As I write this column, I am seeing sunlight coming through the window for the first time in a few days. I know that this may not be a revelation of any kind, but it seems that the sun has been making itself scarce the last few days. We had a teaser a couple of weeks ago when the temperatures got into the 80’s. Hopefully, the weather rebounds with temperatures in the 70’s.
With all of the snow they have been blessed with in the northern part of the state, I don’t see myself going to the cabin anytime soon. I have visited the cabin many times in April and have gotten stuck in the driveway a couple of different times in recent years. I now go to the cabin with chainsaw in tow. I also carry a towing strap, which comes in handy when you need to move a tree. Some of these times I have been greeted to an open driveway, I consider this a good sign.
It was in April of 2020 in which the latest “freeze off” of our lake occurred. After I was settled into the cabin, I noticed quite a few raptors of different species gathered on the edge of the ice, which was just beginning to give way to open water. These magnificent birds stuck around the whole time, as long as there was still ice on the lake. It was a great time to be a bird watcher. There seemed to be about every kind of raptor that was there for the feast. I saw golden eagles, bald eagles, peregrine falcons and osprey. It was quite a sight to behold. I enjoyed watching them and the spectacular show that they put on.
We are lucky in our area of the state; there are shallow lakes that have aerators installed to keep them from freezing out. Fountain Lake, for example, has in recent years survived many winters without a freezeout, thanks to the aerators. I can remember the years when I was much younger and there would be dead fish everywhere along the shores of Fountain Lake. I can remember as a kid watching City workers loading dead fish into dump trucks and hauling them away. There were not only dead carp, but big northerns, bass and panfish as well. This was a sight that pretty much devastated a little kid who was an aspiring fisherman.
In those times I could retreat to my refuge, “the crick,” where I would look for signs of life in the thawing water. It wouldn’t be too long before minnows would appear, then small bullheads and, a little later, tadpoles. This was a sign that all was right with nature as far as the crick went. I, along with my friends, would spend countless hours at the “Bridge,” which is what we referred to when talking about visiting the crick. We always enjoyed looking for critters, whether it was a bird, fish or a mammal, like a weasel or a muskrat. When we started hearing the unmistakable call of the red winged blackbird, we knew spring was here. Occasionally, we would see a pair of yellow winged blackbirds, which was extra special as they were not as plentiful.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources encourages Minnesotans to contact the state duty officer if they see evidence of a fish die-off in a lake or stream. Fish die-offs can result from a variety of natural and human causes.
“People can help by reporting fish die-offs right away,” DNR Limnology Consultant Tom Burri said. “These reports alert state agencies to the situation and help us determine appropriate next steps.”
To report fish die-offs, people should call the Minnesota duty officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798. (The officer line is available 24 hours per day, seven days a week.) An early report allows timely water and fish sampling or other response actions, if needed. It’s especially helpful to know what sizes and types of fish people see in a fish die-off.
Until next time: I love looking back at my days as a youth and remembering the good times that we enjoyed. Playing outdoors, enjoying nature without a care in the world was as good as it gets.
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