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.

Forty, Count 'em 40!

This Sunday, moving into the 2nd week of May, the birds are really starting to move in now. After birding now for close to 5 years I can now tell you that the very best two weeks of the entire year are the first two weeks in April. So I set out today with one goal in mind –to see if I could spot 40 different species of birds. For a newbie like myself I think this is a decently high number. I know people who have been bird watching for many many years could probably tip 60 or even 70 this time of year, but again I figured 40 was a challenging but possibly attainable number for me at this point. After my first bird being a Brown-headed Cowbird, I was a little hesitant but some very nice birds came quickly thereafter including a Blue-headed Vireo which is a bird I only see maybe once or twice a year if I'm lucky. Warblers could be found plentiful today and I counted 8 species of Warbler alone which is a pretty good number. Some of the better photos I managed to get of the Warblers today were this Yellow Warbler and then later a Palm Warbler. Last year I had a day when I tallied 9 Warblers which is my best record for a single day. And can you guess what day that was? Well it just happened to also be May 11th of 2013! There were a few birds that I counted today that I never saw, but had an unmistakeable call such as a Ring-necked Pheasant and a Sora. Other than those two, I physically saw the others and tried to get at least one photo of each so as to help me remember them when I got home. Another of the nicer photos I got today was of a fairly common bird, a Gray Catbird. I guess I like it because you can see some of the feather details and also part of the "chestnut" colored patch under his tail. There was just a LOT of movement going on today so instead of spending a long while chasing one bird for a good photo, I was more concerned about keeping moving and catching even a short glimpse of as many birds as possible. But one bird I did stop and chase for a bit was this Common Grackle. And that would probably seem odd to most bird watchers as they are a very common (as their name suggests) and easy bird to find. But I'm so fascinated by the blue-ish purple iridescent coloring on their head that I keep trying to convey that in a photo. This one kind of worked that way but there were some twigs that created a blur in the foreground. Some of the more fun birds to see today included a Northern Flicker, Baltimore Oriole and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. There was even a Bald Eagle who flew over carrying a long trailing clump of nesting material! All in all I took about 126 photos and spent a total of 4 hours and 10 minutes making my way around the park. The last image I want to share from the day is this one of 3 drake Mallards in the pond near the east parking lot. I thought it was just such an interesting sight with the water reflecting a nice tan color that felt like Springtime to me. When I got home I used my photo to double-check my own memory and had tallied exactly 40 different birds! Since having put so much effort into it, I decided to report my findings "officially" on ebird which is an online data collection system put together by the Audubon Society and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I've only used it a few times now and like many tools it offers endless ways to report and track birds around the country. Without having to log in or anything, you can see my total checklist for today here: http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S18345635

A Memorable Walk and a NEW Species!

It's been just over a week now into my leave of absence from work for some minor back surgery. The doctors all suggested to walk as much as I felt I could so of course I've been spending some long days at the park. Today before my walk even began I met with a writer for the SunPost who wanted to interview me! This was because myself and the Friends of Palmer Lake Park were planning a "Spring Bird Hike" near the end of this month. To my surprise the writer asked if we could meet at the park so I said sure! We sat at the picnic tables underneath the shelter on the east side and he recorded some of our conversation. Afterward he wanted to walk a bit with me and see if he couldn't get any bird photos himself. We had barely started around the path when we spotted a Black-and-white Warbler so at least it DID appear to him that there were indeed some interesting birds to be seen here. The article was published later and you can read it here. After parting ways I quickly spotted more birds –as early May is likely THE best time of year anywhere in Minnesota to be out bird watching! A Chestnut-sided Warbler, Goldfinch, Brown Thrasher, Gray Catbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Wood Ducks, some type of Shorebird and an American Coot were all seen before I got to the wood chip trail just to the south! But upon setting out onto the wood chip trail, I met another birder –a young woman who instantly showed me a photo of a bird she'd taken just minutes earlier. It was of a Golden-winged Warbler, a bird I've NEVER seen before! She had managed a fantastic shot of the bird while it was close to the ground and I was shocked. Together we tried to relocate the bird and in not too much time we managed to do so. This time we found a couple of them atop some tall Aspen trees, picking at the freshly budding leaves. This bird was beautiful and I was ecstatic to be watching a brand new species for me at the park! I had a hard time catching the bird sitting still and also because of the height, I wasn't able to get many great photos. But here is my favorite shot, quite cropped but it shows the trademark black mask and throat as well as the bright yellow "cap." The only thing it doesn't show is the bright yellow "stripe" on the outer wing for which the bird is named. After spending a LOT of time here taking many many photos, I finally moved on to find a very curious young Buck who walked out on the trail very close to me. He was just getting "nubbins" and they must have been itchy because he was trying to bring his back leg all the way up to his head. He was followed shortly after by a Doe and they both passed into the woods. Scanning the trees and brush even more closely now, I spotted yet another Golden-winged Warbler more near eye level. But it was such seriously thick brush that I couldn't manage even one decent photo. But not too much further along, my probing eye caught another interesting species –a White-crowned Sparrow. This is a bird I just don't see a lot of in general, especially at PLP. But as I said, this being early May, you never know what you might find!