PHENOLOGY

Fourth Week of January

Listen for blue jays, now gathering in small noisy groups each morning, vocalizing their "pumphandle" - also known as "speelunker" spring calls. Red foxes are roaming in pairs; they are normally solitary and only seen in pairs as the mating season approaches. White-tailed deer bucks continue to lose their antlers. In northeastern Minnesota, common ravens do elaborate courtship flight maneuvers including steep dives, tumbles, and rolls.