While attracted to a pair of Sandhill Cranes feeding at the melting edge of Lost Lake, a mink caught my eye, as it first ambled across the lake and then along the still frozen shoreline.  A rare sight during the day! Burrows within the bank may be where the mink den. In fact the den may have been a former muskrat den who are often prey to mink. Excellent swimmers, they may also feed on frogs, fish, insects, snakes, other mammals and birds.  Pausing downwind at a distance, as I spied on the cranes, a groundhog crossed paths with me!  Those same Sandhills later strolled around Lost Lake, then uphill along the open edges of the orchard, all the way without flying (to my surprise), to the bench atop the Mendota Prairie overlook.

Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, and Buffleheads, often in pairs, along with several other ducks arrive back in early April when Lost Lake opens. They take advantage of this essential resting habitat before the much larger Lake Mendota unfreezes. Honks of Canada Geese, punctuated with loud quacks from female Mallards echo in the surrounding forested uplands.  Many birds continue migrating further north, others, including Great Blue and Green Herons feed in this wetland or adjacent uplands while still others nest here.

Returning male Red-winged Blackbird flocks disperse loudly, proclaiming their territories as their o-ka-lee song resounds throughout our grasslands. Northern Cardinals and Black-capped Chickadees, while here all winter, sing more prominently now. A tom Wild Turkey has recently been seen strutting in the presence of three hens within the prairie west of the Monastery and elsewhere.  Eastern Bluebirds can be observed gathering nesting materials in their beaks or later bringing food for their young, often perched on their nest boxes.

Are you curious to identify distinguishing features of birds including their calls?  If so, bring your binoculars and come early for bird watching on our May 3rd Community Workday or borrow ones from Mike McDowell with Eagle Optics.  He is quick to find birds with his spotting scope. Perhaps we’ll see warblers if we time it just right! Migration adds diversity to the permanent residents from March to May.

Salamander survey volunteers

Snow cover also helps improve amphibian and reptile winter survival rates. During a warm spring rain amphibians emerge creating perfect conditions in which to survey for tiger salamanders.  This spring Madison Audubon Society is coordinating a Madison area salamander survey. Five funnel, mesh traps were submerged in Lost Lake during a light rain in the first week of April by Julie, a volunteer, with her two sons, Ben and Nate. They checked the traps for salamanders each day during the week; this time without any luck. They did find bullheads, chorus and leopard frogs, a turtle and aquatic insects. They will return to sample again in July.

Listen first for the chorus frogs in early April shifting to the whistle of the American toads as they chime in with the song of the Red-winged Blackbirds along the shores of Lost Lake.  The frequency and intensity of calls, usually surveyed at night, provides estimates of their population size.  Cope’s gray treefrogs were also seen last summer.  Painted turtles bask in the warm sun along the banks of the lake edge on available rocks or logs. 

As the prairies dry out later in April, prescribed burns will be used to set back woody invasive species or cool season grasses in some locations.  As conditions permit, the prairie south of the Monastery and lower hillside portions of the Mendota Prairie are scheduled to be burned. In the southeast corner of the North Prairie, south of the retention basin, firebreaks extending the mowed green grassy waterway and trails will be established to allow for a controlled fire. Bunches of big bluestem and other grasses mixed with forbs respond to the gentle soaking rains and

Lush green growth is a welcome fresh sign of spring. Fragrant flowers follow!  Fruit trees bloom profusely while others may flower earlier and less conspicuously. Descend the Mendota Prairie trail in early April for a chance to see pasque flowers, prairie smoke or prairie violets in bloom.  Be sure to check within the circle of the Healing Prairie Garden as you wind around the base of this slope.  Along the North Prairie trail and within prairies elsewhere on-site, shooting stars will occasionally appear.  Dramatic displays of blue wild lupine exist throughout the prairies with golden alexander.  Look closely to find wild iris by Lost Lake. Purple woodland and yellow violets, mayapples along with Jack-in the pulpits, wild geraniums and columbine can be seen in bloom along woodland edges and as you meander through the Oak Woods trail.