Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Immature eagles getting frisky at Colville Park
On my return from Cochrane, WI, after the golden eagle trip that I took on the 10th, I stopped at Colville Park in Red Wing, MN. There were only a few eagles around but I was fortunate to catch a couple of immature eagles getting a little frisky in the cold winter air.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
How about a Cool Harlequin While you are Waiting
I am currently working on the pics that I took during the Sax Zim Festival of Birding but with over 20 GB of pictures to download and sort through, it may take me a day or two before I begin to get them posted. In the mean time here are some shots of the harlequin duck, which has been hanging around Prescott, WI, that I photographed last week before I left for Duluth.
Harlequin ducks are typically northern coastal birds which is why people get excited when they occasionally show up in our area.
This bird has been wintering here. This is the fourth time that I have been able to find him and get some pics since the first time, which was before Christmas.
One shore bird that I have not seen in Minnesota, but I did photograph quite extensively last year when we were in California, is the surf scoter.
The surf scoter is a sea duck that breeds in Alaska and Northern Canada and spends its winters in the waters of the Atlantic or Pacific coast.
The photos of both the male, in the first shot, and the female, above, were taken in the Moss Landing Harbor February of 2007.
Harlequin ducks are typically northern coastal birds which is why people get excited when they occasionally show up in our area.
This bird has been wintering here. This is the fourth time that I have been able to find him and get some pics since the first time, which was before Christmas.
One shore bird that I have not seen in Minnesota, but I did photograph quite extensively last year when we were in California, is the surf scoter.
The surf scoter is a sea duck that breeds in Alaska and Northern Canada and spends its winters in the waters of the Atlantic or Pacific coast.
The photos of both the male, in the first shot, and the female, above, were taken in the Moss Landing Harbor February of 2007.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Black Dog Merganser
I had hoped to blog from the Sax Zim Birding Festival that I attended this weekend but unfortunately I did not have Internet access at the hotel, which I stayed at. I did take a lot of shots of some great winter birds that I will be posting about shortly. I need to get them all down loaded first so while you wait here is a picture that I took at Black Dog Lake back on the 9th.
It was very cold and pretty quiet that Saturday I did find a common merganser female in the icy water.
Last year when we were in California we found a red-breasted merganser in the much warmer waters of the Elkhorn Slough. Red-breasted mergansers typically migrate to costal water, like those in California, during the winter.
We also found a female bufflehead in the harbor at Moss Landing. I have photographed bufflehead in Ca, Two Harbors, MN and the Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico.
When we on our whale watch looking for gray whales, I have already photographed humpbacks and orcas, we came across this common murre.
The common murre is a bird that we do not see in Minnesota. It spends most of its life in the sea and usually leaves the water only to breed on islands or rocky shorelines.
It was very cold and pretty quiet that Saturday I did find a common merganser female in the icy water.
Last year when we were in California we found a red-breasted merganser in the much warmer waters of the Elkhorn Slough. Red-breasted mergansers typically migrate to costal water, like those in California, during the winter.
We also found a female bufflehead in the harbor at Moss Landing. I have photographed bufflehead in Ca, Two Harbors, MN and the Bosque Del Apache in New Mexico.
When we on our whale watch looking for gray whales, I have already photographed humpbacks and orcas, we came across this common murre.
The common murre is a bird that we do not see in Minnesota. It spends most of its life in the sea and usually leaves the water only to breed on islands or rocky shorelines.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Red-tailed Hawk in Lake City, MN
On my way back from the golden eagle field trip I came across a red-tailed hawk at the rest stop.
While I was photographing the red-tail a sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk flew by chasing a small passerine. It happened so quickly that I did not have time to get a shot.
So instead I got a different angle on the red-tail.
While I was photographing the red-tail a sharp-shinned or Cooper's hawk flew by chasing a small passerine. It happened so quickly that I did not have time to get a shot.
So instead I got a different angle on the red-tail.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Visit to the National Eagle Center
While on my way down to Cochrane, WI for the golden eagle field trip I stopped off at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN. The last time that I had been at the NEC they were still working with the new golden eagle so he was not yet available for view by the public. That was about a month ago, now Don is out with the 3 resident bald eagles acting as an ambassabor for his species.
