Well everyone, I think spring is coming, although there's some big time snow predicted for north and west of here as I write this. You can smell it though; that rich, muddy scent that's just full of the promise of green things poking their heads out of the ground. The robins are back in full force, all fat and ready for the season.

Last week, as I was having breakfast at Schloegels, I looked up in time to see about fifteen geese landing on the shore. They were all cocky and ready for a rumble. They broke off into small groups and spent about an hour charging at each other with their necks swinging and their wings raised. They think they're so tough don't they?

Anyway, I was so glad to see them that I blurted out: "The geese are back!" Several of the other patrons looked at me as if I'd lost my senses. I guess I spoke louder than I meant to, but I really was glad to see them!

A new friend I made this past winter is still around, but I don't know if he'll stay. The beautiful Mute Swan who wintered near Stephenson Island has been such a treat. What is his story anyway? Was this his "South for the winter"? Don't those guys (or gals, for that matter) have life-long mates? Where is Mrs. Swan? Did he lose his flight at some point and is he now waiting to catch them on the return trip? So many questions I'd like to ask, but we never did get that close and I wouldn't want him to think I was prying. It really doesn't matter anyway I will remember our daily visits for many years to come.

I had the privilege of having a ringside seat at a rather unusual game preserve this past year. I've seen more neat wild life while seated at a booth at Schloegels than I have seen in the wild in a long, long time. This last winter I've seen eagles, deer, foxes and coyotes, not to mention an assortment of the usual feathered friends that hit feeders in the winter. They are not as uncommon as they used to be, but I never fail to be thrilled at the sight of a pair of Cardinals sitting at the feeder on a snowy winter morning.

Yes, spring is here, or it will be shortly and I guess I'll be as glad as the next person to see the weather warm up but I can't say that I won't miss the quiet times and new friends that God has put in my path this past winter. Have a wonderful spring every one!

Over 70 people enjoyed the thirteenth annual Awards Banquet held on March 15 at Schusslers. Mike Kettu presented a talk and slide show of his experiences helping to photograph beautiful paintings and statues in Buddhist caves in the Gobi dessert.

The silent auction netted over $300. Proceeds will be used for improvements at the Chappee Webber Learning Center.

The Leroy Lintereur Individual Award went to Howard Lorenz for his long career in resource management of soils for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He worked tirelessly to instill a respect and understanding of the soil resource.

The Marinette County Land & Water Department received the Business/Organization Award for supporting educational efforts at the Harmony Farm area by erecting a pavilion and conducting bird counts. There they have also planted over 20 acres in wild prairie flowers. The award was accepted by Amanda Kostner

Chappee Rapids Audubon, under the direction of Education Chair, John Helfert, has donated Field Guides to the following area schools:

Dr. Paul Erdman will be the featured speaker at our April meeting. Dr. Erdman received a B.S. in physics from Carleton College and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa. His Ph.D. research project studied light-absorbing properties of high temperature elements to find an element which would work well in a solar energy absorbing rocket thruster. Dr. Erdman teaches physics and astronomy at UW-Marinette.

If we get clear skies, Erdman will talk briefly indoors about what we'll see outdoors, then go outside for a tour of the sky. He will point out special stars with names, constellations, and planets. He will also point out objects for viewing through telescopes and binoculars. Erdman will use a telescope to show Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter.

If skies are not clear, we'll stay inside and use computer software to show what we're missing because of the clouds. (Sort of a poor man's planetarium show.) Particular attention will be made to objects which could be seen with binoculars, since they are a tool common to both bird watchers and sky gazers.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 18th at 7:00 P.M. in Room M-107 at the UW-Marinette.

Bill's Dad) , from Escanaba, will be the featured speaker at our May meeting. Mr. Taylor was and still is a forest ecologist with a primary interest in wildlife. Thirty five years ago Sandhill cranes in the UP were a part of the forest complex. Bill began his "love affair" with Sandhill cranes when he met the cranes "along side a cold forest bog one late fall day."

