Red-Headed Wooddpecker.  We do not get many of these anymore as their numbers have decline significantly.  Their favorite habitat is Oak Savannas and many of these have been turned into farmland in my lifetime.

SPRING WOODLAND WILDFLOWERS PUTTING ON A SHOW IN FORESTVILLE

Bellwort.  The spring woodland flowers are blooming in great numbers now.  All of the flowers shown in today's posts can be found in just a 50 yard sections of the Ravine trail in Forestville St. Park.

Bluebells.  The Bluebells are just beginning their run.

The lowland trails of Forestville are now carpeted in white ( the False Rue Anemone.)

False Rue Anemone  - a lousy name for a fine wildflower

Dutchman's breeches

Tiny white flowers of Mitrewort

Marsh Marigolds and Skunk Cabbage leaves in seep.  To view more of our flowers go to the right and click on April 2017.

Toothwort

Trout Lillies along spring fed stream

Trout Lily

Violet, a small but very nice flower.

Pelicans at Minnesota/Iowa boarder Monday.

Good number of Green-wing Teal on local ponds this year.

The Pheasant have their spring colors on.

The Towhee showed up at our ground feeder yesterday.

Marsh Marigold blooming in a spring/seep along the Ravine trail in Forestville State Park.

American Lady butterfly on one of the early blooming Dutchman's Breeches.   Hepatica blooming below the Breeches.

American Lady butterfly.  We see many Painted Lady butterflies in a year but few American Ladies.  Have also seen Red Admiral, Angle Wing butterflies this week.  Saw several Green Darner dragonflies at our place today also.

White Pelicans on old Iron Mine ponds south of Spring Valley, MN.  Got a tip that about 75 Pelican were at the ponds, and that is not something you will see very often in Fillmore County.   Not how small the Canada Goose is compared to the Pelicans.

White-throated Sparrow.  The White-throats are arriving in good numbers, while most of the Fox Sparrows and Juncos have headed north.

Bloodroot.  Today is the first day we have seen good numbers of Bloodroot in the woodlands of Forestville St. Park,

Spring Beauty is now blooming in the woodlands.

Male Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  One has to be quite close to these very small birds to see the red on the crown of its head.  The Kinglets have been up for about a week now.  They will head farther north to nest.

Female Ruby-crowned Kinglet.

Brown Creeper.  We have had several Brown Creepers working our spruce tree bark for insects and insect eggs this week.

Red Admiral butterfly.  Have been seeing quite a few of these this week.  Judging by how beat up the wings are this one probably overwinter here this year.

White Water Wildlife Reserve Roadtrip

Even the lowly Coot or Mud Hen has a beauty in the spring.

Small Vernal pond in the White Water Reserve that had many species of frogs singing.  BUT, Bobbie and I had never before heard this particular set of frog songs.  The high pitched Spring Peepers were singing as usually in the spring, and so were some common Chorus Frogs, but the main sound out of this pond was a loud bunch of frogs that sounded like a duck.  Yes, it sounded like a bunch of off-beat Mallard ducks.  We recorded the sound and have posted that video on our(Gary Erickson) facebook site. It turns out the frog that sounds like a duck is the Wood Frog.  Wood Frogs, do indeed live in the woods, and in the spring they seek out these small  ponds to mate and lay their eggs Their mating call is very unique.

Wood Frogs mating in small pond.

Spring

It appeared to us that this Sandhill Crane had already set up its breeding territory.

Ring-necked duck

The muskrats are already quite busy.  To view more of our nature photos go the the right and click on April 2017 or any month desired.

Painted Turtles catching early April sun.

SPRING WOODLAND FLOWERS NOW BLOOMING

Hepatica along the Ravine trail in Forestville St. Park.  Hepatica and the Skunk Cabbage shown below are always the first two woodland wildflowers the mark the true beginning of spring in Forestville.   The first major bloom of both of these has occurred in the first week of April for the last three year, and the Ravine trail is a very good trail on which to see both.  See the map down below for location of this trail and the flowers.

Skunk Cabbage in a wet seep along the Ravine trail in Forestville St. Park.  This is the 3rd spring in a row that the first week in April has marked this event.

Map showing Ravine trail location in Forestville St. Park.  The Skunk cabbage are in a seep about 75-100 ft. south of the "You Are Here" location on this map. Take binocs to get a good look at them.  Many Hepatica along the Ravine trail to the east of that location.

Scarlet Cup fungi along the Ravine trail.