Canyon Park Cabin

This big white pine out “on the point” broke off in a windstorm a few years ago. Two years ago, there were wild honey bees in the holes that you can see about half way down the trunk. This past summer the bees were no where to be seen. The year they inhabited the tree there were thousands of them in and out of the tree, but they never bothered any of us. They were amazing to watch and fun to show people.

This is a photo of the deer trail in the front yard. This week I was driving down Canyon Park Road and saw two deer high-tailin’ it across the field. I knew they were headed for the canyon. They turned around and headed back in the direction they came from. About an hour later I was working in the cabin and looked out the window and saw two does in the front yard, well the garden, actually.

This photo shows the smaller of the two, shot from through the window of the kitchen. I’m certain that they were the doe and yearling that’s I’d seen up on the road.

About an hour later I looked out the window again and there were two bucks. I tried to get a photo of the bucks but wasn’t quick enough and the screen on the window interfered with the focusing. More towards dusk I counted 22 deer in the fields just to the east of the cabin. When they saw me they all took off on a run.

They are around. You’ll hear them, anytime of day or night but usually just after the sun goes down. There can be a few or a bunch. They can be close or distant or close and distant. It’s an ancient call and kind of thrill especially when someone from “town” hears them for the first time. But do not fear, we have been here many years and only actually seen two. They will leave you alone, they’re as anxious as you and a little craftier.

More info here.

The woodpeckers were busy everywhere. I spotted a pair of Downy woodpeckers, what I think was a Red Bellied Woodpecker, and a Flicker. We also saw where a Pileated Woodpecker had been at work, but never got a glimpse of the shy bird.

The hepaticas are the second wildflower we see; clusters of white and purple flowers everywhere, catching every breeze. They bloom before their leaves emerge.

We saw 6 mallard ducks at the pond. If I’m very quiet, I can watch them from the top of the bluff, as they swim and chatter amongst themselves. The slightest noise will send them flying off.

Madison Environmental has some good links about the frogs

We hear the spring peepers in late March and it’s such a welcome sound!

The first flower to be seen is the Skunk Cabbage.

The birds are busy busy busy and we heard lots of early songbirds last week. The cardinals, blue jays and robins are the least shy and easily identified. The bluebirds and the smaller birds are more elusive.

All you really need to do is sit still for a few minutes to watch and listen. There is so much activity in the woods this time of year.

Our grandson found a nice shed antler and we also discovered some good fossils on our morning walk.

We saw a deer coming down across the neighbors field, and heard some great horned owls conversing across the canyon.

Sat outside late into the evening, enjoying refreshments and conversation, until the wind kicked up and we decided to get to bed.

The deer have been browsing in the gardens and the yard all around the house this winter. Their tracks criss-cross the yard and their trails are easy to follow in the woods.
The turkeys wander down the driveway occasionally, and it’s a hoot to watch them. We must watch out the window quietly, even a little noise will send them scattering.
I surprised a downy woodpecker who was soaking up the sun on the gravel road. The temp was a balmy 10 degrees, after our -17degrees on Monday, our bright February sun feels warm.

I spotted an Eagle soaring high above the Military Ridge today. We often see them in January and February when they gather to feed in open waters on the Wisconsin River. The river is 10 miles to the north and the birds hunt in a wide range when the weather is good.
It’s so exciting to see them, because they were nearly extinct when we were growing up. Earlier in the day, I had been hoping to spot an eagle, because it’s the right time of year and the right kind of day. So when I saw his feathers glistening in the sun, I waved and hollered to him. I swear he gave me a little dip of his wing in reply!

We could mess around down at the pond all day. There are literally thousands of tadpoles, and from the looks of this photo

many more are on the way.

When we sit by the pond in the evenings, the noise of all the different species of frogs is incredibly loud. On a humid evening, the sound fills the around the pond and echoes off the rock walls all around. Amazing.