Tag Archives: MN North: Sunrise Cemetery

Know Your Local Ponds! Great Birding

Year 8, ,

Yesterday morning I “did the ponds.” These small bodies of water are great birding opportunities. Better yet, if the ponds have small islands to make wildlife feel safe, even better. Quite often cemeteries will have ponds. The best ponds do NOT have manicured lawns next to them. Tall grasses and wetlands are the best. In Duluth I often visit Forest Hill and Sunrise Cemeteries. In addition, Sam’s Club has a nice pond opposite its car service area. One final advantage of urban ponds, the wildlife is often accustomed to people which makes getting close much, much easier.

Pond Pics … A Otter, Kingfisher (female) and Green Heron

After a day at the ponds, I was out hiking before sunrise at 5:30 this morning. My local Red-Eyed Vireos started screeching in alarm and thus I was rewarded with finding two owlets.

Sunrise Fox Fight!

Year 6

I know I have often given sermons on the importance of birding and hiking the woods shortly after sunrise (or even before). This morning I was following my own advice and my morning turned magical. Although I found my target birds (Green Herons), the sunrise treat was watching a pair of fox kits romp and play for a few minutes before they discovered my presence.

Fox Fight! (my camera was “not” optimized for motion … I reaction to the motion and pressed the shutter)

The Fox Kits were now playing tag, and I had better camera settings

I am discovered!

My target bird was a Green Heron, which did not let me down.

Finally, yesterday evening an hour before sunset my oldest grandson discovered a raccoon had moved into our large white pine! The images were taken from my deck. I know from experience the Raccoon will not venture out of this den till it is truly dark.