Last Day of May

I took a couple of extra days off from work following Memorial Day so I was able to squeeze one more visit in for the month of May. Seems like this month is going by fast and a lot of the new birds I spotted earlier in the month are already disappearing, likely heading further north for the season. I did see another Flicker on the north side but had a tough time getting a photo against the bright sun. Shortly after, a lone Doe appeared among the tall grass, almost like a gopher popping it's head out of a hole -as that was all I could see. I thought maybe she might have had a fawn with her but as she crossed the trail later, nothing was behind her. I saw a pair of Red-tailed Hawks from a very long distance and didn't have any close bird encounters until I spotted this Cardinal just off the trail. He was quite close and I was excited about the potential photos I would get. I don't know what it is about Cardinals but I just can't seem to get a crisp, detailed photo of one no matter how close I get. I'm starting to thing their red color somehow throws off my camera or something. Just kidding. As I made my way around the park I was noticing how green and thick things have become over the month. Plants are growing and filling in every place that isn't routinely walked through.

Memorial Day Thunder and Rain

It had rained and stormed again overnight and when I arrived at the park this morning everything was still very wet. It was Memorial Day Monday and I was hoping things would dry out in time later for a picnic outside. That possibility was promising as the sun was peaking through periodically. With yet more rain I still stuck to the outer paved trails. Just after setting out I was able to spot a Yellow Warbler fairly close off the trail. I got to watch him sing while viewing him and this always helps me better remember their call in the future. It's a series of 3 to 4 high pitched "twicky-too" sounds -at least in my opinion. Near the north side I encountered another singing bird -a Song Sparrow. They sure sound a lot more like a brightly colored Warbler than the drab brown, speckled bird they are. They also seem to strain upward with every inch of energy they have when they call out their song. Kind of fun to watch. On the east side it had started to rain a little bit, then a bit more and I got nervous seeing as how I'd left my rain jacket behind. I picked up the pace but as I did, the thunder started rolling again. I even saw a bright flash of lightning as I was looking upwards for birds. I honestly thought it would not rain again but as I was back on the south side it began to pour down hard. I was getting really wet but paused as this open field because you could just see the rain in the air against the backdrop of trees.

Calm Sunday Morning

It was cool and calm out this Sunday morning. The park was not busy in the least with a lot of people headed out of town for Memorial Day weekend. With the soggy condition of the wood chip trails, I stayed on the outer paved trails entirely. Around the southwest corner I spotted a large Red-tailed Hawk in a dead tree above me. I only got a few crummy shots before another smaller bird flew in and chased him off. When I got to the foot bridge over Shingle Creek on the north side, I decided to walk up the other trail a bit, following the creek. On the opposite side I spotted a Deer who'd obviously seen me first and stopped in it's tracks. It was another young Buck with new antlers. I scanned around and within a few seconds spotted what I thought was a Doe, but upon closer inspection with my binoculars, was another Buck with just 2 small nubs. The two caught up to each other and went bouncing off through the tall grass. The whole walk I could hear lots of Yellow Warblers and Orioles but never caught a glimpse of either one. Near the end of my route I heard a bird call I've not heard in a while and looked up to see a Blue Jay. I feel like there was still snow on the ground last time I saw one at the park.

Severe weather and flooding

Last Saturday we receive an inch of rain. Then on Sunday the 22nd another inch of rain came along with a Tornado that ripped through north Minneapolis. The tornado caused unbelievable damage to homes, buildings and especially trees. After moving through dense neighborhoods it continued northeast, hitting the North Mississippi River Regional Park extremely hard. Palmer Lake Park is just a few miles away -just far enough away to escape any damage. The only effect on the park is a fair amount of flooding from all the rain. I though I'd seen the highest water levels at the park last year but that doesn't even come close to this. Some of the wood chip trails -and even parts of the paved path were actually impassible this evening. Small plants that were growing along the trails are now completely submerged. It will be interesting to see if this will help or hurt the summer plant growth. On the north side of the park I heard a Pheasant crow and for once I actually spotted him upon hearing him. He was in the same place I'd spotted another during my last visit, walking along some low, scrubby trees just above the tall grass. I actually got to see him crow but wasn't fast enough to catch a photo in time. As I was coming back to the south side I noticed a couple of park goers staring at something inside the path. It took me a while to spot what they were watching but it was two young Bucks eating leaves off the trees. Both had an impressive set of thick velvety antlers. I tried for a long time to get them both in one shot but they were moving around too much and it was getting too dark for my camera as well. I wonder if these are the young ones born last Spring?

