Lazy Day in Late September

Today was Sunday and the weather was just beautiful for hiking through the park. I decided to bring my collapsible stool with me today and possibly just sit in the woods to see what I could see. I did just that on the southwest corner of the park –off the wood chip trail just north of the duck pond. Here I spotted a Magnolia Warbler in fall plumage! This is a beautiful Warbler any time of the year because of it's bright yellow breast with black spotting. I followed this bird everywhere, picking up my stool time and time again and setting it down closer. But as soon as I would sit down the bird would move again and so I finally just slung it over my shoulder and followed the bird on foot. It took my all the way to the opposite end of the park, all the while trying and failing at a nice, sharp photo. This was my best one and I joke that at least the butt was in focus. Besides the one Warbler, I also spotted Great Egret, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Least Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, and Gray Catbird. The last of which I managed a post-able photo of. I like the blue sky as the background and the fact that you can see a hint of the birds "rusty" colored rump patch. Near the end of my walk I scared up a couple of Wood Ducks near the railroad tie overlook at the lake. But there was one bird left that I managed not to scare away and I hid behind the cattails long enough for it to get comfortable again. As the duck closed his eyes I pushed my lens through the cattails to create my own view and snapped a few images. This was my favorite.

A New Month and the Start of Fall

If you haven't realized it yet, I came up with a method of splitting up our 4 seasons into specific months for the purpose of this blog. It's not always perfectly in sync with the weather but I think it works pretty well to say what general season I spotted something in. I use December, January and February for Winter. Then March, April and May for Spring. Summer is June, July and August and Fall is September, October and November. Thus today, September 1st is the kick off of the "Fall" bird-watching season for me. And I was lucky enough to spot a Warbler in Fall plumage this evening after work. On the north side of the park I found a couple of Magnolia Warblers hopping around on some fallen branches very low to the ground. I didn't quite get a good shot but enough to positively ID the bird anyway. In fact this was the only bird I photographed tonight in the dwindling light. In the lighter areas I did notice a few different Dragonflies that were interesting. There's only a few species that I can identify but these were ones I do not know. With the day's getting shorter and cooler, they all seemed to be staying rather still and let me get right up close to them. I thought this one had a lot of color to it!

