We got nine reports this week! Our students have been sniffing skunks, naming porcupines, and spotting Saw-whet Owls! They teach us how to distinguish a Tundra Swan from a Trumpeter Swan, how many minutes of daylight we're gaining in the month of February, and how much ice coverage is typical on Lake Superior.

Hear their voices!

John's getting pranked by his trees! He went over to take a look at a pile of snow that had fallen from the branches, and the tree chose that moment to drop another couple gallons of snow right behind him. John tells us about swans, woodpecker drumming, and his past observations for February 14th.

Listen to John's report!

Great Horned Owls are incubating eggs right now, and their eggs will hatch in late February! I know that there's at least one pair live near my parents' place, so I looked into what sort of nest I might look for. It turns out that they're extreme generalists, using nests constructed by other birds, cliff ledges, man-made structures, or whatever else they can find. That sure makes it hard to narrow down potential locations! In doing my research, I also found that they're generalists in terms of diet and habitat, as well. With that in mind, you likely have a pair near you! (I have yet to locate the nest, but owlet them be for now.)

Enjoy!

Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus).

Anishinaabemowin: Baapaasens