One of these “Signs of Spring” is more obvious than the other. Our first purple finch appeared our bird feeders this afternoon. The last purple finch seen up north by me was in early November. However, the second photograph … Ice Flow Mergansers, may not been as obvious to most people as a sign of Spring.

Lake Superior has the only open water anywhere near this far north. All inland lakes are socked in with ice, and will remain in that frozen state for weeks to come. Thus, the Mississippi River Flyway migration has slammed to a stop for waterfowl on what little open water may be found on the biggest fresh water lake the world. In fact, even the Coast Guard cutters are having difficulty dealing with the late season ice. Here is a link to the slow start of this shipping season.

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