Category Archives: Year 4

Why Did the Upland Sandpiper Cross the Road?

Year 4

Why … to see the Bobolink! I know, pretty bad, but it was a good days birding two days ago over at the Wisconsin Grasslands along Wisconsin #13 in the Cloverland area. Many of the birds have recently hatched young, which means the parents need to spend a significantly increased amount of time hunting for food. This in turn, makes the birds easier to find and photograph.

This scenario resulted in my finding a relatively rare group of about eight Upland Sandpipers. One hour after sunrise two families of sandpipers, including chicks, were feeding along the side of Wisconsin #13 between Windy and Jack Pine Roads. These birds have seen their numbers decrease over the years due to both hunting and habitat loss (grasslands).

First … my Upland Sandpipers and the Bobolinks

A Cedar Waxwing already finding some berries.

 

Stoney Starry Night on Lake Superior (Milky Way)

Year 4
One of my goals this summer was to photograph the Milky Way at the Old Fisherman’s Shack at Stoney Point on Lake Superior’s North Shore.  This image required lots of advance planning. First and foremost, one needs the Milky Way to be in the correct position. Only in early summer is the core of the Milky Way both above the horizon and due south. Later in the summer, the arch of the Milky Way moves to the southwest making this photograph impossible due to light pollution from Duluth.
 
In addition, one needs a clear night without moonlight. Last night the “stars aligned” (sorry about the pun)! The moon set shortly before midnight, and the core of the Milky Way was above the horizon from midnight to 2:00 am. Most of my research using an app called PlanIt for Photographers. It allowed me to perform my research and insure it was worth getting out of bed at 12:15 am for my drive up the shore.
 
Using my Sony A6000 and Rokinon 12 mm lens, my camera settings for this first image were ISO of 3,200; Aperture of 2.0; and an Exposure of 15 seconds. I did not use any light painting in this photograph. The windows of the shack are lit and reflecting distant ambient light. Both images are single photographs. I did not stack multiple photos to achieve my results.
For my second photograph I switched from landscape to portrait mode which allowed me to capture more of the Milky Way. As I intended to briefly light paint the shack, I reduced my ISO to 1,600, but increased the exposure to 25 seconds. Any exposure over 25 seconds would tend to smudge my stars (i.e. star trails would start to form).

All Good Birding Ends with Doughnuts!

Year 4

There could not be a better truism … doughnuts are a magical birding good, particularly if you are taking a five year old granddaughter on her first birding expedition. With more and more children growing up in huge urban areas, it is the responsibility of those of us who are fortunate enough to live with easily accessible wilderness to help the next generation learn an appreciation for the natural world.

Mya, one of my four grandchildren, just spent a week with us here on the edge of Duluth. Prior to taking her out birding I had scouted locations which were likely to result in a successful birding expedition both in terms of easily seeing birds, and providing enjoyment for a five year old. The mouth of the Lester River on Lake Superior was just the ticket for Mya and me. I knew birds would be present without much difficulty in terms of access, and we could also always  spend time of the stone beach throwing rocks into the lake.

Mya (and me) had a great time. My friendly Merlins perched on dead tree branches where they were easily viewed. In addition, a bird which normally spooks easily, Belted Kingfishers, actually provided us easy views. Finally, on the way home we stopped off at the grocery store and purchased fresh doughnuts. After all … good birding always ends with doughnuts!

Mya and me with doughnuts

One of our Merlins

The Belted Kingfisher

Mya watching a Pileated Woodpecker from our deck after we returned. She is now able to identify between 10 and 15 birds by name in the field!

Post Update:

There has been a nice response to this post. I decided I should expand my approach on some of the ways I am teaching the next generation about birding. The first item is fairly obvious, easily viewable bird feeders. All my grandchildren love watching birds from inside our home. Viewing can be short and enjoyable … 30 Seconds!

In addition, for Christmas last year I was given “Birding Bingo”. This game has become a favorite, and only costs  $12 via Amazon. Here is a screenshot. My grandkids don’t care much about winning, but warning … they like to fill the entire board! There are different versions of this game, but I like the one by Lucy Hammett Games … good “local” birds.