In Which Birds of Spring Squawk ‘Go Away’

Headed downtown on trail, by Cedar Lake.

Cedar River, viewed on ride east on Otis Road.

Lake at Prairie Park Fishery.

Headed north on trail, once again passing Cedar Lake.

I encountered him about 16 miles into a 22-mile ride. A red-winged blackbird sat by the bridge where the Cedar River Trail passes over the Cedar River Trail (a couple of miles north of Cedar Lake the trail does a little loop and crosses itself).

I couldn’t see the red well on his wing because of the way he was sitting, but when wind ruffled his feathers, there was a peek his wing patches. Anyway, he was only maybe 6 feet from me, at the same level since he was in the canopy of a tree rooted at the base of the bridge, and he wasn’t backing down.

The blackbird wasn't singing in the dead of night, he was yelling in the light of day right by the trail. "Bikers, stay away!"

A turn to the left.

Spring. Birds in Iowa get a bit wacko—reproduction induced aggressive. Blackbirds are very territorial and fearless for much of the spring and summer—the reason smart Iowans wear either hats or helmets. Talon protection. A blackbird may dive at you and try to do a quick warning scratch. Luckily, my trail guarder was content to just shout at me as I made images of him.

Well, it is the season. Soon, Geese will get mean. They are usually not shy birds anyway, but they get particularly defensive when babies are around.

Daffodils blooming at Warde Hall, Mount Mercy University campus.

Well, avian dinosaurs were a theme of the ride today. Although I have too much to do for next week (sis, I should have been grading too and will pay for it now), I couldn’t resist taking my first spring ride of some distance—over 20 miles—on this cool, sunny, windy day.

I headed out at 2:30 in the afternoon, riding first to campus. I wanted to see if flowers were in bloom there yet (did not see any). Campus was also convenient for a restroom break. Then I headed to Cedar Lake and downtown on the trail, intending to go south of the Cedar River.

But there is work going on at the south end of the Bridge of Lions, and I didn’t feel like doubling back to find the detour crossing, so instead I went east towards the Otis Road area on the new trail along the flood dike. My target was the Prairie Park Fishery, so between Cedar Lake, the Cedar River and the lake at the fishery, it was sort of a water-themed, as well as bird themed, spring ride.

Seen on Otis Road before I get to Prairie Park Fishery. Eagle.

Circling back.

The world in Iowa is still a brown place, but spring is in the air. Some new grass is just starting to get green, crocuses are starting to bloom and daffodils are knifing out of the soil, but Iowa isn’t get it’s lush, green growing season self yet. Still, the sky was a beautiful blue, bikers and walkers were out and the winter feeling is leaving my corner of the planet.

Along the Cedar River, I noticed a bit of ice still in some quiet, backwater areas. White gulls in force were gathered at the edge of the ice. Most of the river was open, however, and snow has almost all melted on land. Besides my pal the blackbird, I watched a robin foraging for early spring insects as I ate a snack at the fishery, and I also photographed an eagle that was flying west of me on Otis Road.

Ice at north edge of quiet area of Cedar River--with a gull party, too.

Robin hunts at Prairie Park Fishery.

Selfie at mid-ride break, Prairie Park Fishery.

What a day! There were lots of other nice days this week, but because of a spring break trip to Chicago, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I did not get much bike riding in—one reason for the longer ride today. I rode 22.36 miles today, and a week ago, before the trip, added a few more, so for the past 8 days I have 29.65 miles, 88.33 for March so far, 351.48 for the year.

I’m sure I will ride tomorrow—I have to go to campus to get some work done—but won’t have time for such a long ride. Which is a shame, since it should be even warmer tomorrow. But still, today was a nice spring day, a sign, I hope, of longer rides to come.

As for today, the dinosaurs and I enjoyed it.

Clarence, my hybrid bike, parked at Mount Mercy University.

Sunshine on Cedar River Trail, pretty sunny day for a ride!

Map of ride.

In Which I Ride Final Winter Miles

Arriving at work March 8. I take the hill route rather than the "easy" route that loops behind Warde Hall and has less of a climb. Pretty morning, snow looks nice with a blue sky.

I hope I didn’t jinx it. The theme of this week on a bike in Iowa is “it ain’t over yet.” Winter, that is.

Friday was especially cold, a day in which I had to resort to the full winter outfit—not just jacket, biking hat and hood, mittens—but also long underwear under jeans, two pairs of socks, warm scarf around my neck.

The actual morning temperature was in the teens, but the wind chill hovered just above zero (again, I don’t know what this is rational temperatures where water freezes at zero, but it’s way, way under zero to any Celsius-using readers). The afternoon was not much better—it was in the 20s by then, but the wind was howling from the northwest and was a very cold headwind most of the way home.

We had snow to start the week, yet it was clear enough Sunday night for an early evening ride to Lowe Park. Sunday night into Monday, several inches of snow fell, so I didn't ride that day. I missed riding Wednesday because I had to pick up a grandson from school in a nearby town that afternoon.

