Where have all the magpies gone?

Hello and welcome to the last Saturday in May - and the start of summer vacation - here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is May 30th.

This past week, we reflected on 2026 as our 20th anniversary living in Wannaskaland and 23 years since we returned to the U.S. Wannaska looks different than it did in 2006. The first thing I noticed is the absence of magpies. When we moved here, I remarked, "Magpies! Look at all the magpies!" This is especially memorable because magpies is one of a handful of bird species I can recall from my own sixth-grade science class with Mr. Hanson at Washington Middle School in Brainerd, MN. Mr. Hanson was diligent and patient in the pursuit of memorizing two things: our ornithological lexicon and timeless proverbs in the vein of "Good, better, best, never let it rest. Make your good be your better, and your better best."

On the other hand, eagles seem abundant these days.

Another memory I have is that of a warm spring. A very specific memory I have is talking to a friend on the phone. I was basking in bright sunlight, with my newborn, enjoying 70+ degrees out on the deck and pinching myself, joyful with all the blessings that had been laid upon us in our new home. Spring was a season. The crabapple tree bloomed in April, along with the tulips. Now, the crabapple tree reached its peak bloom just yesterday. The peonies are barely poking their greenery out of the ground, whereas, south of us, the blooms are already boasting their showy heads.

Spring seems to skip Wannaskaland these past few years - retaining winter then dumping into summer.

The bugs haven't changed. We know they're coming. Some years are better than others.

And rising waters.

Fortunate to be on relatively high ground compared to some neighbors, we're well-trained in watching the ditches and the oxbow in back.

Blue Jays still boss the cats from their high perches, but the red squirrel population has been reduced thanks to those cats.

Neighbor kids grow up, but new ones move in, making for good buddies a jog away.

After twenty years, I still feel that Wannaskaland has brought us many blessings.