Bluebells and many other flowers are blooming in profusion in Forestville.  The next week or so will be prime woodland wildflowers.

 The May-apples are emerging in Forestville.

 Had good numbers of White-throated Sparrow here today.  They spend a week or two here before heading farther North.

 

The Junco's have headed back up North, but the Purple Finches and the Red-breasted Nuthatch are still coming to our feeder.

 Dutchman's-breeches, Forestville.

 Trout Lily in black.

 Trout Lily, Forestville State Park.

 Wood(False Rue) Anemone in black.

 A single Trout Lily in a group of Wood Anemone.  The Wood Anemone are forming a carpet of white on the floodplain forests in Forestville.

 Skunk Cabbage leaves and yellow Marsh Marigold in Spring/Seep, Forestville  State Park.

 April 15, cloudy, but a good day on the Mississippi backwaters near the Mn/Iowa boarder.

 Saw 58 Sandhill Cranes in a single group, and heard many more.

Found 18 Wilson's Snipe in one group.

 Yellowlegs.

 Shoveler's and Mallard were abundant.

 Pelicans were up in good numbers.

 Saw, and better yet, heard a flock of several hundred Redwing Blackbirds.

 Spring Beauty are blooming in Forestville.

 Windswept prairie cemetery.

 Skunk Cabbage in a spring/seep in Forestville Park.  The "blooming" part of this unusual plant is the yellow portion inside of the plant.

 A few Bloodroot are showing up.

 Many Hepatica blooming in Forestville State Park-some white, some pinkish, and our favorite blue.

 First Painted Turtle sighting of the year.

 Wood Frog in the Whitewater Valley late last week.  Wood Frogs hibernate in forested leaf litter and logs, and emerge in the spring to seek out ponds to mate in and lay their eggs.  The mating call is a strange almost duck like sound.  We have posted a movie of their mating call on Gary Erickson facebook site.

 After an over night low of 18 degrees and a high today of 38 degrees, the Hepatica were still alive but hanging their heads.  Notice the hairy stems to preserve heat.