All of the birds at the center are birds that were injured and rehabilitated but could not be returned to the wild. Now they help the center to educate people on eagles and on environmental issues that might affect these marvelous birds.
Columbia, above, is the youngest of the bald eagles at the center. She came to the center shortly after the Columbia shuttle disaster and got her name in honor of the Columbia crew.
Harriet has been with the center the longest. She is tried and true and very used to being around people. She has done programs all around the country, has appeared on the Colbert Report, and modeled for a special Minnesota Veteran's license plate.
On this Sunday one of the center volunteers had Angel on a glove out in the lobby. I think of Angel as the wild child of the bunch. She always appears to me to have a little more attitude and is often more vocal then Harriet or Columbia.
While I was there she spotted several wild bald eagles flying out over the river in front of the center and she was very insistent about letting them, as well as all of us, know that she wanted to go out and play. If you ever are around Wabasha, MN I definitely recommend a visit to the National Eagle Center.
All of the birds at the center are birds that were injured and rehabilitated but could not be returned to the wild. Now they help the center to educate people on eagles and on environmental issues that might affect these marvelous birds.
Columbia, above, is the youngest of the bald eagles at the center. She came to the center shortly after the Columbia shuttle disaster and got her name in honor of the Columbia crew.
Harriet has been with the center the longest. She is tried and true and very used to being around people. She has done programs all around the country, has appeared on the Colbert Report, and modeled for a special Minnesota Veteran's license plate.
On this Sunday one of the center volunteers had Angel on a glove out in the lobby. I think of Angel as the wild child of the bunch. She always appears to me to have a little more attitude and is often more vocal then Harriet or Columbia.
While I was there she spotted several wild bald eagles flying out over the river in front of the center and she was very insistent about letting them, as well as all of us, know that she wanted to go out and play. If you ever are around Wabasha, MN I definitely recommend a visit to the National Eagle Center.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Red-shouldered vs red-tailed hawk
On a post that I made earlier this week about a red-shouldered hawk, that I relocated, AW posted a comment asking how the red-shouldered hawk flies with respect to the red-tailed hawk. This was a great question and one that, quite frankly, I was not sure what the answer was. So I did a little bit of research and here is what I have found. Most online resources that I found do not explain very well, if at all, the flight patterns of the birds. However the Carolina Raptor Center website does include an explanation of flight in each raptors description.
The active flight of the red-shouldered hawk is accipiter like, with 3-5 quick shallow beats followed by a period of gliding. When it is soaring the wingtips of the red-shouldered hawk droop slightly, and it does not hover. Other features that can help identify a red-shoulder in flight are the translucent crescents at the base of the primaries, the smaller size and the longer tail. The photo above was taken in California in 2007 and is a good example of the shape of the red-shouldered in flight.
The active flight of the red-tailed hawk has slow deep wing beats. When it is soaring the red-tail will usually have its wings in a slight dihedral, or V shape. The red-tail can also hover or kite in the wind. Red-tails typically appear stockier with a shorter tail that often has a red tone to it. The above red-tail photo was also taken in California in 2007 and shows the differences in the wing shape between the two species of buteos.
The differences in flight may correlate to each species preferred habitat. The red-shouldered hawk is usually found in wooded area near to a water source. Red-tails are a border species who typically live at the edge of the woods where it meets open field. Since red-tails do much of their hunting over open fields they can spend a lot of time soaring and conserve energy. Birds that live inside more forested areas, such as red-shouldered hawks, would need to do more flapping and maneuvering to get around. Their longer tail would help them in their maneuvering.
Thanks AW for visiting my site and asking a great question. One of the great things that I have found out about blogging is that I seem to learn something new all the time which in the end is making me more knowlegeable and a better birder.
The active flight of the red-shouldered hawk is accipiter like, with 3-5 quick shallow beats followed by a period of gliding. When it is soaring the wingtips of the red-shouldered hawk droop slightly, and it does not hover. Other features that can help identify a red-shoulder in flight are the translucent crescents at the base of the primaries, the smaller size and the longer tail. The photo above was taken in California in 2007 and is a good example of the shape of the red-shouldered in flight.
