North Shore Morning

Great Expectations School News with Bryn and Sammie.
April 26, 2019

In this edition of Superior Review, Lin Salisbury reviews author Kathleen Winter's book, "Annabel".

North Shore Morning host, Jana Berka talks with Betsy Blaisdell for the Cook County Community YMCA Update.

It's the time of year when the birds start singing away.  WTIP's CJ Heithoff talks with naturalist Chel Anderson about the physiology behind bird songs in this edition of North Woods Naturalist.  

There are many stories from the early days of northeast Minnesota, and it’s the mission of the Cook County Historical Society to document and record these glimpses of our past. Here’s an excerpt from a 2008 oral history by LeRoy Creech. Creech recalls a story he’d been told by Pat "Paddy" Bayle about finding the body of a 1900s fur trapper along the Gunflint Narrows.

LeRoy “Lee” Creech was the son of Judge James and Hazel (Andersen) Creech, and lived in “Creechville” in Grand Marais for 75 years. Lee worked at a gas station, the Forest Service, the Cook County School District and also owned and operated the NAPA store in Grand Marais until his retirement in 1993. Lee enjoyed fishing, playing music, and spending time at the family's cabin on Clearwater Lake. Lee died in 2012.

Patrick ”Paddy” Bayle was a former state forester and Cook County sheriff and served for 27 years as area forest ranger. Pat Bayle died in 1954 at the age of 77. The Pat Bayle State Forest is located near Grand Marais.

View the slideshow for photos of Pat "Paddy" Bayle and LeRoy "Lee" Creech.

This feature is a collaboration between WTIP and the Cook County Historical Society, and produced by Martha Marnocha.

National Forest Update – April 18, 2019.https://soundcloud.com/wtip-community-radio/snf-robertsen-2019apr19

Hi, this is Steve Robertsen, education and interpretation specialist, with the National Forest Update, letting you know what’s up in the woods in late April.

Mud season continues, but while there is still ample snow on the ground, spring has really turned a corner.  Why do we say this?  It is because migrating birds are suddenly returning in abundance.  Yellow-rumped warblers, grackles, tree sparrows, hermit thrushes, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, red-winged blackbirds – they’ve all returned in the past two weeks.  Many of them showed up just after our recent winter storm, riding the coattails of the storm in the form of southerly winds on the back side of the low pressure system.  These early spring birds are those that rely partially on insects for food, but also can survive without insects.  Later arrivals may be more reliant on insects and need a steadier bug supply than is available in April in Minnesota.  Migration is hard on a bird, and you can help them refuel after their trip from the tropics by putting out bird feeders.  Remember though, that birds aren’t the only ones showing up this time of year.  Bears are waking from their winter hibernation, and are also looking for food.  It may be time to feed the birds, but it is also time to start taking in feeders at night, and making sure your bird seed is stored in a bear proof place such as a garage.  The first bears to venture out are the males.  Females with cubs are the last to leave their dens, protecting the cubs from the wide world for as long as possible.

When people hear the word ‘hibernate’, they usually tend to think ‘bears’ or ‘chipmunks’ or ‘woodchucks’.  Not as many think ‘butterflies’, but if you go outside right now, you’ll see a lot of butterflies that spent the winter hibernating in the forest.  The anglewing butterflies, a group that includes the dark colored ‘mourning cloak’ and the orange and black ‘comma’ and ‘question mark’ butterflies, overwinter as adults tucked under bark or in crevices.  They have to survive subzero temperatures, winter storms, and hungry woodpeckers in order to emerge as our first flying butterflies of spring.  Anglewings get their name from the ragged look to their wing edges, which may help camouflage the hibernating insects.  This time of year, they might also have truly ragged edges as well due to the harsh winter.  You’ll find these butterflies grouped at mud puddles in a behavior called, not surprisingly, ‘puddling’.  They are finding both water and nutrients at the puddle, as well as basking in the sun.

Many of those puddles are in the road, which isn’t good for the butterflies.  If you are driving and see them, and it is safe to do so, slow down and let them fly off.  Hitting a butterfly isn’t going to send you to the body shop like hitting a deer, but from the butterfly’s perspective, it is pretty much a disaster.

Going slow is a good idea this time of year anyway.  Not only are there plenty of deer along the roads, but in the Forest, our roads are soggy and soft.  Main roadways are in good shape and mostly free from snow and ice, but side roads still have surprising ice or snow patches in shady areas, and almost all the roads have soft shoulders.  If you do need to pull off the road, proceed with caution.  A shoulder that looks nice and flat and firm may be mud that will give way under the load of your vehicle.  Roads are soft enough that there is no log hauling being done right now and there are weight restrictions in place in both Lake and Cook counties.

