Tag Archives: MN South: Minneapolis

Stars Align: Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

August 13, 2015Year 2MN South: Minneapolisrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The stars aligned in suburban Minneapolis yesterday evening. I watched, photographed, and videoed a lifer, a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. Normally this beautiful bird hangs out in the southeastern part of the United States, and normally you would find me in the forests of northern Minnesota, but last night while working my way south to my son’s wedding in Iowa, I was lucky! HUGE thanks are owed to Laura S. who allowed me to bird in her back yard.

Hope you enjoy the image, and video. Make certain to watch the video in HD. Given it was after sunset when I ended up only 10 yards from the bird, viewing in high resolution helps!

If you’re new to my blog, you might also enjoy a 36 second time lapse video I took of the Northern Lights about three weeks ago. It was a special night on a remote Lake in northern Minnesota. Link to my Aurora Borealis video.

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

———-

Bird Nerds Watching the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
(I’m the guy in blue up against the tree)

Days 170 to 172: Minneapolis Meanderings

July 14, 2014Year 1MN South: French Park, MN South: Medicine Lake, MN South: Minneapolisrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The family went down to Minneapolis for the weekend to cheer on my wife’s first time competing in a triathlon. However, the bird project must go on! Time was brief for getting outside to hike and bird, but I still found some neat photo opportunities.

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

Day 170: Wood Ducks at Dusk

———-

Day 171: Great Egret

———-

Day 172: Barn Swallows

———-

The Finisher!

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.