Warbler Heaven

After an unusually cold spell that has lasted nearly a week, this afternoon was the type of weather we've all been waiting. It was near 70º with sunny skies and being mid-May, I desperately wanted to visit the park to watch birds. Unfortunately my back is aching again and so a full 3 mile walk seemed out of the question. As a compromise, I slung my new little stool over my shoulder and hiked back into the woods from 73rd Ave. On the way in I spotted an Ovenbird but he flew off too quickly and I didn't get a photo. Then I found a place to sit where there was actually still some standing water from recent rains. I spotted a few birds nearby including American Redstarts, a Golden-winged Warbler, and a Flycatcher of some kind –likely a Least Flycatcher. After a while of seeing more birds further away from me, I moved my stool out closer to the edge of the woods. Then, even further away, in an "island" of Buckthorn trees I noticed even more activity, all little birds on the ground picking through the muddy bottom. Here is where I moved to next and it proved to be a "Warbler heaven!" I sat here for well over 2 hours and encountered various Warblers at tremendously close proximity. It seemed nearly every other bird that I peeked at through my binoculars was a Magnolia Warbler. I'd never seen so many of them in my life, and for a short while I actually saw 4 of them together on the ground! After sitting in place for such a long time I think they just got used to me. Some of the Magnolias came within about 5 - 6 feet of me which gave me some amazing photo opportunities. This is a bird I could watch all day, they are just so beautifully colored. I had a hard time picking out my favorite shots when I got home because I had so many –a problem I rarely have! These two are my favorite of the whole bunch –especially this one who landed within feet of me and stared directly back at me. It is also fun to photograph birds now since things are greening up so quickly. It makes for much more colorful settings and backgrounds. In this same spot, among the Magnolias, was a Blackpoll Warbler! This was exciting as I've never personally documented a Blackpoll at PLP before, AND it turned out to be the 17th species of Warbler I've seen this year! Even the Blackpoll eventually came close enough for a decent photo and by now I was having quite a memorable day of birding. But my luck continued as other Warblers got brave and also came in closer. A few Common Yellowthroats actually came in even closer than the others, probably only 3 or 4 feet away from my feet. Despite the distance, they were still a challenge to photograph because they move so quick and so often. I took probably 50 shots just of the Yellowthroats to get 1 or 2 good ones. After finally deciding to move on, I decided instead of hiking back on the trail I came in on, that I would meander my way through the woods, staying alongside the edge just to see what else I might see. This also proved to be a good idea as I encountered American Redstarts in closer proximity than normal. There was a fallen tree with no bark that they seemed to like to perch on and so I went and sat right on the log for a while. Eventually one showed up right behind me and I twisted around, barely being able to see through my viewfinder to see if I even had him in the frame. The Redstarts weren't the only thing active in this area as I also spotted –of all things– a Mink running on top of another fallen log! This was surprising to me since it's kind of a ways from the creek, but it was also close to the area where I spotted them this winter too. He was moving so fast over the log that I didn't get a very good shot. I continued my meandering and eventually came across not just one but two Wilson's Warblers! This was not the first time I've seen them this year, and also not the first time I've documented them at the park. BUT, it was the first time I've ever seen two of them together. The Wilson's Warbler is a particularly speedy little bird, even among Warblers, and is notably tougher to catch a good photo of simply because they never sit still. By the time I would track him and focus, he would fly off and repeat. But eventually I caught up here and there, just a split second long enough for my shutter to release. I also got to see one from behind and above today, versus from down below which is my all-too-often vantage point of this bright yellow bird. From my new angle I noticed just how greenish-yellow they are on the backside –something I've not been able to see before. In all, I saw 7 Warblers today and covered only less than a mile of ground! The list included; Ovenbird, Golden-winged, Magnolia, Blackpoll, Redstart, Common Yellowthroat and Wilson's Warblers. Other birds spotted included; Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Swamp Sparrow, Song Sprrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Least Flycatcher, White-breasted Nuthatch and Ring-necked Pheasant (actually saw him this time!).

A Cool and Breezy Evening

As is usual for this time of year, I have a back-log of posts for the blog. Since May is the most wonderful month to be a birder in Minnesota, I am wisely spending my time outside and will try to catch up on blogging later. But since I had an article published in the local Brooklyn Center paper today, I wanted to update the blog for any potential new viewers out there. It was a little colder than I realized when I arrived at the park this evening after work. I tied my sweatshirt jacket around my waist in case I needed it later but quickly realized I would need it even sooner. I saw a decent variety of birds this evening, and I counted 37 total species! This is not bad at all, though I wanted to break my record of 40 –a feat I first achieved only this past Sunday the 11th. The first bird of interest this evening was a Thrush of some kind on the wood chip trail. I was pretty sure it was not a Hermit Thrush. They have an obviously rusty red tail but this bird did not. Through various sources I later learned that it is a Swainson's Thrush. This is a bird I've only photographed one other time this past fall. Probably the main reason that most birders spend so much time out birding in May is for Warblers. Many people ask me "what exactly is a Warbler?" Well here is my attempt at an answer; Warblers are colorful little birds ranging from about 4 to 5 and a half inches long –about the size of a Chickadee. They fit into a certain family of birds known for having 9 outer wing feathers, 9 inner wing feathers, and 12 tail feathers. They all also have similar characteristics of complex patterning as well as eat insects or caterpillars –which is why they don't come back to Minnesota until early May. The following excerpt is from my Stokes Field Guide to Warblers –"Warblers are amongst the most beautiful birds in North America because they are so brightly colored. They are like little jewels in the treetops, tantalizing you with brief glimpses. Once you see one, you inevitably will want to see more. For some people, watching warblers during spring and fall migration is almost an obsession –a wonderful obsession." This evening I was able to spot one of the most sought after warblers –a Magnolia Warbler! This is a strikingly beautiful bird with bold patterns on top of a vivid yellow breast, and to see one in it's natural environment is a real joy. Unfortunately this is probably the best photo I got tonight though it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying! But at least I can say that I saw him and am able to log one for the park this year! There were other Warblers visible tonight including Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Yellow, and American Redstarts. But by far, another Warbler –the Common Yellowthroat– was seen everywhere. I have come to associate these pretty little birds with cattails and water more than any other environment. In the summer months that is definitely where you will find them but tonight they seemed to be everywhere; along the water, in the woods and even out in the fields. From all of our recent rains, there is no shortage of standing water at the park which is likely the reason they were so plentiful and active today. When I was nearly back to my vehicle, I could hear a Baltimore Oriole somewhere close by. I had seen several along the way but this one happened to be up in a tree almost right above my car. I'm not sure if he was searching for insects or if he was actually dining on part of the newly budding leaves. They are also known to eat both fruit and nectar so it could have been either. By now the sun was going down and the light made him look even a brighter orange than normal. I watched him work away at the buds for a while and found it interesting that he would shout out his loud whistling call even while busy foraging.

