Cabin Country: Buying our birding haven

When buying real estate, one knows that newspaper ads can be somewhat euphemistic. "Cozy" might mean "cramped." A "fixer-upper" might mean a "dump." But the description of our property was absolutely on the mark: "nature lovers' delight."

Because we border a wetland, our nearest neighbors are wood ducks, mallards and red-winged blackbirds. Our first sign of spring isn't the flash of a robin's red breast. It's the honking clamor of Canada geese and the pitter-patter of their webbed feet on our roof. Waterfowl find our serene setting the perfect spot to nest and raise their young. Our multiple bird feeders with an assortment of seeds and suet attract more than 50 species, including songbirds, game birds and the occasional raptor. Just last night as I was studying the stars, a large dark bird silently swooped over my head and then climbed higher, clearing the house — an owl, on the hunt.

Other nature sightings include a family of raccoons climbing our massive oak tree, muskrats crisscrossing the pond in the spring, a fox hunting a chipmunk in the vegetation under my office window and a doe with her two fawns contentedly munching our hostas.

All of this creates the ambience of our back yard. Our front yard is much like any other suburban home, for we are not at a remote spot in the North Woods. Our Shangri-La is in the St. Paul suburb of Vadnais Heights. Previously, when we lived in St. Paul, I'd periodically go on retreat to get away from city life, but since we moved to our nature lovers' haven, I haven't had the need.

LISA WERSAL, VADNAIS HEIGHTS

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