I’ll admit it … I love my Subaru Outback. Here in northeastern Minnesota I drive some very remote, ugly dirt roads. My Outback has never let me down, even when there might be 12 inches of new snow on the ground. However, this morning … my Subaru decided to take a more active role in my birding excursions … as a perch for an unusual bird migrating through from the Arctic. I always say … when you can’t find the birds, let them find you!

Many of us were birding Park Point Recreation Area this morning, and the beach near Sky Harbor. Basically we were all seeing little bird activity. Just as I was about to leave the fields, this Lapland Longspur flew over and landed on my Subaru Outback! Hmmm … me thinks … there must be Longspurs around. I now really checked the long grass on the playing fields, and discovered there were 50+ Longspurs hidden amongst the grasses. In fact, I almost stepped upon two different birds while they were feeding!  A few finally left the long grass and provided better photo opps! Have you ever needed birds to lead you around by the nose to insure you would see them? LOL.

First the Lapland Longspur Subaru Outback Photographs

And some Longspurs in more natural settings

Here is the Lapland Longspur’s Range Map courtesy of Cornell University.

And some videos from this morning. The noise in the background is from Sky Harbor Airport … both a float plane taking off and work on a runway extension.

Video 1 Link

Video 2 Link

And finally two photos I took while out birding a few winters ago … on a logging road where I was 18 miles from the nearest paved road. It was early in the winter and therefore the snow was not yet deep. Given our first snowstorm of the season is expected this weekend, it may be time for my Outback to earn its keep. I love Minnesota’s winters. Between my Subaru and Nordic Skis I spend a lot of time in the Boreal Forest. Think snow!