Category Archives: Year 5

Do Birds Use Clairol Feather Coloring?

Year 5,

Does she or Doesn’t She? Only her hairdresser knows for sure! Growing up in the 1960’s this was a famous advertising campaign slogan for Clairol hair color.

Today was another dark and dreary day in the Northland. I found a Red-Tailed Hawk at Stoney Point on Lake Superior. Look at the two images. They are actually the same photograph. Hmmm … did I use Photoshop Elements?

Watch the TV commercial from the 1950’s!

I don’t normally do much post processing, but I really wanted to see some blue skies today! Believe it or not, while working on my computer to add blue skies, this Sharp-Shinned Hawk visited my yard … minimal post processing for these two images.

Duck … Duck … Duck … Goose!

Background, Year 5

Here in Minnesota we play Duck, Duck, Duck … Goose! Apparently some of you misinformed people in this world play Duck, Duck, Duck, Gray Duck! Sad, you really need to learn how to play this children’s game!

Having expressed my knowledge, I will note that I have updated the Birding With Children web page which is part of this site. The page now includes curriculum and resources focused upon teaching children about birds (towards the bottom of the linked page). Better yet, within a few weeks I will publish a new beginning children’s reader’s book, Hey There Mr. Owl! Stay tuned.

Here are screenshots of the tentative front and back covers …

Oh yes … Goose, or Snow Goose! (image  taken yesterday near Castle Danger)

Castle Danger Birding

Year 5

Yesterday morning, I finally had the opportunity to head out birding for the first time in several days. Both a paid photography assignment and shutting down my cabin’s water system for the winter have been my priorities. (Note to self: Wading into the water in a lake  that flows north to Hudson’s Bay in late October is dumb, and very, very cold).

Thankfully for me, if not the birds, the winds blew out of the south yesterday warming the northern Minnesota boreal forest. I decided to head up to Castle Danger, and then a bit inland to the Silver Creek area. I knew that migration would be on hold as birds would not be interested in flying against the strong southern wind. This is the same area where I hand captured / rescued Silver the Snowy Owl last Fall on October 30th. Soon Snowy Owls will invade the Northland for another winter.

Regardless, Castle Danger did not disappoint. I found lots of birds taking advantage of ponds which still had insects. Here are some of my image captures.

Rusty Blackbird

Lapland Longspur

Rusty Blackbird and Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper and Dunlin

Dunlin