Category Archives: Year 5

Saturday Night at the Movies! Birding Special!

Year 5

I know it’s Wednesday, but if it were Saturday this blog post title would be 100% appropriate. After all, before there was Netflix, Hulu or even Blockbuster Video, there was Saturday Night at the Movies. For those of us who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, NBC would pick a film and the nation would tune in their television sets. No options!

Enjoy a short clip of the opening credits …

Here in Duluth while I was growing up we had two TV stations, CBS and NBC. Today the options are endless, including YouTube. Over the past few mornings I have made the short drive over to Cloverland, Wisconsin. Both the birding and weather has been fantastic. Thus, I bring you Saturday Night at the Movies … the Birding Special. (still images follow the movies)

Upland Sandpiper Singing: This bird is somewhat rare. It will start is winter migration back to South America within the next week or two. This Mom and its chick hang out near the Cloverland Town Hall.

Red-Headed Woodpecker: This pair hangs out at the corner of Green Acres Road and Wisc. Hwy #13. This kind of woodpecker is rare for the Northland, and Cloverland is at the edge of its northern range. In the first movie, you will watch and hear the woodpecker singing. In the second film the bird chatters and drums.

Not only was I seeing “red” but often double! Some photos of “Red”

Here are some images of the Upland Sandpiper mom and its chick.

Equal time was demanded by the raptors. I have been having fun watching both a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks, and some Northern Harriers. I was lucky enough to see the Harrier make a kill. Always pay particular attention to newly mowed fields and hay bales. These fields are cafeterias for birds and animals.

The Upland Sandpiper was not the only “piper” around. This Solitary Sandpiper likes to visit a small farm pond every morning.

Post Update on July 23rd: I received a comment to this post correctly  pointing out that the bird shown below is “not” a Solitary Sandpiper. That assessment is correct and I definitely ID’d the bird wrong. At this point, I am undecided between a Stilt Sandpiper, Long Billed Dowitcher or Short-Billed Dowitcher. Merlin Bird ID’s best guess was a Stilt Sandpiper.

Please note I did not approve the comment which informed me of my incorrect ID, but only because the person used a fictitious email account. Should people desire privacy and not have their names listed in comments, my email address may be found in the “About Me” section of this blog. Thank you.

Farms also mean barns, which mean Barn Swallows. I finally found a Barn Swallow perched lower to the ground.

This ends today’s version of Saturday Night at the Movies!

Lake Superior Day Speaking Engagements

Background, Year 5

If it isn’t obvious, I love Lake Superior. Thus, I am happy to donate my time and give two different talks this coming Saturday, July 21st at part of Port Wing, Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Days. Gitche Gumee is a great resource and needs to be protected.

I will be speaking for 30 minutes on two different topics, birding Western Lake Superior and Watching / Photographing the Night Sky (Aurora Borealis). My wife Molly will also give a presentation at 9:45 am on the bike tour we took around the western half of Lake Superior, cutting across the Lake by backpacker ferry to Isle Royale. My talks are at 9 am and 10:30 am in the local high school. There is no charge for admission.

Learn about all the events in Port Wing this Saturday via their web site.

The photograph shown below is not my own, and was provided by the City of Port Wing.

A Passion for the Prairie!

Year 5

For a guy who lives at the edge of the Boreal Forest, I love the grasslands! My own yard is a naturescape with wildflowers and tall grasses that reach over 6 feet in height by late August. The walk up to my house is bordered by a perennial garden. We are now entering the magical time of year where a potpourri of color, birds and animals are always present.

Thus, even though the temperatures stayed in the high 80’s with dreadful humidity, it should not be surprising that I spent the weekend camping at Minnesota’s Great River Bluffs State Park. This gem on the Mississippi combines the beauty of the “Father of Waters”, vistas out over the river and backwaters, and prairies. A few years back Molly and I biked 450+ miles on a self-supported bike tour along the upper Mississippi River.

This blog post spans the golden hours of sunset to sunrise on the Mississippi River bluffs prairie. It was a magical time where my solitude was only interrupted once by a lone runner who came along the dirt road upon which I was hiking / birding. That runner was my wife. The Prairie is now in full bloom. If you have the opportunity, take a walk along a country road at sunrise or sunset. You will understand and then acquire a “Passion for the Prairie”.

Evening Golden Hour: The grasses were deep gold in the late daylight, and only a few Red-Winged blackbirds were still foraging for food. (male and female pictured)

Morning Golden Hour: Sunrise was actually Fogrise! The high humidity meant morning fog, which eventually burned off, but provided a blueish tinge to the background light. I found a pair of Common Yellow Throats which were interested in love, and thereby willing to ignore me! I watched this pair for over 45 minutes … often from a distance of only ten feet.