Northern Shrike

The northern shrike is a songbird that is slightly smaller then a robin. They breed up up in the Arctic Circle of Alaska and Canada. During the winter you may find them around your feeder if you live in the northern half of the United States. Unlike the other birds they are not there for the nyjer thistle, cracked corn or other type of seed. You see the northern shrike is a bird eater. They do not have the powerful talons that raptors use to catch their prey so they have to use their beaks instead. They also have been known to use tools, like barbed wire and twigs, to impale their prey. They often kill more prey then they can eat, which is how they received the scientific name Lanius excubitor, roughly translated this means butcher watchman. However the northern shrike will actually cache excess food for times when prey is scarce.

Falcon by Sheena Blackhall

Kek-kek-kek-kiak Kek-kek-kek-kiak

Sky-high on his cross of air,

His war cry, a dry clack,

Like an ack-ack gun.

Canyons of cloud above my probing stare,

The tiercel is circling the wood

Like a steel trap, poised to snap.

I am drawn by his lure,

Small tiger of the Heavens,

Hook-beaked spitfire splitting

The creamy silk of a summer's day,

Slitting the wind,

Winged scythe of a lightning fork

His taloned gauntlets

Spear through sheers of cloud,

A break-neck stoop

His guillotine swoop

Swift as a hit-man's kill

In down town world, New York.

Hedgerows are bulldozed.

Cities nest in woods.

Badger, and fox's home's a superstore.

A mortgaged temple of glass and masonry

Suburbs are serving writs through the peat bog door.

Autumn Meadowhawk

Hopper

Canada Goose

The Canada goose is one of the most recognizable birds in North America. Since it can be found in every U.S. state and every provence of Canada at one time of the year or another it is rare to find someone who has never seen one. Here in Minnesota they are so abundant that many people consider them a nuisance. However around 100 years ago the Canada goose was in danger of going extinct. Due to over hunting and habitat loss many of the subspecies were in serious decline. The giant Canada goose was believed extinct until a small flock was found wintering in Rochester, MN in 1962. Fortunately with new hunting regulations and conservation laws the Canada goose was saved and today they are considered a conservation success story.

Merlin Falcon

When most people think of the word merlin they picture an old man with a long gray beard doing magic back in the middle ages, but if you are lucky you might be able to see a merlin outside your window today. The merlin is a small falcon that can be found through out parts of the northern hemisphere. They are circumpolar, with nine different subspecies found around the world, 3 in North America and 6 in Eurasia.
Over the ages the merlin has been called several different names. In medieval times they were referred to as the queens falcon or lady's falcon. During this time period falconry, hunting using a hawk or falcon, was all the rage with the nobility. While the royal men would use the larger falcons royal women would typically hunt with the smaller merlin falcon. Later on merlins were referred to as pigeon hawks, even though they are considerably smaller then a pigeon and it would be rare to see a merlin trying to take prey that large.

Vermilion Flycatcher

The vermilion flycatcher is a very popular passerine with birders but unfortunately there are very few places that you can find them in the United States. There are actually twelve different subspecies of vermilion flycatchers and that can be found from the south western United States down though Mexico, Central America and most of South America. The photo above is of a male vermilion flycatcher that I photographed in south Texas in 2010. As with many passerines the female of the species is much less colorful. The only red on the female is under the tail and it is much paler then the red on the male.

Cabbage White

The cabbage white is a common site in most of the U.S. and Canada during the summer, however it is not a native species to North America. The cabbage white is a native of Europe, Great Britain, Asia and North Africa. It was accidentally introduced into Canada in 1860. By 1885 the cabbage white had extended its range across most of North America.
The cabbage white gets its common name from the fact that cabbage is one of the larval host plants. The larva will eat most species in the mustard family including cauliflower, radish, kale, broccoli and mustard greens as well as wild mustard species such as charlock. Because much of what the larva eats are cultivated crops, farmers often try to control their population with either chemical or microbial pesticides.

Huisache

This flowering tree or bush is not a native of Minnesota. This is Huisache a plant that thrives on the south Texas plains. Because it blossoms early, February and March, it is often considered a harbinger of spring. I photographed this tree in the Hugh Ramsey Park in south Texas.

Pileated Woodpecker

The pileated woodpecker is the largest woodpecker that we have here in Minnesota, they are just slightly smaller then a crow. They are so large that the holes that they excavate in trees in search of ants often attract other birds. These holes are usually rectangular in shape.
Pileated woodpeckers stay on territory all year long. Both male and female will defend the territory, although they are more tolerant during the winter. They nest in a cavity that they excavate typically in a large dead tree. The nest is not lined but usually contains wood chips left over from the excavation process.

Autmumn by Catrina Heart

O sweet autumn leaves

Making the forest expressive

WE play along the jungle of life

In hues unfurl the tales of ours

Red, Orange, Yellow, Brown

Love and sorrow, bright as the sun

Gloom escapes from dusk to dawn

Giving spirit to the fallen vegetation

O sweet autumn leaves

Holding, falling, and lying to blanket earth

Each color speaks about our picture perfect

Living lively on cycles in this world

Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Bluebird

Loon

Loons are one of my favorite types of water fowl. They are the state bird of Minnesota and they adorn the critical habitat license plates that are on my car. However loons are built a little bit differently then most other species of birds.
First off their legs are further back on their body then most other birds. This makes it very difficult and awkward for them to walk but it does help them to swim. That is why they spend the majority of their time in the water. Common loons nest on fresh water lakes in Canada, Alaska and northern portions of the United States. They winter in the coastal waters of the U.S.
You might notice in the pictures above that the loon appears to be sitting very low in the water. That is because while most birds have hollow bones the common loon does not. This adaptation makes them less buoyant which enables them to dive up to 200 feet under the water. Below the surface of the water they prey primarily on fish but they will also eat other aquatic vertebrates and invertebrates.

Red Columbine

Red columbine is a woodland perennial that is native to the eastern half of the United States. It is one of 60 to 70 species that is a part of the genus Aquilegia. The name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word aquila which means eagle. Most of the flowers in this genus hang down and resemble the talon of an eagle.
The bell shape of the columbine flower attracts insects that have a long proboscis, or tongue, such as butterflies. It is also good at attracting humming birds. Because of this it is often found planted in butterfly gardens.