Lake Chippewa Flowage Vacation

This is the time of year to be on the Chippewa Flowage. The trees are slow to leaf out so bird viewing is excellent. Birdsong is everywhere as they search for mates. Robins, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, flickers, pileated woodpeckers and many others.

On my walk this evening I wonder again why I only hear and see red-winged black birds on one side of the road, but not the other? A number of water fowl are passing through, and some just newly arrived, like loons and Canada goose. I saw a heron hunting in the swamp. Suddenly the open water was totally dotted with feeding minnows! A muskrat was working the shore by the road way.

Their canals are obvious in the summer weaving through the heavier vegetation. Farther back a beaver carrying material was swimming in my direction. It didn’t take to us walking by, so it reversed direction and slapped it’s tail on the water to scare us away. Next I watched a screech owl take off from the shore, the wings totally silent, but the dried leaves weren’t so quiet. Lastly, one little part of the swamp must be warm enough to wake up the spring peepers. This was all on one short walk!

The ice is out, the water is slowly coming up and spring is definitely here. Well, today, anyway.