My Big Month - Day 11

I just can't believe how much our weather changes day-to-day here this Spring. After such a gorgeous day yesterday, I found myself wearing my winter hat again this morning. It was only 45 degrees and extremely windy. Twice during my walk it even sleeted for a short time! BUT, despite the weather today may likely have been the best day of birding I've ever had at the park. I took just under 300 -yes 300 photos in one outing today. Of course a heck of a lot of them were of the same bird(s), attempting to get the best shot possible. There were too many highlights to even mention them all -but the biggest was finding an area of the park that was packed with different kinds of Warblers. It's an area I don't even typically walk, on the paved trail closest to 69th Avenue on the south side. All in this one small area I spotted Black-and-white, Yellow, Palm, Yellow-rumped and Chestnut-sided Warblers! To my amazement I tallied up 9 different Warblers that I saw and photographed today, which is definitely a record for me! So my list of total species below should be bigger for that reason alone, plus I just saw a lot of other neat birds today.
I couldn't believe I was seeing the Chestnut-sided so easily as my only other encounter with one at the park was extremely brief. I took LOTS of photos of one of the Chestnuts that stayed on the ground and let me get closer than I would have thought possible. It was great fun to see all these Warblers but I was in for another treat later on when I got to see that Magnolia Warbler I mentioned yesterday in full view on the ground where I could also photograph him easier. I sat and watched and photographed this bird more than any other today. I just found him so striking that I devoted quite a bit of time to getting the best shot I could. So for the simple reason that I was able to photograph two stunningly beautiful Warblers today, I'm breaking my rule and posting two photos today.

Total species seen today: (These first 9 in blue are all Warblers) Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Ovenbird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler, Palm Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-White Warbler, Hairy Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Hermit Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, American Robin, Least Flycatcher, Canada Goose, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Wild Turkey, Gadwall, American Coot, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow and White-throated Sparrow.

Conditions: 45 degrees and very windy. Some sleet.

A Truly Great Day of Birding!

