Spring projects and today a cold have kept me hanging around the house this weekend. Yesterday, I rehung a wood duck house that I had rehabbed. Before I hung it, I added some cedar chips and then decided to add a few dry leaves. I openned up one of the two houses I have on poles with predator guards to keep out furry tenants and looters. I had noticed that a squirrel had added some leaves, but i hadn't seen any activity. I reached in and grabbed a handful of leaves. The second time I reached in I found something warm and furry that chirpped. After I hung the house, I pulled out the ladder to fill a couple of feeders. After filling the larder, I brought the ladder over to the occupied house and opened it up. I found a half pint squirrel sleeping so soundly that he almost tumbled out the openning. I resisted the urge to pet it and closed the door.
This morning the suet that I had filled yesterday was already gone. The peanuts that I had left for the squirrels did not keep them from empting the suet feeder. Four pairs of Wood Ducks and a pair of Hooded Mergansers were swimming the twenty feet of open water along the shore. The Hooded Merganser has already spent considerable time in one box, as her consort nervously paced. The Woodies have been checking out the boxes and I have already scared them out of the trees once. Now comes time of season of cautiously approaching the windows in the house overlooking the lake. I have two boxes ready for nesting. One that is definitely occupied by squirrel and a second one that is a probable. A fifth house has not been inspected and may need to be cleaned out. On Friday in Eagan I had my FOY Eastern Phoebe and a Cackling Goose on Carlson Lake a block away from home. I do not think I have them for the yard yet. Nothing new at the feeders. Juncos singing in the yard. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2 at comcast.net
