A week ago, it seemed that spring would never come. Cold winds and snow swept through April. This week we seemed to have almost skipped over spring and landed smack dab in summer.
With temperatures in the mid-80s F. Gary and I set off to explore.
First we stopped at the Shiocton marsh on Van Patten Road. We saw many of the same migratory birds we saw a few days ago: grebes, mallards, scaup, mallards, northern shovelers, Canada geese, and an American wigeon. But today, there was an addition that was so welcome.
This yellow headed blackbird pair were scrabbling around at the edge of one of the big ponds.
Everywhere were the coots which set Gary to one of his various hobbies: punning.
"What do you get if you cross a coot with a wood duck?"
"OK. What?"
"A coot of many colors," which is meaningless if you don't know what a wood duck looks like.
"What happens if you surprise a pair of coots having sex?"
"Cootus interruptus."
I told Gary he should consider writing a birder joke book. Birders will buy anything.
We went on to Bamboo Bend, the curve in the Wolf River to the west of Shiocton. The banks were swarming with sturgeon fans because, yes, the run is on. The big female sturgeon were crashing against the rocks to lay their eggs there while the smaller males were spreading their sperm in the water to fertilize them.
It is an orgy on a grand scale.
Later in the day we saw more crowds at New London's sturgeon park. Two days ago, nothing was going on along the banks but now the run is on. On Sunday night, we will be doing our bit, doing a night guard somewhere along a dark bank.
At Fremont, we visited the Party Doll marina to talk to Rick the owner. His family has run a house boat and pontoon boat rental business there for decades, but now he wants to sell it since his sons are not interested. Gary's family used to rent space in the marina for their large house boat. It was a sad moment to see an old friend to say good-bye.
We traveled back roads looking for more spring. At Hartman Creek State Park Gary got his annual state park sticker and we took time to look at the campgrounds. Already there are tent campers though there are still patches of snow here and there.
Finally, on our way home, we made one more drive down Van Patten Road and there was my favorite of the season: the ruddy duck, his little tail straight in the air.
And with that there was nothing else to discover. Time to go home and work in my garden.
With temperatures in the mid-80s F. Gary and I set off to explore.
First we stopped at the Shiocton marsh on Van Patten Road. We saw many of the same migratory birds we saw a few days ago: grebes, mallards, scaup, mallards, northern shovelers, Canada geese, and an American wigeon. But today, there was an addition that was so welcome.
Everywhere were the coots which set Gary to one of his various hobbies: punning.
"What do you get if you cross a coot with a wood duck?"
"OK. What?"
"A coot of many colors," which is meaningless if you don't know what a wood duck looks like.
"What happens if you surprise a pair of coots having sex?"
"Cootus interruptus."
I told Gary he should consider writing a birder joke book. Birders will buy anything.
We went on to Bamboo Bend, the curve in the Wolf River to the west of Shiocton. The banks were swarming with sturgeon fans because, yes, the run is on. The big female sturgeon were crashing against the rocks to lay their eggs there while the smaller males were spreading their sperm in the water to fertilize them.
It is an orgy on a grand scale.
Later in the day we saw more crowds at New London's sturgeon park. Two days ago, nothing was going on along the banks but now the run is on. On Sunday night, we will be doing our bit, doing a night guard somewhere along a dark bank.
At Fremont, we visited the Party Doll marina to talk to Rick the owner. His family has run a house boat and pontoon boat rental business there for decades, but now he wants to sell it since his sons are not interested. Gary's family used to rent space in the marina for their large house boat. It was a sad moment to see an old friend to say good-bye.
We traveled back roads looking for more spring. At Hartman Creek State Park Gary got his annual state park sticker and we took time to look at the campgrounds. Already there are tent campers though there are still patches of snow here and there.
Finally, on our way home, we made one more drive down Van Patten Road and there was my favorite of the season: the ruddy duck, his little tail straight in the air.
And with that there was nothing else to discover. Time to go home and work in my garden.
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