
Astronomy
On Friday the 25th get up before sunrise and look in the eastern sky. You’ll see the Crescent Moon. To the right of the Moon you’ll see the planet Saturn, and below Saturn is the planet Mercury. And above all three is the bright planet Venus.
Birds
Many species of birds that will summer farther north are passing through our area now. White-throated sparrows sing “Old Sam Peabody Peabody”. White-throated Sparrows have striped caps and a white patch on their throats. They look very similar to White-crowned Sparrows, which don’t have the white throat patch. Northern Flickers are moving through also, often moving along the ground hunting for ants, which they slurp up with their long tongues. And before long we will see the last of the Dark-eyed Juncos until fall. Look for the first Canada goose goslings following their parents in calm waters and along the shore.
Remember listening to Great-horned owls duet hooting back in January and February when they were nesting and laying eggs? The young owlets have hatched and the juveniles are leaving the nests, but that doesn’t mean they’re on their own. The owlets remain with their parents until fall as they learn how to hunt for themselves. One of the animals they sometimes hunt is the skunk. Like most birds owls cannot smell very well, making the skunk’s spray ineffective against them.
Amphibians and Reptiles
Chorus Frogs continue calling, and the Northern Leopard Frogs have joined in. Male Leopard frogs make a low, guttural snoring sound that lasts two to four seconds. And in early May the tree frogs and toads start calling, too. There are two species of tree frogs at Afton, the Gray Tree Frog and the Cope’s Gray Tree Frog. Both of them can change color from green to gray, and both have yellow patches on the inside of their hind legs. It is hard to tell the two tree frog species apart without hearing their calls, and even then it’s not easy! Both make a very loud trilling call that lasts one to three seconds. People often think they are hearing a bird. The Cope’s Gray Tree Frog’s call is slightly higher-pitched and a little faster than the Gray Tree Frog’s call. The American Toad makes a high-pitched trilling call that goes on for ten to 30 seconds, often with several toads calling at once.
Insects
How do butterflies and moths get through our cold winters? Some, like the Monarchs, migrate to warmer places. Others overwinter as adults, as pupae, or as eggs.
Tiger Swallowtail butterflies overwinter as pupae. When the caterpillars are fully grown in the fall, they find a sheltered spot, shed their skins, and form a hard outer covering. This is the pupal form, which is also called a chrysalis. The pupae wait until spring to complete their metamorphosis and emerge as adult butterflies in late April or early May. Male Tiger Swallowtails are always yellow in color; females may be yellow or black. The black females are uncommon in Minnesota; you are more likely to see them if you travel south.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moths overwinter as eggs. In the summer the female adult moths lay eggs. The eggs hatch into caterpillars in the early spring, and feed on the leaves of cherry, chokecherry, plum, crab apple, and apple trees. Because they hatch early in the spring the caterpillars build gauzy tents to have a place to congregate and keep warm. The tents are generally on the south sides of trees, and you may see caterpillars gathered on their surface in the daytime, basking in the sun, but at night they go inside the tent to keep warm. Most caterpillars are solitary, but the Eastern Tent Caterpillars are what is called “gregarious”.
Plants
Some spring ephemerals are still blooming, but they won’t be around long. Some to look for include Cutleaf Toothwort, Downy Yellow Violet, and Shooting Star. And in wet areas look for Blue Flag Iris.
In the woods look for Wild Columbine, Rue Anemone, and False Rue Anemone. What’s the difference between Rue Anemone and False Rue Anemone? Rue Anemone has five to ten petal-like sepals, while False Rue Anemone ALWAYS has only five.
Wild geraniums are blooming in the woods, too, and on the prairie look for prairie phlox. Continue to keep a lookout for wild strawberry leaves and flowers and remember where you see them. There will be wild strawberries to snack on while you’re hiking before long!!
Weather observations
Here are some weather observations from the Afton State Park area from past years.
Friday, April 25 | 2024: sunny in the high 60s; 2022: gray and drizzly, frost in the morning, high temperature in the 30s; 2013: Partly cloudy with a high in the 50s |
Saturday, April 26 | 2024: gray and drizzly, 50s; 2023: pleasant day, near 60°; 2021: light rain through the day; 2011: record rainfall of 1.46 inches; |
Sunday, April 27 | 2023: light rain off and on through the day, 50s; 2020: light rain the morning, then sunny with temperature in the 60s. |
Monday, April 28 | 2020: rain off and on from morning through afternoon; 2004: record high of 91° |
Tuesday, April 29 | 2022: in the 50s; 2020: 1” of rain |
Wednesday, April 30 | 2024: sunny till late afternoon, then clouds and rain in evening; 2022,2019, and 2017: rain off and on through the day |
Thursday, May 1 | 2024: sunny and breezy, in the 60s; 2022: 40s, light rain through day; 2021: high in the 80s |
Photo/Image credits
All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:
- Dean Lokken: Northern Leopard Frog
- Michael Furtman, MN Conservation Volunteer: Dark-eyed Junco
- Nathan Pasch, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Science: Great horned owl nest and egg illustration
- Gary Sater: Great Horned Owl juvenile, dark form of Tiger Swallowtail
- Tammy Wolfe, MN Conservation Volunteer: Great Horned Owl adult and juvenile
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