And here’s a drum roll for the flying squirrel ...

BY JOHN KARRIGAN

As usual, not much bird or animal activity in the neighborhood in December, but there have been a few interesting things and one big surprise in the back yard.
There has been a lot of publicity lately about the 10 American Pelicans that did not leave Minnesota on time, and are now being fed and rehabbed at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville. They will soon be leaving—seven back to wild flocks in the south and three injured birds to an aviary in Salt Lake City. We did not have any stranded Pelicans at Powderhorn, but we again had a male Wood Duck that stayed until the lake was completely frozen. This also happened two years ago. I don’t know if it was the same Wood Duck. The first time, I was worried about it, but nothing seemed to be wrong with the duck. This time I was not as worried; the duck again looked fine and is now gone. Most Wood Ducks left six weeks before this one left in mid-December. A small group of Mallards stayed until Dec. 3, when there was a 5-foot wide circle of open water left. On some of the warm days, a few Mallards have flown over the lake but not found any open water.

Other then the usual American Crows flying over, I have seen very few birds in the park—a few Juncos, a few Chickadees, and once in a while, a Hairy Woodpecker.

The lake ice was making some interesting creaking noises the day after Christmas, but you had to pay attention to hear them. Back in the old days when we still had winter and I worked on Lake Minnetonka, that obviously far, far larger lake would make all kinds of other-worldly ghostly, eerie, hard-to-describe sounds that would move from one part of the lake to another, under the ice. I guess that does not have anything to do with birds but it was quite an experience to hear and feel the sounds, passing under your feet on a cold winter night.

Though I never saw anyone sledding, there was all kinds of evidence that many people had been sledding after the minimal snow.

Road birding has been OK with lots of Crows, some Wild Turkeys, a few Hawks (mostly Red-tail, I think), and thousands of Mallards and Canada Geese, if you happen to be near open water around sunrise or sunset,
I’ve seen the usual winter suspects while backyard birding—lots of English Sparrows, some Pigeons, a few Cardinals, Chickadees, Goldfinches, Blue Jays, and once in a while, a White-breasted Nuthatch.

And now for the big finale! Drum roll, please!

A flying squirrel has returned to the yard after a six-year absence. I don’t now if it is the same squirrel, or how long they live. So far, I have only seen the squirrel once, on Dec. 12 early in the evening. I was standing in the yard, putting out bird food, when it climbed down a tree trunk and went to a spot where, earlier in the day, I assume “regular” squirrels had taken down and disassembled the finch feeder, leaving a small amount of finch food (sunflower chips and Niger thistle seeds) on the ground. It returned to the food several times while I was standing there, not seeming shy at all. I decided to try to hand feed it. I didn’t succeed, but got within two or three feet of it. The squirrel stayed around at least a half hour, but as far as I know, has never returned.

Six years ago I saw the flying squirrel every day or so for about a week at the end of December, usually after 11 p.m. That was one of the real winters, with all kinds of snow that month, and the flying squirrel had made little tunnels in the snow. This year, there was no snow when he or she arrived. It showed up early in the evening and maybe for one time only. Anyway, they are really cute and I wistfully look out back at all hours hoping to see it again.
Happy New Year! Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of the Southside Pride. Thank you.