The active flight of the red-tailed hawk has slow deep wing beats. When it is soaring the red-tail will usually have its wings in a slight dihedral, or V shape. The red-tail can also hover or kite in the wind. Red-tails typically appear stockier with a shorter tail that often has a red tone to it. The above red-tail photo was also taken in California in 2007 and shows the differences in the wing shape between the two species of buteos.The differences in flight may correlate to each species preferred habitat. The red-shouldered hawk is usually found in wooded area near to a water source. Red-tails are a border species who typically live at the edge of the woods where it meets open field. Since red-tails do much of their hunting over open fields they can spend a lot of time soaring and conserve energy. Birds that live inside more forested areas, such as red-shouldered hawks, would need to do more flapping and maneuvering to get around. Their longer tail would help them in their maneuvering.
Thanks AW for visiting my site and asking a great question. One of the great things that I have found out about blogging is that I seem to learn something new all the time which in the end is making me more knowlegeable and a better birder.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Cold!!!
This weekend it was very cold here in Minnesota. It was so cold that even the geese were huddling together to try and stay warm.
Last year at this time Michelle and I got away from the frigid Minnesota winter and took a trip out to sunny California.
Most years we try and get away to some place warm during the winter, we usually rotate between Florida, California and Texas. This year our finances are a bit lower then usual, due to car and house repairs, so my winter trip will be to a location a little closer to home, I am going up to Duluth this weekend for the Sax Zim Festival of Birds. 
So I thought that I would take the opportunity to reminisce and share some pictures that we shot last year before I began blogging.
The fun part of going to new places is to see birds and mammals that I do not typically see around home. The Brandt's cormorant is a great example of a bird that I have never seen in Minnesota and probably never will. The Brandt's cormorant is a marine bird that can be found up and down the pacific coast of North America. We took this shot as we were going out into Monterey Bay on a whale watch.
Last year at this time Michelle and I got away from the frigid Minnesota winter and took a trip out to sunny California.
Most years we try and get away to some place warm during the winter, we usually rotate between Florida, California and Texas. This year our finances are a bit lower then usual, due to car and house repairs, so my winter trip will be to a location a little closer to home, I am going up to Duluth this weekend for the Sax Zim Festival of Birds. 
So I thought that I would take the opportunity to reminisce and share some pictures that we shot last year before I began blogging.The fun part of going to new places is to see birds and mammals that I do not typically see around home. The Brandt's cormorant is a great example of a bird that I have never seen in Minnesota and probably never will. The Brandt's cormorant is a marine bird that can be found up and down the pacific coast of North America. We took this shot as we were going out into Monterey Bay on a whale watch.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
In Search Golden Eagles at 20 Below
What do you do when it gets to 20 below zero and 40 below wind-chill? You go out looking for golden eagles of course. This Sunday Scott Mehus, from the National Eagle Center, lead a field trip through the back roads of southwest Wisconsin in search of Golden Eagles. Scott organizes the annual golden eagle survey that I participated in last month. The survey, which was held on January 17th, included 67 observers that covered 26 routes, 16 in Wisconsin, 9 in Minnesota and 1 in Iowa. The results of the survey were, 37 golden eagles spotted on the count day, 31 in WI and 6 in MN. An additional 23 birds were spotted during the count week on routes not covered during the count day, 17 in WI and 6 in MN. During the count observers also spotted 390 bald eagles, 112 red-tailed hawks, 18 rough-legged hawks, 1 red-shouldered hawk, and several American kestrel and sharp-shinned hawks.
The group that I was in covered an area just west of Wabasha, MN. We spotted about 10 bald eagles and a red-tailed hawk but no golden eagles. Since some of the observers were like me and did not get to see any golden eagles Scott put together this field trip to give us another chance to catch a glimpse of these marvelous birds before they head north. Scott chose Sunday the 10th as the date for the field trip. That Sunday the skies were clear and blue but it was very cold, later that night International Falls Minnesota hit a record of 40 degrees below zero. People who wanted to participate in the field trip were to meet down in Cochrane, WI at 1:30PM so I decided to start off early in the morning and do some birding on my way down. I arrived in Cochrane a bit early so I ate some lunch while Scott and the rest of the participants arrived. There were 8 of us who were crazy enough to brave the cold and join Scott on this adventure and we were not disappointed. Scott found us a pair of golden eagles right away. Unfortunately they were perched close to the trunk of a tree which was not really great for taking pics. Scott explained that golden eagles do not typically perch out in the open like bald eagles do which is why most people often miss them. Later on we did find one that was perched more in the open; he was pretty far away, at least a mile, so I was not able to get a lot of detail in the shot.
