Snelling Lake

First time paddling on Snelling Lake and I'm glad I did. Also glad that I brought binoculars. Saw the biggest snapping turtle I ever had...saw beavers...saw Loons making lunch of sunfish. Mental note to self...need binoculars with a camera. Here are a couple cropped shots, but nothing like I saw with the binocs.

The turtles are out.

A favorite seasonal visitor....

Red-necked Grebes on Snelling Lake (Wedn)

There's been a couple of Ospreys around Snelling lake lately.

I hope you all got out Saturday. I actually saw my shadow so that must mean spring is coming sooner or later.

This was taken on Picnic Island. Same owl I saw last summer.

There were three of these fine fellows roosting by the the turn off to go to Picnic. Damn twigs are always in the way.

Fine day for flying too.

Last week when the snow was gone and it was still cold outside I decided to give Mother Nature a hint to WARM UP!  I put up this flag for encouragement.  If you look at the background (more snow) you can tell it didn't work.

Today I was down at the park and was looking for signs of Spring.  Most of the ice was off the lake and there were a number of water foul on the lake, wood duck, grebes, and loons.  I miss the swans all ready but I know they will be back next year.  I hate to see them go but I am also glad they are gone, Spring must be coming soon.

Besides the birds I saw this little guy in the water.  I'm not sure but I think it is a dragonfly larva, I will try to find out.  They may be there all winter but I didn't have to drill a hole in the ice to see them.

But the best sign of Spring I found on my own back porch. (That's a fly!)

The Coyotes of FSSP - Leon Kosek

Everything was spotted on Monday, in the park Ruth and I saw turkeys, swans,
ducks, a deer with antlers, and a brown football that turned out to be a
muskrat, thought we saw some eagles but they turned out to be turkey vultures.
4 coyotes, 1 big one and three smaller ones, think they were going after the
seagull?s looked like the bigger one was going to go to the far side of the
group and flush them toward the road. For a distraction the 3 coyotes up front
started howling so the bigger coyote could sneak around the group.