Dark-eyed Junco

Reflection that Almost Was Not

Though it is hard to believe now the Canada goose was at one time in peril. These large geese nest in Canada and the northern United States and migrate to the southern United States for the winter. Because of too much hunting and habitat loss the Canada goose populations were dwindling. Several subspecies were on the brink of extinction. Fortunately changes in hunting regulations and changes in the law helped protect the remaining population and they have since rebounded to the point where many states now have to work to control the population.

Inca Dove

The Inca dove is a bird found in the south western United States, Mexico, and most of Central America. Like most doves they are a ground forager eating primarily seeds and other vegetation. They can be distinguished from other types of doves by the dark outlines of their feathers which gives them a scaled look.
Because Inca doves live in a warm climate they do not really migrate but every once in a while birds get lost. That is what happened to the bird in the second photo. The first photo was taken in Texas while the second was taken in Minnesota. In 2007 an Inca dove showed up at a feeder on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Two Harbors, MN. While Inca doves are very common in Texas this was the first one seen in Minnesota and people came from all around, including neighboring states to see this "rare" bird. Unfortunately things did not end well for the bird. Since these birds do not usually migrate it stayed around but it was not prepared to handle a Minnesota winter.

Tuesday Tweets

The mountain bluebird is found in the western half of North America. They breed from Alaska through Canada and the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. They winter in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America. Much of their range overlaps with the western bluebird. Mountain bluebirds and western bluebirds compete for nesting sites and will often defend their territories from one and other.

Mourning Cloak

While I have been out photographing owls at the Dodge Nature Center the past few days I have noticed that there are already insects flying around. Last week I spotted a honey bee, no doubt from the nature centers hives, and this weekend I have seen some small moth type insects. I have not seen any of the larger fun insects that I like to photograph like dragonflies or butterflies but with high temps this week close to or into the 60s I might start to see them this week. Usually the first butterfly that I see each year is the mourning cloak. This butterfly over winters as an adult. It will go into a type of hibernated state in a protected place producing a natural type of anti-freeze to help keep itself alive over the cold Minnesota winter. As soon as it begins to get warm, often not much above 50 degrees then these butterflies come back alive and go out looking to mate and begin a new generation.

Peaches and Cream

I photographed this hardy waterlily named Peaches and Cream at the water garden at the Como Zoo last summer.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Here in Minnesota we are not really known for our diversity in hummingbird species. The only species that we commonly see during the warmer parts of the year is the ruby-throated hummer. That is why I was excited to see a buff-bellied hummer when we were down in Texas a couple of years back. The buff-bellied hummer is one of the least common humming birds found in the United States. They are usually only found around the western gulf coast. They are also found on the east coast of Mexico and parts of Central America.

Great Blue Heron

We are quickly approaching the time of the year when the great blue herons return to the area. I usually begin to photograph them at the local rookery right after St Patrick's day. Unfortunately I am not sure if I will have the same opportunity this year. Last summer a tornado hit part of the city of Minneapolis and destroyed over half of the small island that the rookery was on. This island is located in the Mississippi River in the North Mississippi Regional Park and it was the best place to photograph nesting herons here in the Twin Cities. The tornado took out over half of the trees that were being used for nesting and destroyed all of the nests in the rookery. I hope that some will come back and nest in the remaining trees but who knows.

Bumble Bee Macro

Harlequin

The harlequin is a duck of the far north. They breed in quick moving rivers and streams in places like Alaska, northern Canada, Iceland, Greenland and western Russia. They are named after Harlequin in Commedia del'arte, a character that was typically very colorfully dressed.
During the winter they typically migrate to the coastal seas. In North America most of the eastern population winters in the coastal waters of Maine. For about three years we had this male harlequin who came down and wintered in the open waters of the Mississippi River. Harlequins are diving ducks that eat fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects. So he spent his winter days diving for fish while many people where able to get a look at a bird that they had never seen before.

Tuesday Tweets

Most people do not get overly excited when they see Canada geese but imagine things might be different if you spotted the goose above. Even though it looks quite different it is indeed a Canada goose. This goose is leucistic. Most people are familiar with the term albino but not so familiar with the term leucistic. Albino birds do not produce melanin, which gives birds their color. Albino birds are easily identified by their pink eyes. Leucistic birds produce melanin but it is not deposited normally on the feathers. Both conditions are genetic mutations that are unusual to extremely rare. This goose is leucistic because its body is producing melanin but it is not being deposited properly in some of the feathers that it should.

European Skipper

The European skipper is a common butterfly found in portions of north eastern North America. Unfortunately this is not where the species originated from. The European skipper is an invasive species that was accidentally introduced into Canada mixed in with imported grass seed back in 1910. In Europe it is called the Essex skipper.
By 1925 it had expanded its range and was spotted for the first time in the United States. Their range has continued to expand and now ranges from eastern North Dakota in the west and the Carolinas in the south. The larva of the European skipper consists of variety of grasses, including Timothy and quack-grasses. The adult feeds on the nectar of flowers as in the photos above.

Waterlily Innerlight

I photographed this hardy waterlily named Innerlight at the water garden at the Como Zoo.

Tiger Salamander

The eastern tiger salamander is the largest salamander in Minnesota. They are dark in color with irregularly placed yellow spots. Their skin is soft and smooth. Even though they get their name from their coloration they are aggressive predators, preying mainly on worms and insects with the occasional small frog or mouse for variety.
Salamanders are amphibians that spend the first part of their life living in the water. The larva hatch from eggs that are attached to aquatic vegetation. They breathe through large external gills. In takes about 4 to 6 months for them to reach there adult form. As they go through their metamorphosis they will develop internal lungs. As an adult they will use these to take in oxygen, although they exhale most of their CO2 through their skin. Adults spend most of their time in borrows a few feet below the ground. They will typically only venture out during the mating season in the spring when they will return to the water. I photographed this salamander crossing the road in the fall which means that it was probably a juvenile.

Trees by XxEmotional PoetxX

A tree is home to many creatures,
If they're big or if they're small,
The tree itself can have many features,
It can be short or tall,
A tree can have so many colors,
When Fall decides to come,
A feeder hangs from it's branch,
The wings of the bird hum,
But we're getting rid of all our trees,
Whether they're cut or they're burned,
But how to keep our world's trees,
Is a lesson we yet to have learned.