It’s been hot enough to bask in one’s
own greatness—now it’s nature’s greatness

BY JOHN KARRIGAN

I sat in the back yard today (August 2) to work on my August column. It was just right for yard-sitting, after the rain and break in the second big heat wave. First I read most of my old July and August columns. I was in awe of my past genius and inspired to greatness (or full of myself, as usual). Actually, I did have some good summer columns and wish I had as much time the last couple of years as I’ve had in previous years to spend in the park.

Anyway, while sitting in the yard I heard and then saw a Peregrine Falcon. It landed in the top of a pine tree across the alley. I didn’t even have to move to watch it as it looked around, called and groomed for about a half hour (from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m.), then left noisily to the southwest. After that, a male Robin and a female Cardinal came to the birdbath (separately) and each spent several minutes splashing and grooming about 20 feet in front of me. And, just as I was writing the above, four cardinals came to the feeder and tree, 10 to 15 feet in front of me. Four is a yard-Cardinal record for me. A Mourning Dove also arrived a little farther away, all this just as it was getting dark. Chickadees and Sparrows were also close most of the 2 or 3 hours I was out there and Chimney Swifts passed by high above. I wish I could spend many evenings sitting in the back yard but that doesn’t usually work out.

Now it’s dark and I am back inside, but it has been better than usual for yard birding the last two months. I don’t know if it’s the heat, humidity, lack of rain, or some other factors, but there have been about 16 species regularly in the yard, way more than in most recent summers.

It has also been good for butterfly watching. Thanks to a nice friend, I now have two new butterfly books. They are “Butterflies through Binoculars, The East” and “[same title], The West,” by Jeffrey Glassberg, from Oxford University Press. Nature doesn’t follow strict boundaries, so it’s prudent for us in the Midwest to look into what part of the country is covered when choosing from different geographic editions of field guides, whether for birds, plants, butterflies, etc. And our travel comes into play as well.

So far I have found nine butterfly species in the yard and almost all are also found in the lakeshore plantings at the park (mostly on the south and west side of the lake). If you are actually interested, they are as follows: Monarch, Red Admiral, Mourning Cloak, Cabbage White, Spring Azure, Question Mark, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (in yellow and in black), Pink-edged Sulphur and a very small brown-orange one I have not figured out yet. They are often way harder to identify than birds, and not as much is known about them, their habits, sub-species, etc.
Of course the excellent books do not include moths or dragon- and damselflies, of which there are many in the yard and park. There are even quite a few kinds of grasshoppers this year. More books to think about and look for!
A couple of other insect items: Cicadas are now singing in the park and neighborhood, and I saw a beautiful flying dance ritual, I assume having something to do with mating, between two Tiger Swallowtails, one yellow (a male) and one black phase (a female).

Back to birds for a while. The park ducks and geese seem fine. Some of the geese are gone, hopefully to return in fall as they usually do. I have not seen the Great Blue Heron lately, but have seen a Green Heron on the island. I finally found Eastern Kingbirds, and then a few days ago, I actually found the nest. The young are out of the nest and almost grown, so my May lament about no Kingbirds can be put to rest.

I heard and briefly saw Cooper’s Hawks in their usual haunt, the southwest part of the park. I did not get good looks but am pretty sure there are two young. A birdwatcher who lives near that edge of the park enjoys the hawks but laments that their presence reduces the opportunity to observe other birds.
Small-bird activity is slow as it often is this time of year. I believe there are some unusual sparrows and flycatchers in the park but I have not been able to identify them yet. I have, however, identified a fourth turtle species living in the lake, the Northern Map Turtle. A turtle expert that lives on the park in prestigious East Powderhorn, thinks that both the Northern Map Turtle and the Spiny Softshell Turtle (of which there are at least two) have been “introduced” to Powderhorn Lake (by people) because they are, by and large, river or large lake turtles, and obviously Powderhorn is not large and has no rivers. Look closely at the Powderhorn turtles when you get a chance and you might see something other than the Painted or Snapping Turtles.

I haven’t mentioned mammals yet so I will end with a mammal section. Along with the now ubiquitous Squirrels and usual cottontail Rabbits, a mother Raccoon with two young passed through the yard in mid-July (maybe they pass through often!) and I saw my first Porcupine in years, not in town, of course, but a little south of Duluth. The only places I have ever seen Porcupines have been near Lake Superior.

Thank you. Enjoy summer and nature.
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of the Southside Pride. Thank you.