Astronomy
On Saturday the 3rd look for the reddish planet Mars near the Moon in the evening. On Sunday the 4th before sunrise look in the southeastern sky for the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower.
Birds
Warblers are beginning to arrive from points south. Warblers are insect-eaters, and move north toward the Arctic as insects hatch. One of the most common to pass through our area is the Yellow- Rumped Warbler. You may also see Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Warbler migration peaks in May, and the often brightly colored birds are easiest to spot before the trees leaf out.
Listen for the tremolo of Common Loons overhead. Ice has gone out on lakes farther north and the Loons are moving through. Look for Sandpipers along Trout Brook and the St. Croix. They may stay here to nest, or may go farther north.
Eastern Kingbirds have returned to the prairie. They have a white band at the end of their tails, and are excellent flycatchers. They sit on a perch and watch for insects, then hover in the air when they fly after them. Swooping out from a perch to catch an insect is called “sallying”.
American Goldfinches are growing new yellow feathers for the summer season, replacing the gray feathers they wore in winter.
And it’s baby bird season. Near and on the water, look for Mallards leading fuzzy ducklings and Canada geese leading goslings. Ducklings and goslings are “precocial”; they hatch with their eyes open and dense downy feathers, and their mothers lead them to the water within a day or two of hatching. If you’re really lucky you might see a baby Wood Duck or Merganser leap out of its nest up in a tree into the water. You may also spot a robin sitting on a nest and incubating eggs.
Mammals
Female whitetail deer, called does, give birth in May and June. The young deer are called fawns. Like Mallard ducklings Whitetail fawns are also precocial, and can stand, crawl, and walk a short time after they are born. Fawns weigh about seven pounds when they’re born and have very little odor, which makes it harder for predators to find them. They have reddish coats and white spots, so when they lie in tall grass they are camouflaged. Their best defense during the first few weeks of life is simply to lie still. As they get older fawns may be able to outrun predators if necessary, but still rely on lying quietly while their mothers are off feeding. If you come across a fawn, enjoy seeing it from a distance then move away slowly and quietly. You may think it was abandoned, but the doe is probably nearby.
Insects
At this time of year the first Red Admiral butterflies arrive from the south; these individuals metamorphosed somewhere farther south back in March. Red Admirals live all over the world – they are common in North America, Asia, Europe, and even Hawaii! The Red Admirals have year-round populations in areas that don’t get too cold in the winter; in the spring newly metamorphosed butterflies from those population spread out to the north in search of territories and their favorite host plant, the stinging nettle. At this time of year you may see a steady stream of Red Admirals flying north, one after another.
Plants
Some of the spring ephemerals probably still blooming are Large-flowered Bellwort, Yellow Trout Lily, Wild Violets, and Wild Strawberries.
Fungi
Fungi are neither animals nor plants, but have their very own kingdom. The part of fungi that we see on trees or on the ground is only a part of the entire organism. Most of a fungus consists of what is called the mycelium, a series of long thin strands that extend over large areas either underground or inside of trees. In the spring, summer and fall, the mycelia send our fruiting bodies which we call mushrooms or shelf fungi or jellies. The fruiting bodies distribute spores which in turn grow into new fungi. At this time of year some of the earliest fruiting bodies start to appear in the woods and on trees: Morels, Conifer False Morels, Sulphur Shelf Fungi, and Orange Jellies.
The Morel is our state mushroom and is probably the most popular edible mushroom around. See how many you can see in the photo. Look for morels after spring thunderstorms; if you haven’t hunted them before try to go with a friend who can help you identify them. One of those poisonous mushrooms you might think is a morel is the Conifer False Morel, which you may find beneath pines, spruces, and firs. Safety first when eating mushrooms!
Sulphur Shelf is a kind of bracket or shelf fungus. It is sometimes called “Chicken of the Woods” and as you might guess it is another one that is edible. The mycelia feed on the heartwood of the host tree, eventually hollowing it out and often leading it to topple over and die. Orange jellies are just a couple of inches wide, have soft and pliable fruiting bodies, and live on decaying conifers.
Weather observations
Here are some weather observations from the Afton State Park area from past years.
| Friday, May 2 | 2024: rain through morning, then drizzle in afternoon, high of 40°; 2023: windy and sunny, in the 60s; 2019: gray and in the 40s through the day |
| Saturday, May 3 | 2022 and 2020: sunny and pleasant, in the high 60s; 2013: record snowfall of one-half inch |
| Sunday, May 4 | 2019: sunny and near 70° |
| Monday, May 5 | 2024: sunny and low 70s; 2012: rain in the afternoon; 2000: record high of 89° |
| Tuesday, May 6 | 2020: sunny and 60s; 2016: record high of 92° |
| Wednesday, May 7 | 2022: 70s and sunny; 2016: heavy smoke from forest fire in Hubbard County blankets the Twin Cities |
| Thursday, May 8 | 2024: sunny and pleasant, mid-70s; 2019: rain through the day, temperature in the 40s |
Photo/Image credits
All photos copyright Nina Manzi, except:
- Jim Brandenburg, MN Conservation Volunteer: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Bob Dunlap, MN Conservation Volunteer: Common Yellowthroat
- Dudley Edmondson, MN Conservation Volunteer: Baltimore Oriole, Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Dean Lokken: Eastern Kingbird, Fawn
- Bill Marchel, MN Conservation Volunteer: Rose-breasted Grosbeak
- Gary Sater: American Goldfinch, American Redstart, Common Loon, Prairie Smoke, Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Chris Thayer, MN Conservation Volunteer: first Doe and Fawn
- Andrew VonBank: Morel Mushrooms
- John Watson, Trail Camera: second Doe and Fawn
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