BY JOHN KARRIGAN

As I probably usually write this time of year, birding has been quite slow, and so have I. More about that later.

The back yard has been good all winter, but some others say their yards are terrible (for birding, that is). The backyard regulars have been Cardinals, Chickadees, Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers, Goldfinches, Pigeons and English Sparrows. If you use your imagination, you can almost detect some color changes in the Goldfinches as they begin to return to their summer gold (bright yellow) shades.

Several feral cats continue to check out the back yard (I think looking for mice) in the middle of the night. They seem to be surviving the various cold spells.
Early in January there was a hawk (possibly two) in the next-door neighbor’s pine tree. I was unable to identify the hawk(s) before it (or they) left.

The park has been very quiet from a bird and animal standpoint, at least from my less-frequent-than-usual observations. On my last park walk, I saw one squirrel, one Hairy Woodpecker, a few Crows, and several neighbors and dogs that I know.
The weather was perfect for the second annual Art Sled event in early February, with people and sleds of all descriptions. The four larger-than-life animals that gathered in the middle of the lake after the sledding (polar bear, black bear, wolf and elk) were almost magical in their beauty and realistic movement. It was great to see their effect on kids, dogs, and even adults, for that matter. If you missed the first two, try not to miss next year’s event. It is sort of a cold preview of May Day.

I just attended (Feb. 25) a fairly large park planning meeting. The meeting started and ended with the “powers that be” telling us that there is no money to do anything this year, but that did not stop the neighbors of all ages, colors and interests from expressing their love, concern and ideas for the park and the importance the park has for the neighborhood.

Away from the neighborhood, I made a successful Bald Eagle-watching trip to Red Wing in early January and also saw Mergansers on the open water of the Mississippi near the Eagles. Away from the river on the same trip, I saw Wild Turkeys, which I often seen on trips south of the Twin Cities.

On another road trip (Feb. 23), I went the other direction (North) on the Mississippi to Monticello where the “Swan Lady” feeds around 1,500 Trumpeter Swans during the winter. It was an interesting but extremely noisy experience. David Allen Sibley, in his definitive “Guide to Birds,” describes the voices of adult swans “like the honk of a European taxi” and immature birds “like a toy trumpet.” That seems like an accurate description—not at all like the “gentle, musical murmuring” of the resting flocks of Tundra Swans I love to listen to during the fall Tundra Swan migration much further south (near the Iowa border) on the same Great River. Both Tundra and Mute Swans are sometimes seen at Monticello (about 45 miles from Powderhorn) but not at this time of year. There were also lots of Canada Geese and Mallards enjoying the open water—and the corn that the Swans didn’t get! The highlight of the trip was watching pairs and family groups of the graceful Trumpeters as they came and went from the feeding area against a bright perfect blue sky. Another highlight, or sidelight, of the northern trip was a modest herd of Elk on an Elk farm along the east side of I-94 en route to the “Swan Lady’s” location and tiny adjacent parkland.

If things are still slow next month, which they probably will be, I might write about the northern movement of birds due to climate change, and the new tiny backpacks put on small migrating birds to track migration. Thanks a lot to the good Powderhorn person who gave me a New York Times editorial and article about these subjects. Or I could write about the first Trumpeter Swan I ever saw, a memorable experience.

Thank you to all the people who have expressed concern about my health. The medical procedures in January went OK, but I am still recovering and not yet back to 100 percent. I am considering writing a play about the whole thing for the Fringe Festival. However this might not be a good idea as some people tend to pass out when I relate my experiences.

Shortly after I got out of the hospital (in mid-January), a mixed flock of birds including Robins, a Flicker and Blue Jay came to the yard. I thought they might be coming to welcome me home, or then again, they could have been coming to escort me over to the “other side.” Anyway, I’m still here and getting better and might have a tendency to over-dramatize and exaggerate some things.
I am really looking forward to a warm and healthy spring and wish the same for everyone else.

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