Sweet Minnesota Spring

This has been a fantastic spring in Minnesota. Not a single snow flake fell in March and with the exception of the few hours of light flakes in May (yes May), it has been just beautiful. There has been plenty of rain and the outside world is teeming with life. This is the best time of the year.

I absolutely adore the backyard at the house in Cambridge. My aunt and uncle live in the city limits tucked away in a lovely little neighborhood that consists of one block of precious two-story homes. The backyard is heavily wooded and even has a gigantic sink hole that is deeper than it was last fall. The best part? All of the wildlife. I do not have to leave the backyard to go birding. So far, I have seen or heard the following birds:

Canada Goose
Mallard
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ruffed Grouse
Wild Turkey
Great Blue Heron
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Harrier
Barred Owl
Pileated Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Wood Pewee
Cedar Waxwing
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
American Crow
Blue Jay
Ovenbird
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Northern Parula
Red-winged Black Bird
Chipping Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
American Goldfinch

There are many other species that I have yet to identify since I have only heard and not seen them. We also have plenty of white-tailed deer and coyotes. In addition, I have seen meadow voles scamper quickly through the grass. There is also a plethora of Eastern grey squirrels due to the heavy covering of oak trees. The first batch of young squirrels have emerged from the nests and are darting around the backyard. Yesterday, I spotted a male ring-necked pheasant showing off for a lady pheasant near the field down the road. Around dust, the nightly chorus of amphibians echos through the neighborhood from the pond tucked deep in the undeveloped patches of woods nearby. I'm sure there are other creatures in the woods including striped skunks, porcupines, and many forest rodents. I have heard that black bears follow the Rum River down and occasionally make a cameo around the area. This is the type of yard I need someday.