Spotty is back in his spot

What: Last year, my (constantly vigilant) colleague Christina and I noticed a partially leucistic American Robin in the Sculpture Garden. We named him "Spotty" because of his markings, which afforded us opportunity to track him as an individual. And yesterday, I saw him exactly where I expected to see him. Welcome back, Spotty!
Where: East edge of the Sculpture Garden, between Nautilus and X with Columns.
When: 10 am, Wednesday, May 8
Observer: Abbie. But soon, Christina too will be on the scene, exercising vigilance and emitting enthusiasm. I'm sure photos will follow.
Conditions: A little overcast.

BioBlitz Coming Soon!

Hello, readers! Mark your calendars for the annual BioBlitz event.

When: June 14 (5 pm) through June 15 (5 pm)

Where: Coldwater Spring

More information: Visit the Mississippi River Fund website

Cottonwood Catkins Emerge

What: Flowers (male catkins) of the Eastern Cottonwood have emerged! Just yesterday I used my binoculars to inspect the upper branches and saw only closed buds. By afternoon today, the upper 2/3 of the tree exhibits burst buds. (As an aside, in the southeast corner of the Sculpture Garden there are other trees from the Populus genus---possibly Quaking Aspen---and these flowered a few days before the Cottonwood.)
Where: Planted in 1997 in the northwest corner of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, this tree is part of a posthumous continuation Joseph Beuys' 7000 Oaks.
When: 5:30 pm, Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Observer: Abbie
Conditions: Rapidly things are changing in the Garden.

White-Throated Sparrow Passing Through

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar, via Flickr (Creative Commons-licensed)

What: One of my favorite birds, a White-throated Sparrow, foraging on the garden grounds to fuel his migration to boreal forests.
Where: Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in the grove just north of Spoonbridge and Cherry.
When: 2:40 pm on Friday, April 26, 2013
Observer: Abbie
Conditions: In this "spring of many winters," today's warmth and sun have everyone giddy for spring.

Female Red-winged Blackbirds Start to Arrive

What: Two female Red-winged Blackbirds, the first I've seen this year
Where: Loring Park
When: 8:20 am, Friday, April 26
Observer: Abbie
Conditions: Sunny and virtually impossible to put down my binoculars and get to work on time. The blackbirds are especially interesting to watch as the males are busy feeding on cattails, calling, and showing off their brightly colored epaulettes.

Killdeer on the Playing Fields

What: They're back! When I heard their cries, I pulled out my binoculars and spotted a pair of Killdeer. Not the first I've seen all year, but the first seen this year in the vicinity of the Walker.
Where: Bryn Mawr Meadows Park, northwest of the Walker Art Center
When: 8:20 am, Monday, April 8
Observer: Abbie
Conditions: Looking over notes from 2012, last year's first observation of a Killdeer was March 12. But what I'd really like to know is: How quickly do these manage to raise their brood? Right now, the fields are vacant, but before long they'll be occupied daily by baseball, soccer, and cricket players. So is it possible for Killdeer to be successful on this territory?

Chipmunks Emerge

What: A Chipmunk, the first I've seen emerge from hibernation.
Where: Near Wirth Park
When: 10:50 am, Sunday, April 7
Observer: Abbie
Conditions: Overcast, about 37 degrees, a quiet day except for the ceaselessly singing Northern Cardinal. Over the past week, I've been watching for the first 13-lined Ground Squirrel in the Sculpture Garden, but either they weren't out yet or I was looking at the wrong time/place. But I'll go back tomorrow with renewed determination.