Spring bird migration has begun

We are all awaiting signs of spring, especially after getting a taste of warm weather and then an unwanted spring snowfall lately! The bluebirds arrived with the robins. They say to expect to see snow on the robins tails three times before spring, we have had at least that many. We are starting to see great blue herons migrating back also in groups around here, but of late have not seen any on the marshes by La Crosse, WI. What surprised us immensely this spring as we journey about was to find a large group of pelicans migrating as far north as Lansing on the backwaters of the Mississippi already on April 9th during our travels. We expected to see them yet in southern Iowa, as indeed thousands are still on the large lakes south of us. As north at La Crosse on April 16th in the marshland we did not spot any Great Blue Herons, but found a mass of American coots on the Black River, a few Canada geese nesting, and a variety of ducks the day after snowfall. Close to home we found migrating trumpeter swans, Canada geese, and ducks on a small pond by Fort Atkinson for the first time. Also, we noticed that the male American Goldfinch, our State bird, has changed to a bright yellow color in honor of summer.

Read the full article in the April 22 edition of the Courier.