Category Archives: Year 4

Pagami Creek Forest Fire Region American Woodcock

Year 4
I drove up to the Pagami Creek forest fire region (NW of Isabella, Minnesota) arriving at the start of Tomahawk Road at 6:30 am this morning. My first comment if you want to bird the area is bring bug repellent. Warm weather has finally arrived up near the Canadian border and with it … lots of black flies and mosquitoes!
 
While I did not see any Black Backed Woodpeckers even with an hour’s extensive hiking and listening near the Isabella Lake BWCA Entry Point parking area, there were a huge number of Wilson Snipes and Yellowthroats calling out.
 
On the way back to Mn Hwy #1, I stopped many times and took short hikes, but still no Black Backed Woodpeckers, or Spruce Grouse. However, what I did see quite a few of were American Woodcock. Between 9 am and 10 am woodcocks were often seen slowly crossing the road.
 
The easiest woodcock location to find is 1/2 mile past the Kelley Loop when you reach the first “Planted in 1946” sign. Slow down way down and over the nest 2/10 of a mile look for rocks which occasionally move … the best way I can describe spotting a woodcock. I found the same bird multiple times, and I suspect it has a nest in that vicinity. I paid a high price in blood for my American Woodcock image. The bugs found me as I stood motionless to take my photographs.
American Woodcock

Turkey Vulture (bald can be beautiful!)

Apple Blossoms for Breakfast (and other fine stories)

Year 4,

Now that the birding migration is pretty much over, I have changed my tactics. During the migration, birds came to me as they migrated “to” and “through” the Northland. Now I have to go find the birds. This task is not too difficult, and my some of my favorite birding locations early in the mating season are the northwest Wisconsin wetlands:

  • Roy Johnson Wetlands & Grasslands (near Cloverland, Wisconsin)
  • McQuarrie Wetlands (near Wrenshall, Minnesota … but in Wisconsin)

Now on to the birds … I for one did not know Cedar Waxwings actually eat apple blossoms! I thought these birds were eating bugs off the blossoms, but I watched for ten minutes as the waxwings bit off and chewed blossoms completely!

The day before in the rain, but still in the Roy Johnson Wetlands I found lots of other “first birds” for the year.

Red Headed Woodpecker

Meadowlark and Wilson Snipe

This morning I visited the McQuarrie Wetlands, and had both this Baltimore Oriole, and a pair of Common Loons pose nicely for my camera.

Wisconsin Wetlands Map

Davidson Windmill Milky Way

Year 4

Last night rather than the Northern Lights, I chased the Milky Way with my camera! The Davidson Windmill is located just outside of Superior on Wisconsin hwy #13.

 
Weather forecast: Clear Skies
Moon forecast: Shining, but not too much. Setting about 2 am.
Milky Way forecast: Core will be in proper position at 2 am.
 
This kind of research and much more goes into a Milky Way photograph. First there is only about one month per year that the core of the Milky Way is properly positioned for me to “get” the photograph I wanted of this windmill. Earlier in the Spring the Milky Way would be positioned to far to the east. Later in the Summer the Milky Way would be position to far to the west in the night sky.
 
Obviously I needed clear skies, but in addition I wanted some moonlight to illuminate the windmill, but not too much moonlight. In addition I needed the moon in the proper position in the sky to shine upon the Davidson Windmill.
 
Last night I set my alarm for 12:45 am and within five minutes of waking up I was driving to my photoshoot location where I arrive at 1:30 am.
 
Thus, photographs like this image do not just happen by accident. A huge amount of planning goes into execution. Finally, even before I take a photograph I need to see “in my mind” what I believe the end result will look like … and oh yes, I miss a lot of sleep!
 
For other photographers, this is one image (not multiple stacked images). I was using my Sony A6000 with a Rokinon wide angle lens. The aperture was set to 2.0 (wide open), the exposure was 25 seconds, and my ISO was 2000.

Here is a slightly different treatment. Everything is the same except I now had an ISO of 3200 and a 20 second exposure.