Bill will tell us about Sandhill cranes in the UP, including their habitat and feeding habits. He will also review how to identify them by their calls and by their flight.

Come discover from Bill how you can begin your own love affair with the Sandhill crane. The meeting will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 P.M. in Room M-107 at the UW-Marinette

Okay, maybe not hats or jerseys, but Chappee Rapids Audubon is selling shirts. Long sleeved denim shirts and sweatshirts. These shirts feature the Chappee Rapids Audubon bird and logo. Price is yet to be determined. But whatever it is, it will be worth it to be able to proudly wear our club's logo on a great looking shirt or sweatshirt.

Orders are now being taken. The final order will be submitted after the April 18 meeting. You may place your order at the April meeting or call Mary Moss at 864-1790.

The Chappee Rapids Audubon bluebird trails at the Harmony Hardwoods and at the Carter property on Shore Drive will need volunteers for monitoring again this year. Contact Trygve Rhude at 732-8985 for more information.

Saturday, June 15 has been scheduled to clear the trails at Harmony Hardwoods. We are fortunate to be among the stewards of this special piece of Mother Nature. Make a note on your calendar to come between 9:00 A.M. and noon on that day to help us ready the trails for all to enjoy this year.

Bring your tools and a bag lunch to enjoy with the group after the work is done. Please call Trygve Rhude at 732-8985 if you have any questions or need directions.

Celebrate May by hunting the wilds for Morels! Learn how to tell false morels from the real Morchella, learn the difference in habitat for the white morels and black morels.

Meet at the T.O.B. University Parking lot at 9 am on Saturday, May 11, and we'll car pool to select locations in the county. Bring a lunch, beverage, picking basket, good foot wear and Mosquito repellent, a good eye and luck!

Field Trip leaders will be Mary Kozak and Joe Krawczyk of Field and Forest Products, who have been growing specialty mushrooms for 20 years and been hunting morels for at least that many. Take your mom some Morels for mothers day, and if not, at least some good stories!

A wolf was tagged by the Michigan DNR near King Lake in the UP and has shown up near Marinette on March 27th.

It originated from the L'Anse area and was caught last summer. He is a large male wearing two red ear tags along with a radio collar.

For more information contact Wendel Johnson at 735 9204

It's prime viewing time for a comet that hasn't graced this side of the heavens for 3 ½ centuries. This comet is believed to have a 341-year orbit. Chinese astronomers recorded it in 1661. Two Japanese sky-gazers spotted it February 1, using backyard telescopes.

The Ikeya-Zhang will continue to gain altitude and can be best viewed in the early dawn on the northeast horizon around April 10. It will drop below visibility by the end of April. Ikeya-Zhang is as bright as the faintest of the seven stars in the Big Dipper. To the naked eye, it looks like a fuzzy star. Binoculars will reveal a better view and the comet's tail.

It is mid April , we have had days in the 80s and snow in the 3rd week. What a mixed up month. Despite this there have been plenty of spottings at and around the feeders in my yard. I thought I would list them here.

Of course there have been the usual suspects like Robins, Blue Jays & Morning Doves. Crows are always present stirring up trouble and just having a real good time harassing everybody. They especially like stealing food from the squirrles which I enjoy tremendously. Many duck spiecies seem to have my home within their flight path to the river. There is a nesting pair of mallards at the edge of the woods. Turkeys have become common place in many places around our area. The males are busily strutting their stuff to attract females. The males can be quite colorful. Did you know that the turkey was only 1 vote away from becoming our national bird?

Antics aside there is a lot of activity from these following birds as well. Cardinals, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellowed Bellied Sapsucker (Has been pecking away at the bird house I won at the Audubon Dinner), Dark Eyed Junco, House Finch, Purple Finch and of course the ever present Gold finch. Also spotted around the feeders have been Bothe the White Breasted & Red Breasted Nuthatch, Black Cap Chicadee as well as the Pine Grosbeak.