Yet snow was in the forecast Thursday until almost Thursday itself, when it turned out the storm tracked south, we saw a few flurries and I rode my bike.

Tuesday’s ride was particularly pretty. A sunny day, the fairly fresh snow had not melted yet, and in fact, fog had frozen on the snow. I enjoyed making some images on the way to work that morning. And that afternoon, it was nice enough to seek a few extra miles, so I rode the CEMAR trail under First Avenue before heading home.

C Avenue Pond Tuesday morning.

Ice on grass near Kenwood School. Noted frozen ice on grass and snow there, as well as pretty morning light, many more Kenwood School images below.

March morning shadows at Kenwood School. And below.

Corona snow? Spikes on little snow mounds, Kenwood School.

Grass is turned into ice feathers, poking through the snow at Kenwood School.

Afternoon ride, heading home after spin on CEMAR trail. Looking up at Warde Hall from Priarie Drive, if you look closely you can see hawk sitting on its nest on the cupola of Warde Hall.

Pretty March sunshine, riding by Collins Aerospace.

Riding by Kenwood School.

It's spring break, but I won’t get many rides in early in the week. I have a trip to Chicago planned, sans bicycle. By the time I get back to Iowa, all of the snow will be a memory, as days in the 40s and 50s will have melted most of the white stuff away.

Is this finally the start of spring? It’s still early in March. Snow in April is not unusual in this climate and has even been known to fall very early in May. But warm should become more common than cold, and I can hope that the long underwear can be folded and put on the top shelf and wait there until December.

We’ll see. This month, through March 11, 56.68 miles, 321.83 miles on the year. And from March 6 and 11, 25.61 miles.

Start of the week's ride--Sunday evening ride (before Monday's snow) to Lowe Park.

Leaving work on Friday, Warde Hall loading dock.

Felt like a brave biker going to work on two wheels on a cold, wintery Friday. But I was not the only one--seeing someone else's bike near Warde Hall.

In Which the Wardrobe Changes with the Season

Thin clouds and morning sun turn C Avenue pond golden on morning bike ride, March 4.

Behind bike rack, new daffodils poking through the garden cover.

March in Iowa. The equinox isn’t until three weeks in, but the season can feel like spring—or winter—as the calendar flips from February to the lion month.

Ash Wednesday was March 2—a day to get some ashes, contemplate mortality, begin a season of fasting and then hop on a bike and ride home, with a notable change.

The first ride sans coat, hat, gloves. It was about 60, and a sweater was plenty warm enough by itself.

About 7:15 a.m., sky on morning ride March 2 at Collins Road.

Ready to ride home Ash Wednesday, March 2. Took the longer route home by Cedar Lake. My winter jacket is in my backpack--I needed it for the morning ride, but not the afternoon one. Note hybrid bike in background.

March 2--Cedar Lake is still covered in ice, but it's getting thin.

March can be a tricky month. We’re expected to have severe thunderstorms Saturday, and there is probably a better than even chance that snow is still in our future. In some extreme years, March feels like February 2.0. Not in most years, and luckily, this doesn’t seem to be one of those rough years.

Granted, I was back in winter gear after Wednesday, but winter gear this week merely meant jacket, hat, coat—not even warm boots, let alone long johns.

The ice on the streets is increasingly rare. The ground is largely bare, with just a few dirty piles of slowly receding snow, either where it was piled high or is in the shade. The melting snow has left ice on my commuting route, and many of my rides have been on The Fancy Beast, my trusty old winter beater mountain bike.

Saturday, Feb. 26. Leaving home in the afternoon to work on student newspaper at MMU. More snow on the ground and I'm riding The Fancy Beast.

Bike parked Feb. 26 between Regina Hall dorm and library. In sunny areas, snow is mostly gone.

March 1--Clarence, my hybrid bike, parked in Warde Hall rack.

Colder day Thursday, March 3, and light snow fell. A bit of snow on worn seat of The Fancy Beast (I already have a less worn seat to swap out, but have not done it yet).

Another image from March 3. Don't know if  you can tell, it's very light, but it's snowing as I shoot this image.

But today, and several days in the past week, I’ve started to ride the hybrid bike—days when I calculated warm socks were enough to protect my feet, that I didn’t need the winter boots.

March in Iowa. Winter may not be done with us yet, but there have been some spring rides. In the garden behind the bike rack I use at Warde Hall on the Mount Mercy University campus, I noticed today a few young daffodils staring to poke up from the thawing ground. Since my last blog post, I’ve ridden 66 miles. In the first four days of March, it was 33 miles. On the year so far, I am at 296 miles—one commute to work away from 300, 10 percent of my annual goal. Given the time of year, I think that’s OK.

And I’m enjoying the change in seasons.

I take the longer Cedar River Trail route to campus Feb. 26. Some snow, but trail it clear.

Riding on bike lane on 74th Street on the way to Cedar River Trail. Snow cover fading away late in February.

Morning sky on March 1.