Category Archives: Year 5

Blue Jay Bonanza

Year 5,

The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory which is up on the ridge about two miles from my house counted over 5,500 Blue Jays yesterday. The southward migration is definitely in full force working its way down the North Shore of Lake Superior and ultimately to points south. Over the past week it has been rare for me not to have at least a few Blue Jays in the feeders. I have learned that Blue Jays give way to the Common Crow and Morning Dove. Otherwise they rule the feeders. Here is just one of my visitors.

And short movie of the American Golden Plovers I took a few days ago …

Shorebird Identification

Year 5

Almost one year ago from today I started off a post in this manner …

Will the real American Golden Plover please stand up?!

Some of us are old enough to remember the TV show, To Tell The Truth! In this show, a panel of celebrities asked three guests questions in an attempt to determine who was the real guest, and who were impostors. Sometimes identifying shorebirds feels a bit like an episode of this game show. Shorebirds have many different plumage patterns, which vary by the season of the year, and whether a bird is a male, female, breeding male, breeding female or an immature bird.

Well … ID’ing shorebirds and specifically the difference between American Golden and Black Bellied Plovers is very, very tough. I did manage to come up with a correct ID for all the birds featured in this post, but I checked my work using both of these two tools:

I assume most of my readers have similar problems with Shorebird identification. Hope these two resources help.

Ruddy Turnstones

Sanderlings

American Golden Plovers

And some non shorebirds that wanted in on the post. Images also taken out on Minnesota Point!

Common Crow

Palm Warbler

Free Outdoor Photography Class

Background, Year 5

I will be teaching a free Outdoor Photography class this Fall in the Duluth area at French River Lutheran Church on Tuesday evenings from 6:45 to 8 pm (October 9th to November 13th … six sessions).

Class Description: Class will cover the basics of digital photography including the trade-offs between ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture. Students will learn how to optimize photographs based upon light conditions, desired effects, and time of day (i.e. daytime, sunrise & sunset golden hours and night). The course will also review basic camera equipment add-ons. Finally, basic post processing of images will be taught. Organization and storage of images will also be reviewed. Weather permitting, some classes may be outside.

Students should bring their camera to each class, and that camera should be capable of taking photographs in the “M” or “manual” mode. Students should bring their camera’s manual.

Snowy Owl Photographed early last December … Duluth area.