Friday Sunrise Walk

I arrived at the park again at 5:30am this Friday morning. I was slightly less tired today and eager for a good walk. The sky was incredible when I first set out and I took a few shots just near the parking lot. There were more great birds to be seen today. In fact I had a great, close encounter with both a Baltimore Oriole and another Rose-breasted Grosbeak. It was just too dark yet though and none of the photos turned out. Later I saw more Tree Swallows, Sparrows and a Pheasant. As I was making my way down the east side I almost walked right past a Flicker who was actually sitting right on the sidewalk just off to my left. I've read that they like to eat ants so it made sense. I'd never been so close to one and I was quite shocked at how large he was. Of course he flew off as soon as I noticed him there but I followed him for a bit and watched him drinking water from the slough area nearby. Growing right along side the water was a tree with bright pink blossoms. I'm guessing maybe it's some kind of Crab Apple Tree but I'm not sure. I'll have to check back to see if it has any fruit on it. As I was heading back I saw a female Red-winged Blackbird fairly close to the trail so I took a couple of shots. Some sexes of birds are so similar, with just minute details setting them apart, while others like Red-winged Blackbirds are completely different from male to female. The female is not black, nor Red-winged at all!

Thursday Sunrise Walk

Lately I've felt like I've been in such a slump. My routine has become monotonous and the days are going by way too fast -despite the longer daylight hours. I'd been considering shifting my walks to the morning hours before work versus after but I am soooo not a morning person. Today I gave it a shot though by waking early and arriving at the park by 5:30am. It was kind of weird being there that early but I did have the park mostly to myself -which is near impossible this time of year. Even this early I started seeing birds. First some Tree Swallows, then Goldfinch, then another Flicker again on the north side. There were also a fair amount of Deer visible this morning and as I approached the foot bridge I noticed 2 Deer standing on the bridge! They hurried across as I came closer. I then stopped on the bridge to watch a family of Canada Geese with young ones. The two goslings lowered their heads to drink water from the Creek and it was a great photo opportunity that my camera let me down on. It was just too dark in the area with all the trees overhead. Further down the trail, a couple of Mourning Doves were eagerly awaiting the sunrise. I think I'm noticing these Doves more recently as I'm always on the lookout for another Kestral and the two have a similar shape and size. When I got back to the south side I paused for a while at my favorite place where the Shingle Creek flows back out of the lake. It had been overcast and cloudy all morning and then it suddenly passed. Everything green lit up with brilliant color against a darker sky in the west. It was about this time I realized I needed to get home and get ready for work. What a drag.

Quick visit Wednesday evening

This Wednesday evening both myself and my significant other badly needed to de-charge after a stressful day at work. The weather was awesome but we made our way around rather quickly. Though I saw 1 or 2 Yellow Warblers, the birds were quite inactive. On the north side we spotted some Mallards with Ducklings and watched them zip around like little bugs. The Plum trees are blooming now and certain parts of the trail are filled with white blossoms. Hopefully they will continue blooming at different times because they smell fantastic.

Yet more new birds

This Sunday was definitely the nicer day of the weekend. It was sunny and 65º and it made for one of the nicest walks this year so far. The amount of Bird species one could see at the park seems to still be on the upswing. In this visit alone I will have positively identified 3 more species. This first one I've seen plenty of and become very familiar with. I've been seeing -and hearing- lots of Gray Catbirds for a few weeks already. They're not the most fun to look at but sure are fun to listen to. They mimic other Birds and I swear I can hear a Robin call in there among all the other noise they make. There were a pair of them just above me on the woodchip trail and I couldn't resist such a close shot. As I was making my way towards the baseball fields on the west side I noticed a bunch of small Warblers in the woods. I paused to watch and see if I could get any shots when I caught a glimpse of one with stunning colors. He, along with the others didn't sit still for very long and I caught only this very poor photo. Pretty sure it is a Chesnut sided Warbler! On the north side I spotted a larger, Robin sized Bird that did not look familiar at first glance. He was perched high up in a Willow Tree so I checked with my binoculars. It was a Red-Breasted Grosbeak, a fairly common Bird but the first one I've seen at the park. I went for my camera but I was about half a second too slow and caught him launching into flight. Between this and my next photo I saw all kinds of stuff including another Flicker, Brown-headed Cowbirds and a Green Heron. I'd walked up the edge of a pond to watch the Heron for a bit when I noticed a colorful, orange and black bird land just out to my right. I'd seen my first one only yesterday but managed to get a photo this time of an American Redstart! The Redstart is a member of the Warbler family and if you ever try to catch a photo of these types of birds, you'll understand why I'm so happy with this picture.

