Máistir Nádúraí: Is this Spring?

3.24.2011

Is this Spring?

Trying to stay warm!

Hey, is it Spring yet? You wouldn't know it from the cold weather we're experiencing in southern Wisconsin today. American Robins were greeted with unpleasant temperatures early this morning. Though I cannot speak robin, their loud squeaks and thurps outside my bedroom window sounded like appropriate complaints. Fewer robins foraged in the frost-covered courtyard grass and sought berries and birdseed instead. Once the sun rose over the apartment building, the robins stopped feeding and took up positions where they could warm themselves for awhile.

Courtyard birds 3/24/11:

Canada Goose

Mourning Dove

Downy Woodpecker

Blue Jay

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

American Robin

European Starling

Song Sparrow

American Tree Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Northern Cardinal

Red-winged Blackbird

House Finch

American Goldfinch

House Sparrow

Bio:

Mike McDowell has been documenting southern Wisconsin’s flora and fauna since 1987 and began leading field trips in 2002. Prolific at Pheasant Branch Conservancy, other highlighted natural areas include Pope Farm Conservancy, Spring Green Preserve, and the Baraboo Hills. His nature photography has appeared in various publications, newspapers, magazines and was even featured on a Wisconsin Endangered Resources license plate, a Capital Brewery beer label, and a National Geographic publication. He began journaling nature observations on this blog in 2005. He's the recipient of the 2012 Bronze Passenger Pigeon Award from the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their local communities or state to promote the field of ornithology. He was a finalist in Swarovski’s Digiscoper of the Year photography contest several times. His other interests include insect macro-photography (especially tiger beetles, treehoppers, and robber flies), fossil collecting, amateur astronomy, botany, natural history, and marksmanship with long-range rifles. Once a gigging musician, collecting Fender Stratocasters is a recently revived interest—most prized being a 1957 Vintage Custom Shop 'Mary Kaye' White Blonde. A former IT Professional, he's spent the last 24 years employed in the sport optics industry.