This Sunday I arrived at the park around 8:00am and right off the bat I was seeing some fun birds. This first one I caught quite a few good glimpses of and even a decent photo, though I really didn't know what it was at the time. It looked and behaved like a Warbler, sitting high up in the tree tops and moving around quite a bit. One interesting bit that I noticed right away though was that it's bright yellow coloring on the head and neck made quite an abrupt change to white on it's lower breast. This was not a pattern I was familiar with at all but since there are so many different types of Warblers I assumed I would locate soon. It took me a heck of a lot longer to positively ID this bird and the way I did was to stumble upon a photo taken by a fellow birder friend of mine Ron Taube. When I saw his photo of a bird with similar coloring and patterning I realized why I'd not yet identified my bird -I was looking in the wrong section of my field guides! The bird is in fact a Yellow-throated Vireo, not a Warlber at all! About the only thing I know about Vireos is that they are often mistaken for Warblers as they are similar in size and color. One thing I noticed only in my photographs later was that this bird almost seemed to be wearing bright yellow "spectacles" which is a distinguishing characteristic. So my very first photo of the day was of an entirely brand new species for me! After this I spotted some more regular late-summer birds including Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets and some Canada Geese, but soon I again spotted something with a bit more color. Deep in side a Buckthorn Tree I could see a bright flash of orange now and again and focused in on this American Redstart. This one I know for a fact to be a Warbler though they have quite a bit more black plumage than your average Warbler. Even if you are lucky enough to spot one and follow it until it sits still for just a millisecond, it's even harder (for me at least) to capture any details of their head, face and eyes. Much like it is with other perfectly black birds including Red-wings and Crows. I got a bit luckier in that respect with this one, though I sure wish that one Buckthorn leaf hadn't been in front of his beak. I could be quite happy trying to photograph only Redstarts all summer long as they are just that challenging. Well, my day had one last surprise for me later as just minutes later I spotted a Magnolia Warbler! This was only the second time I've ever seen one and I was in much closer proximity this time than last. Like the Redstart, it was also deep inside the Buckthorn and I had to take advantage of any and every unobstructed view I got. I watched this one for quite some time and took quite a few photos and I got to see it from just about every angle. The bird even looked inquisitively right at me, cocking it's head to the side as if to wonder what the heck I was. I believe it was foraging for insects as many other Warblers do and I had a great time seeing a photographing this wonderful Warbler. At the end of the day I'd taken only 32 photos total. It's amazing on some days how you can see so many interesting birds in such a short time span -and then on other days take nearly a hundred photos of nothingness. I will have to note and remember this particular week of September as an opportune time to visit Palmer Lake Park!

Here Goes September

September is definitely one of the best months to be outside in Minnesota. The weather is (typically) starting to cool off and the hours of daylight each day is hardly getting shorter -at least not noticeably yet. I started off the month with an early morning visit to the park arriving about 7am. Right off the bat I noticed a very interesting bird -that at the time I had no clue of what it could be, only that it was likely some Warbler I'm not yet familiar with. I caught a decent picture of it hoping around in a grapevine and decided I would try to ID it later on. Well, about this time I started getting too busy at work and even at home and started letting all my park photos pile up quickly on my desktop. I am actually writing this post much later and as it so happens I would see this species one more time -making me really wonder what the heck it was. After coming back to it periodically, I've determined that it is in fact a Magnolia Warbler! And more precisely, it is an immature in "Non-breeding Plumage" which was yet another aspect making it more difficult to identify. The great thing about the internet as it relates to birding, is that once you get an idea of what something "might be," you can just look up hundreds of other images for comparison to yours. And funny enough when I did, that the photo that resembled mine the most came from a fellow birder in my same area: Ecobirder. The next thing I saw I was really not expecting, and it only was there for a split second, making it seem all that more unique. As I was rounding the west side of the park near the outfields of the baseball diamonds. I caught a larger bird out of the corner of my eye land in a tall dead tree high up above me. I instinctively swung around to snap a photo and realized it was an American Kestral! I've not positively ID'd one at the park since April of 2011 so it was quite a nice sighting. Then as soon as he had landed, he took off and I was unable to follow where he went. I didn't even have a chance for a better photo but still very cool to have seen one again! Later on the north end of the park, a Doe had wandered out onto the trail and was lazily grazing along the edges. She was far up ahead of me and I just had a feeling that maybe some Fawns were with her. Sure enough they too popped out onto the trail and this is when I decided to try and get in closer. Both mom and the kids were just curious enough about me to let me approach fairly close and let me and even other people coming by just watch them for a while. I ended up taking a whole lot of photos of just one or the other Fawn as they munched on everything green, but this was my favorite photo of the day.