Becoming a Birder

Slowly but surely, my regular visits to Palmer Lake Park over the past couple of years have turned me into an avid "Birder." After cuing in to migration time last year, I'm realizing just how special spring is to birding in Minnesota. This spring, I've spotted and identified twice as many species as last year but I'm also realizing that I'm barely scratching the surface. To me, birding is a lot like collecting coins, stamps, antiques or what have you. Every time I photograph and positively ID a new bird, it's like adding it to my collection. There's also a ton of research regarding subtle nuances and varieties, just the same as if you were collecting anything specific. My collection today started with a nice addition of a Northern Flicker, only the 2nd one I've ever seen at the park. He was high up in a tree and facing me, allowing me to see his spotted breast. Later at the bridge, I spotted a small orange and black bird that landed on the fallen tree laying in Shingle Creek. I tried over and over to catch a photo but it eventually flew off. About this time, a fellow nature lover whom I've come to know, walked up and told me it was an American Redstart. As we stood on the bridge exchanging stories, he pointed out a Water Thrush and a Common Yellowthroat. I only got a photo of the latter -but both are members of the Warbler family. After a while, we ended up walking together for a while and I was amazed at what a keen eye he has for nature. I'd have walked right past without noticing until he pointed out this Jack-in-the-Pulpit plant that was growing just a couple feet off the paved trail. I've only seen them before at the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden so it was a special treat to find this one. Just before we got to back to his vehicle, we spotted a couple unidentified warbler-like birds in the plumb trees outside the trail loop that are just now starting to bloom. I went in closer for some pics but only caught two less-than-decent photos. My companion studied the photos and when we got to his truck he pulled out a comprehensive field guide giving merit to his belief that it was a Tennessee Warbler! Since I trust his expertise about 100 times more than my own I'm gonna say that it was indeed a Female Tennessee Warbler. This evening I went and purchased a new field guide to Birds of North America as well as another, smaller guide to Warblers specifically.

Humid Monday evening

Lately if I'm only able to visit the park once per weekend, I'm itching to go back by Monday or Tuesday. This Monday evening I met a friend for a walk. Right before we left I tracked a Yellow Warbler near the parking lot where it looks over the lake. There were 2 of them hopping around on the dead cattails and this is the closest I've been to them yet. This is the only shot I'm posting today as the light was just not good with a very overcast sky. I did see one other thing of interest -about 20 or more Northern Shovelers all in a group way out in the eastern body of water. They were real far away and it was quite dark by the time I spotted them.

Filling in the gaps

I didn't make it to the park on Saturday so I took my time going around on Sunday morning. I would say that this was the first weekend with actual leaves on the trees as it is now hard to see through the woods. As soon as I arrived at the parking lot and got out of my vehicle, I heard a bird call that I actually remembered from last year. It didn't take me long and I spotted the first Baltimore Oriole of the season. For whatever reason, it then flew right up to another truck in the parking lot and kind of hovered right up along side it. I don't know if maybe it saw it's own reflection or what but afterward it decided to perch right on the bug shield of the same truck. There were plenty of birds out today as it was sunny and warm but the next one of interest to me was this greyish brown bird. I've seen them periodically since early spring but have not gotten a photo or tried to identify them until now. This one settled just close enough above a marshy area for a bit. According to my field guide I'd say it's an Eastern Phoebe. Back on the south side I spotted a Cedar Waxwing in the narrow strip of trees between the lake and the trail. I went in a little closer and noticed a few more of them all in the same tree. I tried to get a shot of a couple of them together but with the leaves coming in, one or the other was always blocked. A short distance further down the trail, I started to hear one of the most beautiful and unusual bird calls I've ever heard. It was incredibly loud and extremely varied. I don't think I heard the same pattern repeated in five minutes time. I thought, I've GOT to see this bird and veered right off into the woods after it. I was kind of expecting to see some brightly colored bird but instead I found a quite large, mostly brown bird with a white spotted breast. I was close enough to notice that it had bright yellow eyes and I thought to myself this would definitely help in identifying him later. Indeed it did -it is Brown Thrasher which apparently has the largest documented song repertoire of all North American Birds. This and the Phoebe will add 2 more bird species to my list!

Colorful little Birds

The sun was back today and we finally warmed back up to a high of 59 degrees! It was just too nice not to visit the park. Over the last couple weeks I've been noticing some tiny, tiny little birds bouncing around in the trees. I tried once before to catch a photo and gave up easily because they seriously don't sit still for more than half a second. I deduced from my field guide -strictly based on their small size- that they were Ruby-crowned Kinglets. Tonight as I was cutting through the south west side on the wood chip trail, I caught an obvious flash of red on a small bird just off the trail over the creek. There were 3 or 4 in the same bush and it was a fantastic opportunity to watch them closer. As usual, they were what I'd describe as "hyperactive," changing positions every second or two. It made for quite a challenge to catch one in my viewfinder, focus and snap a picture before they would move again. I spent a full 30 minutes or so watching them and taking pictures -and they were quite entertaining. Once in a while they would bury their head into a clump of budding leaves almost like a Hummingbird in search of nectar. Also, after I approached closer they would periodically flutter right in front of my face and then land on a branch right above my head. I could really see all their detail including their potent olive-green coloring. I didn't see much afterward except for the usual groups of Deer. By the time I was making my way back to the south side, the sun was setting and casting a nice glow where the creek flows back out of the lake. As I was admiring the light, I noticed a bunch more birds that I thought looked yellow simply because of the sun. As the sun faded, the birds stayed yellow. These were also busy little birds, fluttering around quickly but often coming back to roughly the same spot just a few feet above the creek. When I checked with my binoculars I recognized one as a Yellow Warblers by the dark streaking on the belly. This is only the 2nd or third time maybe that I've seen them at the park. A few others appeared mostly yellow but with some distinctive black and white banding on the head. I really had no idea what these were at the time but I my field guide confirms that they are Common Yellowthroat -which is also a type of Warbler and one NEW bird species that I can add to my list!