Birds seemingly taking their time in returning from the south

The weather sure has made a turn toward summer and going right past spring. It is getting pretty dry but there is some rain in the forecast. Though the ban on open burning (by permit) is to be lifted this weekend you should still be very careful with any outdoor burning.

The birds seem to be stuck south of us in the storm system that’s in the Carolinas as many haven’t arrived up this way yet.

We have been at Crown Point Banding Station for four days now and only caught a total of 10 birds of nine different species.

We are running 18 nets so our catch average is very low, not even equal to government work levels.

We have tallied 56 different species around the fort site but not a single warbler has been seen yet.

We have been talking to others around the north country and it seems to be the same all over.

I had red-eyed vireo and yellow-rumped warbler around the house before I came over here this week but none have been seen here yet.

I had warbling vireo down by the lake this morning and several beautiful male wood ducks and hooded mergansers on the lake.

We even saw two mallards with young already.

The ospreys have made a great comeback over here as well as around the Central Adirondacks.

While there have always been a couple nests in the area along the lake, last night we saw 14 active nests on our way to Ticonderoga and around the fort area.

On one major power line there are four nests in just six sets of poles. The power company has put extenders on some of the poles with a platform on top for them to nest. They all seem to be in use.

We have also seen several Bald Eagles but haven’t found a local nest yet. There is one south of here on the LaShute River outlet of Lake George as it flows into Lake Champlain.

Ellie George got some great pictures of a nest with two young and their parents nearby while she was canoeing last week. The chicks looked to be about two weeks old.

We have only seen one cormorant so far. Last year there were over 200 out on the point with several already on nests.

I know there was a permit to kill some of them, but not to eliminate them.

Maybe they just haven’t made it north yet so time will tell. I will report on them next week to let you know if any more have arrived on site.

Just before I came over I was working in the yard and saw that several of the wildflowers were in bloom. My bloodroot was all in flower and several of the adder’s tongue (trout lilies) were out.

I also saw a few little yellow violets and some spring beauties in bloom.

With this warm weather the leaves seem to be growing so fast that you could photograph them growing.

The trees here in the Champlain Valley have greened up nicely in the last four days from the gray we saw when we arrived.

The water temperature has gone from 44 to 52 degrees as it takes that big body of water a long time to warm up.

Wear your life jacket if you are going out on the water as you won’t last very long in that temperature.

If you’re wearing a life jacket and get into some trouble, you will be found by someone and at least have a greater chance of making it out alive.

I always wear a life jacket, even during the summer, as you never know when you might take dip in the lake or pond.

Next week, I hope to report that more birds are wearing bands, but that’s another story. See ya.