Wild, Wild Life!

What’s that tumbling furball by the tracks? Well, it’s baby foxes! (Kits) and that must mean it’s time for a few #WildlifeWednesday updates!

Birdlife

It’s awesome to see all of the life suddenly arriving here in the Devil’s Lake region. Out on the lake you’ll find loons, mergansers, mallards and gulls. If you look up, you’ll see turkey vultures, great blue heron, bald eagles AND just arriving this week, our Osprey! As you know, that will make our bald eagles happy because they love to let the osprey do the fishing and then just steal their fish!

Froggin’

Meanwhile, on the south end of the lake in the Messenger Creek area, you’ll be amazed by the volume of the singing frogs! They are really, really loud! What is totally weird, is that while you can hear them, it’s really hard to see them. Most of the high-pitched noise you hear is made by spring peepers who are only about the size of your thumbnail. Providing the bass, are the leopard frogs. I actually caught a leopard frog on camera yesterday!

This Saturday (April 20th), you can join the park naturalist for a Frog Safari from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. If you are a frog fanatic, you will want to join the group for this nocturnal trip to the park’s kettle ponds. We’ll listen for spring peepers, wood frogs, and chorus frogs. We’ll also listen for other night sounds as we hike the Johnson Moraine Trail. Bring your flashlight as we’ll be hiking right around dusk. This is a great experience for the kids. Meet at the Steinke Basin Trail Parking Lot.

Lake Flies

Of course, spring is also the time that the dreaded lake flies begin to appear at the lake. They are now beginning to hatch! When they are in full force they will get in your clothing, your eyes, your nose and your hair when you are out hiking along the lake. What’s more, bug spray does nothing! There’s a good chance they will be in full force this upcoming weekend if the weather is good. So keep that in mind if you are planning a visit to the park.

Foxy

So, about the foxes! It seems a little early to see the baby foxes, called kits, out rolling around, but they are. Over on Facebook we’ve had other folks show us their fox pix as well. Foxes, coyotes, deer, beaver and all the other resident critters of the park and beyond are getting ready for the good times of summer. Just like us! We just need to remember to give them their space. And for what it’s worth, this is one of the more important reasons why we ask that you have your pets on a leash at all times at the park, especially in the spring.