Migrations

After the snow stopped Friday and the temperature warmed to a balmy 35 degrees I headed over to French Regional Park for a hike. This time of year there are always rafts of coots on the lake, taking time out to rest and eat before migrating further south.

I was looking for Trumpeter Swans too, but today I didn’t see any. I often see them on the lake in November so it might be a little early for them to be migrating. But with the early snow I’m not sure what to expect.

Every year countless birds undertake great migrations twice yearly. In the fall they fly south to find warmer climate and plentiful food sources. And in the spring they fly north to mate and raise the next generation of their kind.

The birds that migrate sometimes stop and congregate at lakes and in corn fields along the way, sometimes for several weeks, before continuing their journey. Several years ago I went out to Kearney, Nebraska to witness the spring sandhill crane migration. Seeing and hearing thousands of sandhill cranes landing, and then taking to the air was beyond my greatest expectations. Talk about being filled with wonder!

As the huge birds took flight I felt as if I was taking flight along with them. Listening to the cacophony of so many birds was delightful. Everywhere we went during our three days in Kearney, we heard sandhill cranes calling.

When I stop and think about all of the songbirds and water birds and raptors and hummingbirds that migrate, it boggles my mind. How do the tiniest hummingbirds survive the long journey? And how do they know when to leave? Do they sometimes wait until too late?

There are endless mysteries of nature to contemplate and wonder about. It’s one of the reasons I love living in Minnesota, even though I really really don’t like winter. We have so many lakes, trees, and wild areas, I can go out and enjoy nature anytime I want and still be home to sleep in my own bed at night.

Coots, Geese, and Gulls

There seemed to be less snow at French Regional Park Friday than there was in our neighborhood. I wonder if the lake water is creating a slightly warmer micro-climate for the park. As I crossed the bridges over the marsh area near the lake I saw lots of coots though most were a fair distance from me..

While the blacktop path was clear of snow, the curved wooden bridges crossing over the marsh areas were coated with areas of deep and trounced down snow.

I still saw fall colors in the marsh and many trees still held onto colorful leaves as well.

The willow treetops looked delicate and graceful against the sky.

Snow Geese

Oh, to love what is lovely, and will not last!

   What a task

      to ask

of anything, or anyone

yet it is ours,

   and not by the century or the year, but by the hours.

One fall day I heard

   above me, and above the sting of the wind, a sound

I did not know, and my look shot upward; it was

a flock of snow geese, winging it

   faster than the ones we usually see,

and, being the color of snow, catching the sun

so they were, in part at least, golden. I

held my breath

as we do

sometimes

to stop time

when something wonderful

has touched us

as with a match

which is lit, and bright,

but does not hurt

in the common way,

but delightfully,

as if delight

were the most serious thing

you ever felt.

The geese

flew on,

I have never seen them again

Maybe I will, someday, somewhere.

Maybe I won’t.

It doesn’t matter.

What matters

is that, when I saw them,

I saw them

as through the veil, secretly, joyfully, clearly.

   — Mary Oliver

Colorful leaves decorated the path and I loved seeing all of the different shaped oak leaves as I walked.

At the point at the far end of the park, I hoped to see swans. But there were no water birds in sight. Only a curving line of rocks that I have photographed often and I photographed again on Friday.

Returning to the swimming beach which looks desolate and empty, I saw a big group of coots near the shore. But as I slowly approached they retreated. They are very shy birds. They always stop and stay in Medicine Lake for several weeks in the fall. When the coots are gone I know winter is here for sure. So today I take comfort in seeing all of the coots on the lake.