As one era ends, another begins! The school year is wrapping up for our friends at Prairie Creek Community School and North Shore Community School. Luckily, our friends the Newstoks are back in town for the summer! They (and our loyal friends at Long Lake Conservation Center) sustain us with our much-needed phenology phix through the summer.

Hear their voices!

May was a month of metamorphosis, as an extremely late spring suddenly changed course, catching up to or exceeding seasonal averages. This week's report covers that phenological U-turn as well as which flowers are blooming, which butterflies are emerging, and what new biting insects might come get you this week.

Listen to John's report!

Tick tock, it's shrew o'clock! It's been at least a month since I opined about the hidden talents of these tiny carnivores, and I'll be expecting a trophy in the mail for my outstanding stamina and restraint.

Without further ado, let's talk about the American water shrew! This voracious little buddy is the world's smallest mammalian diver. It can smell underwater by exhaling and quickly re-inhaling bubbles, has specialized hairs on its feet to increase swimming speed and agility, and can even run 5 feet on the water's surface! You can enjoy a longer presentation about them here, or...

Enjoy some wonderful videography of a water shrew in action!

P.S. Like many shrews, young water shrews form a delightful 'shrew train' when emerging into the world.

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). Anishinaabemowin: miskwegini-binesi.

Listen for the distinctive "chick-burr" call of the Scarlet Tanager to spot this vibrant bird! They tend to hang out high in the treetops where they're hidden from our terrestrial eyes.