While it is wet out there now, spring fire season is coming up soon.  The period between snow melt and spring green up can be a dangerous one for fires.  Dry grasses and leafless brush are excellent fuels, and it doesn’t take much for a fire to get going.  Right now is a good time to do some Fire Wise pruning and clean-up around your house to help protect it in case of a wildfire.  Burning permits are required, so if your clean-up involves burning, pick up a permit and keep an eye on conditions and the fire when you burn.  Make sure all fires are dead out and soaked with water when you are done.  Don’t rely on a fire to ‘burn itself out’, always put it out and leave it cold.
Between spring rain and snow showers, there are some gorgeous sunny days this time of year, so watch the roads but do get out to welcome back the birds and butterflies and join them in enjoying some of the warmth of spring. 

Until next time, this is Steve Robertsen with the National Forest Update.
 

Wildersmith on the Gunflint     by     Fred Smith
April 19, 2019     
 
Month four is screaming by as we celebrate the “Maple Sugar Moon” in the north woods. While atmospheric conditions in April can be unpredictable, it looks as though things may have settled into a more tolerable state heading into this weekend.                                                                           

Following the near miss of that so called “bomb cyclone” along the Gunflint Trail, it is possible we’ve seen winters’ last gasp. Whereas the Village had a more intense experience with the snow and violent winds, we up at end of the Trail escaped the brunt with two to four snowy inches and minimal wind activity. I guess we should count ourselves blessed with not too much winter hysteria this time around.                                                                                                                                                                                     

At the same time, this neighborhood and others in the upper Trail territory enjoyed the beauty of white ecstasy for a couple days as “Mother Nature” put a band aid on springs’ naked unsightliness. Sadly, we are starting all over again with renewed melting. Just when there were a few dry spots taking over on back country roads, we are back into squishy going again.                                                  

Speaking of melting, as the area heads toward the month’s last segment, folks are talking of lake ice. During the warmth of March, it looked as though ice would not last too long. But with winter raising its hackles over the past three weeks, one cannot be too sure just when “Sky Blue Waters” will be dashing our shores. Here on Gunflint Lake, we’ve even made some ice a few mornings in the last two weeks.                                                                                                        

Some walleye anglers have expressed concern area lakes might remained locked up on opening day, May 10. It seems doubtful to yours truly, although remembering last year the ice went out on the Gunflint gal the morning of opener. So it does, and has happened before that fisher people are nudging ice out of the way to dip a line.                                                                           

While I have yet to hear of any ursine encounters out this way, one has to wonder if on the occasional sunny days, Bruno’s aren’t rubbing the sleep from their eyes. If they woke up over the past weekend however, and stuck their heads out to falling snow, perhaps they went back to bed. In any event, I’ve begun to curtail some of my seed distribution just for good measure, and urge neighbors to do the same                                                                                                                                                

As I mentioned our occasional warm sunny days, it seems buds on some of the Aspen and Birch are bulging with excitement, then on a day when we’ve held at or below freezing they don’t appear as puffy about the goings-on.                                                                                                                                           
 I did see some pussy willow buds along the Trail near the South Brule River Bridge last week. One might wonder if the gray pearls aren’t thankful the creator blessed them with warm fuzzy coats during our recent winter interlude.                                                                                                                    
I have yet to see any robins in this neighborhood, but folks in town mention they have arrived. On another avian note, recently I got a kick out of a quartet of visiting Crows, following the new snow. Talk about contrast, the scene was as stark black and white as nature could bring into being.                                                                                                                                                                     

A couple ebony beauties were rooting through the snow in search of sustenance remains. Plowing along the feed trough, they came up seemingly annoyed with globs of white stuck to their beaks. Apparently out of sorts with their white snoots, there was considerable shaking all about, and conversation from their brothers /sisters, perhaps teasing them.                                    

In closing, while the deciduous members of the northern forest are a ways from waving their green hellos, the coniferous family is rapidly turning their winter drab to brighter energizing summer shades. It’s more than noticeable on a day of sunshine.                                                   

And speaking of our forest sentinels, it’s pretty easy to take them for granted when there are uncounted zillions as far as the eye can see. I had the pleasure of reading an article in the spring periodical of the National Wildlife Federation on the critical things trees do for our eco-system. I have been aware of some, however, the author and researchers made several points I had never considered.  It is suggested reading, either online or in the library, and will provide evermore reverence to your future walks in the woods.                                                                                                                         

For WTIP, this is Wildersmith, on the Gunflint Trail, where every day is great, regardless of our worldly turmoil!
 

North Shore Morning host, Shawna Willis talks with Minnesota Citizens for the Arts Executive Director, Sheila Smith about the effects the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment has had on the local, regional and state economies since its passage ten years ago.
Sheila Smith will be presenting more on this topic at the Grand Marais Art Colony on Friday, April 26th.

North Shore Morning Host, Brian Neil talks with International Wolf Center Executive Director, Rob Shultz for the IWC Update.

Despite recent snowfalls, spring is here.  WTIP's CJ Heithoff speaks with naturalist Chel Anderson about the signs of the changing season in this edition of North Woods Naturalist.