It is a happy time, this early morning twilight, and best of all, the birds are singing. I arrive at Belwin Conservancy’s Stagecoach Prairie and quietly exit my car. This is the time of migration for most songbirds and a wonderful opportunity to chronicle which species use Belwin lands as a stopover site or nesting habitat.

Notes from the Land: The Music Festival of Frogs
There is certainty in the passing of the seasons. We know that winter cold will give way to spring sun, spring sun to summer warmth, summer warmth to the cool air of autumn, the cool air of autumn to the winter cold again.

Notes from the Land: How Wild Turkeys Made a Comeback in Minnesota
It’s an exciting thing to hear a gobble in the distance in the spring. It is yet another signal that the seasons are changing and new life across the wildlife spectrum is soon to come.

Notes from the Land: A Day in the Life of a Deer Mouse
Peeking out from under the strands of dry grass, two buggy eyes appear. The small mammal lifts its whiskered face to test the scented air currents. Is a predator about? Is there food anywhere? Are any unknown mice in the vicinity?

Peak Season
We have arrived at the moment of fullness in the seasonal year.
The natural world has reached a zenith in terms of growth and productivity.