I’m back up north in Duluth after giving my “Outdoor Photography on a Budget Seminars” (access materials). On my final afternoon down in the Twin Cities I took a hike in French Park, and reinforced the adage when birding … use both your eyes and ears! Towards the end of my hike I heard some rustling in the woods. It sounded like a squirrel running on the leaves, and I almost ignored the sound. Instead I turned around to investigate and discovered a flock of nine wild turkeys only 15 yards away from me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Found these Canada Geese about five minutes before sunrise this morning at French Park in Plymouth, Minnesota. The sky never went pink, but heck … I wasn’t complaining. A few minutes before I took this photograph, a bald eagle slowly cruised the shoreline, which was not appreciated by the assembled multitude.

I think I shall never see, a Goldeneye sitting in a tree!

Seriously, this morning a few minutes after sunrise was a treat. I have never seen goldeneyes on shore anywhere within miles of me, and these ducks spook oh so easily. Eyes seem to spend almost all their time in the water, or flying, but this morning was different. I found a few eyes on shore, and given how low the sun was to the horizon I was able to stalk up closely to the birds using some docks which were out of water for the winter as cover.

After my fun with the “eyes”, I found a red-tailed hawk deep in the woods, and was able to watch it from only 15 yards away as it successfully hunted for its breakfast. I was amazed how deep in the woods it hunted. It was darn hard to just walk in the thick underbrush.

Finally I saw my first trumpter swans of the late fall. These birds are generally the last waterfowl to start their migration south. Winter will soon be here.

A Standing Goldeneye

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Red-Tailed Hawk and Breakfast

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Trumpeter Swans and Friends