Tag Archives: Birding Know How

Birds, Wildflowers & the Cornell Merlin ID

July 18, 2015Background, Year 2Birding Know How, MN North: Hartley Nature Centerrichardhoeg@gmail.com

My favorite wildflower patch is really starting to produce. The milkweed will soon be in full bloom, and color is already bursting out everywhere. In short, in northern Minnesota take a trip to the Hartley Nature Center. Stand in the wildflower garden and hide amongst the taller flowers (read over six feet tall!). If you are motionless, the birds will not be recognized as a dreaded human! Here are a few birds I saw and photographed during a 20 minute window of nice sun around 7:30 am.

One bird I gave me some identification difficulty. Enter the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. Even though I am a Dartmouth Alum, and during my college days I would do everything possible to defeat Cornell in athletics, their bird web services including their new Merlin ID App are fantastic. The word app is actually a bit misleading. Although they have Android and Apple apps, it is the windows PC based Merlin ID app which really takes the cake. I used the Merlin ID App to identify this Nashville Warbler. See the screenshots found at the end of this post document how Merlin functions.

Nashville Warbler

———-

Rose-Breasted Grosbeak

———-

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

———-

Merlin Bird ID Functionality

Birding via your Bicycle!

June 10, 2015Background, Year 2Birding Know How, MN North: Sax-Zim Bog, MN South: Medicine Lakerichardhoeg@gmail.com

I like to occasionally revisit this topic … birding by bicycle. Although a car gets one much faster to a desired location, taking a bike ride with camera gear in tow is a great way to exercise both the body and the mind. This morning I biked a little over 22 miles in the Sax-Zim Bog. Aside from a great ride through a beautiful rural landscape, I found two locations where I saw a bird I had never seen before in my life, a bobolink!

This was actually the second such bird biking trip I rode in the last seven days. This past weekend I biked the Luce Line Trail in suburban Minneapolis. This trail not accessible by car allowed me to find and photograph some bluebirds shortly after sunrise. Thus, birding by biking has another advantage … access to locations not available by car.

My final BIG birding while biking was my wife’s and my Spring North Tour. This spring we rode 1,500 miles through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. My camera was always available and ready for bird photography.

Thus, do you bird and bike?

View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size)

My new lifer, a Bobolink by bike!

———-

The Bluebirds and Tree Swallows from last weekend’s ride

———-

Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers, and an “action” shot of me taken by my wife … same birds!

Bird Photography by Bicycle

May 18, 2014BackgroundBicycle Birding, Birding Know How, MN South: Minneapolisrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Bicycling, birding and photography are a great combination. Yesterday I took a 24 mile ride on the Luce Line Trail. This rails to trails route which starts in the western suburbs of Minneapolis and proceeds into the rural countryside allows one to get some great exercise and also access areas not reachable by car. While one certainly may walk your local trails, when on a bicycle the birding photographer may quickly ride between prime habitat locations, and then either slow down or dismount for birding. By keeping a good lookout which in transit, unexpected sights will often present themselves.

My setup for birding photography is simple. I have a handlebar bag where my camera is stored for easy access. In addition I have a monopod lashed to rear bag for stabilizing my camera during long distance zoomed shots.

Here are a few photos from my Luce Line Trail bike ride. Please realize songbirds are just starting to migrate into the area. Photographic opportunities are yet a bit thin this spring.