I did stop at the National Eagle Center on my way up so that I could get a good close up shot of a golden eagle. This is Don and he is the newest educational bird at the National Eagle Center. I will post more pictures from the National Eagle Center later.
We also did get a look at a golden eagle in flight. Golden eagles usually fly with more of a dihedral, V shaped, wing pattern then bald eagles do. This helps when trying to distinguish a golden eagle in flight from an immature bald eagle.
Another thing to look for to help distinguish a golden eagle in flight is the size of the head and neck in comparison to the size of the tail. You can see in the shot above that the head and neck appear to be much smaller then the tail on a golden eagle.
The immature bald eagle, like this one that flew over with 2 others while we were out looking for goldies, flies with its wings straight out at its sides and its head, with its large beak appears to be about the same size as the tail.
Soon these birds will leave this area and migrate back north. Where their breeding grounds are we are not sure though it is suspected that they are part of the Ontario or Quebec golden eagle population. Through the National Eagle Center and Scott's efforts people are becoming more aware of this golden eagle population that we have wintering in our area. Scott spoke briefly, at one point, about how he hoped to someday be able to tag a couple of the eagles with GPS so that we could track where their summer range is. I think that would be a worthwhile project and I would love to be involved with it. For now I plan to continue to participate in future golden eagle surveys, even on dreadfully cold days.
The group that I was in covered an area just west of Wabasha, MN. We spotted about 10 bald eagles and a red-tailed hawk but no golden eagles. Since some of the observers were like me and did not get to see any golden eagles Scott put together this field trip to give us another chance to catch a glimpse of these marvelous birds before they head north. Scott chose Sunday the 10th as the date for the field trip. That Sunday the skies were clear and blue but it was very cold, later that night International Falls Minnesota hit a record of 40 degrees below zero. People who wanted to participate in the field trip were to meet down in Cochrane, WI at 1:30PM so I decided to start off early in the morning and do some birding on my way down. I arrived in Cochrane a bit early so I ate some lunch while Scott and the rest of the participants arrived. There were 8 of us who were crazy enough to brave the cold and join Scott on this adventure and we were not disappointed. Scott found us a pair of golden eagles right away. Unfortunately they were perched close to the trunk of a tree which was not really great for taking pics. Scott explained that golden eagles do not typically perch out in the open like bald eagles do which is why most people often miss them. Later on we did find one that was perched more in the open; he was pretty far away, at least a mile, so I was not able to get a lot of detail in the shot.
I did stop at the National Eagle Center on my way up so that I could get a good close up shot of a golden eagle. This is Don and he is the newest educational bird at the National Eagle Center. I will post more pictures from the National Eagle Center later.
We also did get a look at a golden eagle in flight. Golden eagles usually fly with more of a dihedral, V shaped, wing pattern then bald eagles do. This helps when trying to distinguish a golden eagle in flight from an immature bald eagle.
Another thing to look for to help distinguish a golden eagle in flight is the size of the head and neck in comparison to the size of the tail. You can see in the shot above that the head and neck appear to be much smaller then the tail on a golden eagle.
The immature bald eagle, like this one that flew over with 2 others while we were out looking for goldies, flies with its wings straight out at its sides and its head, with its large beak appears to be about the same size as the tail.Soon these birds will leave this area and migrate back north. Where their breeding grounds are we are not sure though it is suspected that they are part of the Ontario or Quebec golden eagle population. Through the National Eagle Center and Scott's efforts people are becoming more aware of this golden eagle population that we have wintering in our area. Scott spoke briefly, at one point, about how he hoped to someday be able to tag a couple of the eagles with GPS so that we could track where their summer range is. I think that would be a worthwhile project and I would love to be involved with it. For now I plan to continue to participate in future golden eagle surveys, even on dreadfully cold days.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Red Souldered Hawk Relocated
On Monday the 4th I was able to relocate the red-shouldered that I spotted back in January over by Carpenter Nature Center.
