Even though my cabin has zero running water this time of year, and I knew Northstar Lake would be socked in with ice, I made the two hour NW drive over from Duluth. My lake in is the southernmost body of water of the Hudson Bay Watershed. All waters flow north! The forecast said the weather would be warm (70F) and sunny. Thus, I ignored the ice and stayed away from the shore where it was chilly and opened up the windows and doors … wanting fresh air inside after being closed up all winter. It is the fastest way to warm up a non heated cabin (or cool it down). Whatever the temperature is outside, eventually my cabin will reflect those conditions. Thus, if it’s 20F outside, it will be 20F inside. Thankfully I do have both a wood stove and fireplace for those chilly days.
Mother Nature came through. By early afternoon as I worked on a new wood shed, strong winds out of the south were pushing huge numbers of migration birds Here is the bird report only one hour after sunrise this morning via my BirdNET-Pi. (click or press upon to maximize for easier reading)
After I finished my chores I took a hike and then sat on the front deck. The number of migrating Northern Flickers was amazing (some will stay in my local forest) . These birds were eating bugs off the ground, and I hoped if I stayed motionless long enough the flickers would forget about my presence. Northern Flickers are a skittish species. Anyhow, jackpot!