Out near the barn Eastern Phoebes have built a nest they are fun to watch as they hawk for inscects. Last but not least the Coopers Hawks have made their presence known as they dive across the back yard trying to catch a meal. This proves to be difficult as there are so many voices warning others to beware.

As spring hopefully takes hold I look forward to viewing even more spiecies with camera and binoculars at the ready.
As I write this looking out my office window a movement caught my eye. It is a Northern Flicker a kind of woodpecker that prefers eating ants and beetles off the ground. Excitement grips me as I have never seen one before..cooooollll !!
Click Here to Down Load 3 Flicker Sounds
Ray

Finally a seasonably chilly March is behind us and the better part of spring lies ahead, I hope! This evening we are enjoying(?) a wet blanket of snow under cloudy, damp skies. What life had returned over the past week is silent. That's what snow is I guess, the great silencer. In autumn we expect a quiet let down and therefore do not appreciate its effect. This experience has reminded me that spring is more than just the growing of things and the return of color, rather a whole symphony of sounds make this time of year special! At dusk even a small sliver of light and calming of the winds brought the calls of cranes and geese- then the cold darkness and silence of one more winter night before the year progresses.

Judging by general conditions most local wildlife enjoyed the mild winter. Whitetails are as numerous and fat as ever. Cottontail rabbits are sleek in these parts, coons and possums had no difficulties reaching food. I saw very few owls either hunting by or killed along side the roads ( a common occurrence in long, harsh winters). Many winter birds never had to travel as far south as our area. Pine siskens just made it to the Escanaba vicinity and I had no reports of Evening or Pine grosbeaks. Snow buntings may have already left while juncos are increasing in numbers after spending the winter nearby. Tree sparrows are also abundant. Rough legs are heading north and are frequently seen along roads at this time.

On the returns front I had reports of Sandhill cranes on February 28th, redwings and grackles on the 10th of March, then meadowlarks and woodcock on the 15th. These were all sightings-I did not hear redwings till the last weekend of the month and woodcock starting peenting on March 29 here on the farm accompanied by a few song sparrows. I did see one bluebird on March 18th, but have not seen nor heard any others to date. I spotted my first smelt watcher on March 30th. I usually expect to hear spring peeper on or about April 7th but I think that will be optimistic this year. I will be looking for tree swallows by April 13th. A few loons have already passed through and the large flights of cranes are yet to come. I wonder if I missed the whistling swans this year? There are so many bird returns to be tallied in the next 6 weeks!

On the botanical front buds are swelling with maples and elms nearly ready to bloom. Spring ephemerals- hepatica, bloodroot, spring beauty just to name a few will grace us with their bloom. Another group of spring and early summer bloomers quite apart from those delicate beauties are the Arums, the most common of which is the Jack-in-the pulpit ( Arisaema triphylum). This is another one of those plants that were only legends to me as a child in a suburban environment, but now is a common neighbor difficult to enjoy as it's at its peak with the mosquitoes! Other members of the family found locally are the Sweet flag ( Acorus calamus) found along some marshes and backwaters as well as many cultivated water gardens. The native diva Wild Calla ( Calla palustris) is as lovely as you may think- I found this growing in several inches of water in acidic streams. Then there is another favorite of mine the Skunk Cabbage ( Symplocarpus foetidus). Sometimes you just have to get over the smell and just appreciate a plant for *not* being a rose! This is really a neat plant especially in the large colonies it can form. A nice place to view this plant is the vicinity of Bay de Noc road and #7 road in Menominee county- this is private land so please enjoy from the roadway! All of the arums are gaining some popularity as woodland or water garden subjects. They all take some understanding of their requirements but are very worthy to observe and to cultivate.

I know as I write this many are impatient for spring including myself. I want a day with everything warm, and living and beautiful to come upon us at once. But if it did, how much would I miss? Would I have time to learn even one new plant or insect before it disappeared into summer? Would I be able to reschedule my *people* work and just take it all in? Not likely! So it is all for the best, Spring, like the rest of life, is a process...not an event. Enjoy!