He was in a small tree in an open field off of highway 10 not far from the intersection of highway 61
This is near where I saw him the last time so he must be finding prey in the nearby fields.
He was in a small tree in an open field off of highway 10 not far from the intersection of highway 61
This is near where I saw him the last time so he must be finding prey in the nearby fields.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The Beginning of February at the Minnesota Valley NWR
February began with a nice sunny day. I stopped off at the Minnesota Valley NWR Visitors Center after work I was hoping to spot the sharp-shinned hawk that has been hanging around but he did not show up while I was there. I did take the opportunity to photograph some of the feeder birds though. The peanuts in this hanging feeder where very popular.
First the white-breasted nuthatch were fighting over them.
Then a downy woodpecker came in for his share.
The European starlings alternated between the peanuts and the suet feeders. Birds seem to naturally know when bad weather is coming. Right before hand you can usually find them gorging on protein and fat.
The birds were not the only ones out grabbing a meal while the sun was still shining. This little red squirrel was pigging out on seeds that had fallen to the ground.
It was a good thing for the squirrel that he was on the back side of the visitors center because when I left I found a red-tailed hawk perched out front. That red squirrel would not be very much of a meal for a hungry red tail but during the winter you have to take what you can get if you want to survive.
First the white-breasted nuthatch were fighting over them.
Then a downy woodpecker came in for his share.
The European starlings alternated between the peanuts and the suet feeders. Birds seem to naturally know when bad weather is coming. Right before hand you can usually find them gorging on protein and fat.
The birds were not the only ones out grabbing a meal while the sun was still shining. This little red squirrel was pigging out on seeds that had fallen to the ground.
It was a good thing for the squirrel that he was on the back side of the visitors center because when I left I found a red-tailed hawk perched out front. That red squirrel would not be very much of a meal for a hungry red tail but during the winter you have to take what you can get if you want to survive.
Friday, February 8, 2008
A Really Cute Orangutan Baby
On December 13th an orangutan named Markisa, from the Como Zoo in St Paul, became the 9th orangutan in captivity to give birth via caesarean. The birth took place at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center and involved Como Zoo Keepers, University Vets as well as OB-GYN staff from the University Children's Hospital Fairview.
For a little under two weeks the baby was cared for by zoo caretakers who acted as a surrogate mother by dressing in a special orangutan suit and holding the baby for 24 hours a day. On Christmas day Markisa was reunited with her baby after only 12 days. Previous orangutans who gave birth vie caesarean took 9 months or longer before they could be reunited.
I stopped at the Como Zoo, which is only a few blocks from work, during my lunch on Thursday. I was hoping to get a picture of the baby who is very cute. Unfortunately Markisa and baby where napping in a dark corner where I was not able to get any shots.
I returned after work and found that mom and baby were a little bit more visible then when I was there earlier at lunch time. I took a couple of shots, like the one above, and then waited around to see if they would move into some better light.
With in about 30 minutes Markisa came up close to the glass to show off her new baby.
There is currently a contest to name the baby. The 3 possible choices are Jaya, which means celebration, Pandu, which means leader, or Bejo, which means luck. The name will be chosen by which name receives the most donations. To donate, and vote, you can go to the Como Zoo Visitors Center or online here. The baby's new name will be announced on Monday the 18th so you only have until this Sunday to vote. I donated money at the zoo and chose Bejo.
For a little under two weeks the baby was cared for by zoo caretakers who acted as a surrogate mother by dressing in a special orangutan suit and holding the baby for 24 hours a day. On Christmas day Markisa was reunited with her baby after only 12 days. Previous orangutans who gave birth vie caesarean took 9 months or longer before they could be reunited.
I stopped at the Como Zoo, which is only a few blocks from work, during my lunch on Thursday. I was hoping to get a picture of the baby who is very cute. Unfortunately Markisa and baby where napping in a dark corner where I was not able to get any shots.
