the shore birds and waterfowl are returning in abundance now.  seven trumpeter swans on the beach this morning, one great blue heron, too many canada geese to count, and my husband thinks he heard a loon. a big day.

the lake still has ice on it, but the edges are all open water now.  so the birds congregate at the edges and spend hours preening.  the reeds all along the water’s edge are spotted with little downy feathers like these two.  i don’t know who they came from or if they are even related. anyone?

turtle lake, saint paul, minnesota