Surviving Minnesota!

[bobbi-j]

Yesterday was great. I never checked our high, but I think we were somewhere in the high 60’s. Wind was blowing more then I’d like, but didn’t keep me from working.
We brought out our patio furniture last weekend so now I want my garden cleaned out. Gotta get all the leaves cleaned up so my plants don’t get smothered. I saw lots of noses!
My son helped for a little while and then left After that my crew moved in to see what I was up to
View attachment 2603405View attachment 2603406View attachment 2603408
Jenny spent almost the whole time at my side. She happily ate all the dandelions I missed last fall. View attachment 2603407
While working I herd the guineas down by the field start squawking up a storm, then the turkeys joined in. I jumped up and ran to see what was wrong. Right above the tree tops there were two (eagles?) flying just above the chicken yard. View attachment 2603409
They both looked completely black. Juvenile bald eagles maybe? We did have one young bald eagle land in the trees above the chicken pen not long ago. Scared the crap out of me. My rooster was smart enough to get all his ladies in the coop before I made it outside.

We’ve had more and more low flying eagles this year. Normally we just have hawks hunting the fields, and the eagles soar high overhead just traveling by. Come to think of it, I haven’t many hawks at all yet this year. Mostly just eagles.

I think it looks like a turkey vulture to me as well. The wingtips look “ragged”. The easiest way for me to tell the difference between them and an eagle is the wings. The vultures’ wings will look v shaped, and Eagles’ are more flat. The vultures also have white on the bottoms of their wings.

 

[jerryse]

Ralphie any tomato seeds grow ?

 

[duluthralphie]

Not yet.

 

[jerryse]

Morning . Saw a wasp , a bumble bee , a tick and a snake yesterday .

 

[MissE]

Morning . Saw a wasp , a bumble bee , a tick and a snake yesterday .

That sounds like the start of a joke.

We got some much needed rain. Now that it's good and wet, the next rain should make for good nightcrawler picking.

Two of the small lakes near me were open yesterday and one probably went last night. Bigger ones should go within the week.

 

[Molpet]

Morning . Saw a wasp , a bumble bee , a tick and a snake yesterday .

Bumblebee
The tick is what I don't want to see or find.

 

[My2butterflies]

We were at about 82 Sunday, 80 Monday, high 70's yesterday, and 73 today in SE MN. The lakes/rivers have been thawed for probably almost a month here already. They keep saying rain, and I think today we might get some. The next week is looking much cooler though, back to the low/mid 50's- to very low 60's.

My peonies are coming up that I planted last fall, the first time I've ever planted any and they all made it through the winter The already established ones already have about 5 inch shoots turning into leaves. I also saw the Rhubarb is on it's way up as well!

@My2butterflies that looks like a Turkey Vulture to me, they have been back here for a couple weeks now, so it's possible you have them as well without knowing what part of the state you're in.

Congrats on the peonies making it through the winter!
So far three out of four of mine made it for sure. Definitely not 5” yet though! Lucky you, yours are eager to get growing!

I think it looks like a turkey vulture to me as well. The wingtips look “ragged”. The easiest way for me to tell the difference between them and an eagle is the wings. The vultures’ wings will look v shaped, and Eagles’ are more flat. The vultures also have white on the bottoms of their wings.

I think you are both possibly right. Turkey vultures weren’t even on my radar yet being early in the spring. But honestly I have no idea when they come back. Last year was the first time I found out we even had them here in Minnesota The only time I had seen them before that was down in Florida.

 

[bobbi-j]

Congrats on the peonies making it through the winter!
So far three out of four of mine made it for sure. Definitely not 5” yet though! Lucky you, yours are eager to get growing!

I think you are both possibly right. Turkey vultures weren’t even on my radar yet being early in the spring. But honestly I have no idea when they come back. Last year was the first time I found out we even had them here in Minnesota The only time I had seen them before that was down in Florida.

Our vultures have been back for about a week or so. We haven’t alway had them here, but I don’t remember how long ago we first saw them here. At least 10 years or more.

 

[My2butterflies]

Our vultures have been back for about a week or so. We haven’t alway had them here, but I don’t remember how long ago we first saw them here. At least 10 years or more.

I’m sure we’ve had them for a while, I think I always just assumed they were eagles
They aren’t birds to really worry about though, right? Mostly just scavengers looking for an easy meal?

 

[bobbi-j]

I’m sure we’ve had them for a while, I think I always just assumed they were eagles
They aren’t birds to really worry about though, right? Mostly just scavengers looking for an easy meal?

They’ve never been a problem here. I appreciate them cleaning up the roadkill along the side of the road.