I returned after work and found that mom and baby were a little bit more visible then when I was there earlier at lunch time. I took a couple of shots, like the one above, and then waited around to see if they would move into some better light.
With in about 30 minutes Markisa came up close to the glass to show off her new baby.
There is currently a contest to name the baby. The 3 possible choices are Jaya, which means celebration, Pandu, which means leader, or Bejo, which means luck. The name will be chosen by which name receives the most donations. To donate, and vote, you can go to the Como Zoo Visitors Center or online here. The baby's new name will be announced on Monday the 18th so you only have until this Sunday to vote. I donated money at the zoo and chose Bejo.
Great Horned Owl
After taking some pictures of hooded mergansers at Black Dog Lake on the last day of January I headed down Cedar Ave to Lakeville to try and get some more shots of the great horned owls nest there. When I arrived the female was still in the nest. She was hunkered down pretty well so I could not really get any pictures of her except for her tufts. Since she was not visible for photos I decide to take a look around to see if I could locate the male. It did not take me long to find him.
He was perched in a tree on the opposite side of the woods from where I was standing. I did manage to find an opening through most of the branches that allowed me to get a couple of pics but I was not happy with all the clutter in the pictures so I skirted around the south side of the woods, making a wide arch so that I would not spook him, in order to see if I would have a better view on the other side.
I did finally find a spot where I had a good view of the owl with very little clutter in front of it. It was getting late in the day and he was beginning to scan the area searching for possible prey so I decided it was time for me to leave. I decided to take the back way home instead of the freeway. It takes a bit longer but there is also more opportunity to find something interesting to shoot on back roads. I did find a couple of things on my way back that night. First I found an open field that was full of wild turkeys searching the ground for left over seed.
Further down the road I found a pair of female ring-necked pheasant. (Thanks Mike) 
This was the best look that I got as I pulled off the road and jumped out of the truck to take this shot in the waning light.
Unfortunately the bird flushed so I could not get any better shots.
He was perched in a tree on the opposite side of the woods from where I was standing. I did manage to find an opening through most of the branches that allowed me to get a couple of pics but I was not happy with all the clutter in the pictures so I skirted around the south side of the woods, making a wide arch so that I would not spook him, in order to see if I would have a better view on the other side.
I did finally find a spot where I had a good view of the owl with very little clutter in front of it. It was getting late in the day and he was beginning to scan the area searching for possible prey so I decided it was time for me to leave. I decided to take the back way home instead of the freeway. It takes a bit longer but there is also more opportunity to find something interesting to shoot on back roads. I did find a couple of things on my way back that night. First I found an open field that was full of wild turkeys searching the ground for left over seed.
Further down the road I found a pair of female ring-necked pheasant. (Thanks Mike) 
This was the best look that I got as I pulled off the road and jumped out of the truck to take this shot in the waning light.
Unfortunately the bird flushed so I could not get any better shots.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Hooded Merganser Return to Black Dog
On Thursday the 31st I took off after work and went out to do a bit of birding, my first stop was Black Dog Lake. This trip to Black Dog was a bit more exciting then the last couple because I had a new subject to photograph. A pair of hooded mergansers was swimming in the river near where one of the channels enters from the lake.
Hooded mergansers are not uncommon or rare but I was still pretty pumped. Even though I love taking pictures of eagles and trumpeter swans, I have really been looking forward to a little more variety.
The hooded merganser can be found only in North America. It is the smallest species of merganser in North America and the second smallest of the six species world wide. It is a diving duck that uses its clear nictitating membrane to protect its open eyes so that it can see underwater to hunt for fish.
The hooded merganser was one of the last birds that I saw leave this area to migrate. I am hoping that seeing them return is a sign that the spring migration may soon begin.
Hooded mergansers are not uncommon or rare but I was still pretty pumped. Even though I love taking pictures of eagles and trumpeter swans, I have really been looking forward to a little more variety.
The hooded merganser can be found only in North America. It is the smallest species of merganser in North America and the second smallest of the six species world wide. It is a diving duck that uses its clear nictitating membrane to protect its open eyes so that it can see underwater to hunt for fish.The hooded merganser was one of the last birds that I saw leave this area to migrate. I am hoping that seeing them return is a sign that the spring migration may soon begin.
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