Spring has Sprung!

Spring has definitely sprung! Last week, the Chorus Frogs began singing and, this week, the Paited Turtles have re-emerged and have been sunning themselves on the warm logs. With today's 70-degree weather, it's hard to believe that we were under a blizzard warning earlier this month. Such is life here in north Iowa!

More Signs of Spring

Well, there are a few new birds to report here at the park, including an Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Bluebirds, a Belted Kingfisher, numerous Red-winged Blackbirds, and a Brown Creeper. We have also been hearing Sandhill Cranes around the marsh, but have yet to see them. The lake and marsh have been completely free of ice now for a couple of weeks, and the open water has really facilitated the movement of birds around here!

Another sure sign of spring is that we have begun our prescribed prairie burns. These burns are conducted each spring to kill off any tree seedlings sprouting in the prairies, set back non-native vegetation, and promote better growth of the native vegetation by releasing natural nutrients back into the soil. Early spring is the perfect time to do this, and the burning has now begun!

We are expecting up to a foot of snow over the weekend so it may look like winter again around here for a few days. But, there is no denying that spring is here...So, I invite everyone to come check out Thorpe Park, or any other park or wildlife area that may be nearby, to see the what's happening!