Finally the End of January!

Though I do enjoy getting out and hiking in the Winter, the payoff for the effort isn't quite the same as during other times of the year. So I'm pretty excited to see January out and be one month closer to Spring –ha! The weather today was typical, overcast and dreary again. But if one looks hard enough there are still birds to be seen. And there is always the "Duck Pond" to fall back on if the birding isn't good. So needless to say I've spent a fair amount of time there this winter. I think it's always nice to see the bright green heads and bright orange legs of a Mallard on an otherwise colorless day. Not long after the duck pond I spotted 3 Deer only 15 feet into the woods on the west side. Deer are becoming kind of uncommon as of late so it was neat to see some. I bent down on one knee to get a better view and all of a sudden the three of them spooked and went running off the other direction at top speed. Little did I know but a hiker with an unleashed dog came barreling through the woods straight towards the deer. I'm usually forgiving about unleashed dogs this but this time it really ticked me off as I was having a nice quiet moment with the deer. I actually intended to say something to the hiker but I guess it was not meant to be as instead I bumped into a friend of mine just back from Arizona. Other birds today included the usual suspects; Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, House Finch, Chickadee and Cardinal. There was also a Blue Jay as well, though my efforts to get a good photo pretty much failed. Later I was happy to spot a Barred Owl but it too wasn't gonna make for an easy photo opportunity. After trying numerous angles this is the best view I had of him. I'm so happy to have them back at the park after an absence of some time. And speaking of Owls, I spotted today my first nesting Great Horned Owl in the park! For now that's pretty much all I want to say about it, as the known presence of Owls can attract a LOT of attention. And sometimes that attention is way way more than necessary. Some day I will write a post about that topic and how my views on it have changed dramatically as of late.

43º and Sunny and Birdy

This Saturday's visit to the park was a fun one. First off the weather was unbelievable with a high of 43 degrees and completely sunny to boot. Secondly I was able to catch some neat photos which always makes my day! The very first bird I spotted was a Dark-eyed Junco and I'm kind of obsessed with them though they're a pretty common winter bird in our parts. They're difficult to photograph because they're little, move quickly and have a dark head against a dark eye. For that reason they're similarly difficult to shooting a Chickadee. This one cooperated with me though there's some shadows on it's face that I could have done without. My next stop was at the duck pond on the southeast corner. The warm weather seemed to please the Mallards and the large group was very active. I witnessed some courting behavior and some fighting between the boys as well. I really love how their green heads just glow in the sun and I've come to appreciate Mallards as an easy and reliable photo subject. After seeing a few Chickadees and Cardinals and other common birds, I spotted not one but two Great Horned Owls high up in a tree. They were both quite far away with lots of woods between so I decided not to go in any closer. It wont be long now before one of these pair will be sitting on a nest somewhere. Great Horned Owls are our earliest nesting birds in the state, starting as early as mid to late January. When this happens we birders need to take extra precaution not to approach the nesting sight or disturb them in any manner that could be a detriment to the success of their nest. Having seen two Owls already today, I nearly fell over when I ran smack dab into a third, this time a Barred Owl! A Barred is likely our second-most common Owl around central Minnesota, but they can be as tough as any of the other Owl species to find. This one however decided to perch barely 10 feet off the paved trail and at a height of only 6 or 7 feet! I was stunned to have been so close to it. I stopped dead in my tracks and cautiously brought my camera up to my eye. Thankfully the Owl appeared a bit sleepy and was taking advantage of the warm sun and really didn't mind me being there –at least for now. I couldn't take my eyes –or my camera– off this beautiful bird and of course I started to draw attention from other park goes. The first one stopped to inquire about my camera and lens. Interesting she never asked me what I was taking a photo of and thus I decided not to even bring it up! The next pair of walkers were more curious and so I pointed out the Owl to them. They were quite happy and surprised to see it as well. As we talked however the Owl did move, though it only went a few feet over and higher up in another tree. I was kind of bummed and wish I had whispered to them instead. Nonetheless the Owl was still very close to the trail and I took a few more photos before it decided to move further back into the woods. I believe this was my third Barred Owl sighting this season which is a good sign. Previous to these recent encounters, my last Barred sighting was in May of 2013. The last avian subject I decided to focus on today were Robins. These Robins are not coming back to Minnesota due to the warm temps, but rather have "over wintered" here at the park. Not all Robins migrate south and quite a few will stay here all winter long. This number appears to be increasing based on other things I've read. There apparently are enough food sources and shelter to see them through event the coldest of winters. Though this winter has been a little light in regards to snow depths and I believe this would also be to the Robin's benefit. I enjoy photographing them in the winter, though I rarely pay attention to them the rest of the year! Other birds I spotted today included; Downy, Hairy & Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cedar Waxwing and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks.

A Looong Hike with Larry

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and thus an extra day off work for me. As I pulled into my parking space today who should pull in right beside me but another birder friend of mine Larry. He has grown up around the park and hiked (and watched birds) here at Palmer Lake Park since he was a kid. Thus he is one of the most skilled birders I know and can tell you of some pretty amazing sightings at the park. Some of them being birds that are just not seen at the park anymore and would cause a state-wide phenomenon if they were spotted anywhere near the park today. We decided to hike together up the frozen creek heading towards the north side. As we did the sun made it's first unexpected appearance for the day and cast an eerie glow against the dark sky in the north. We likely did more talking than looking but to be honest there has just not been much to see this entire weekend. It's just that time of year when a Chickadee or Woodpecker is an exciting spot. Larry would of course prove me wrong though as we went around the north side when he pointed out a Barred Owl. It could be seen from the trail but was behind such thick brush and against the sun too, for a pretty crummy view. Niether of us wanted to bump him so we watched from the trail for a bit before moving on. On the west side I noticed a Downy Woodpecker at almost eye level on a Willow tree. He was more interested in poking his tongue into the crevices so I followed him around the tree clicking photos. I kind of like how this one turned out. We had been hiking since 9:00am today and my legs were actually starting to hurt. I knew lunchtime had come and gone but I wasn't quite sure how much time had gone by because I forgot my phone at home. Upon getting home to find it was 2:30pm I then realized I'd been hiking for 5 and a half hours! Holy crap, no wonder my legs hurt! One last bird I stopped to photograph for they day was this American Tree Sparrow. Opposite of some of the birds Larry used to see in the area as a kid, he pointed out that Tree Sparrows used to be a very rare sighting when he was young. A few other species we saw today included Mallards, a mature Bald Eagle, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, American Crow and Northern Cardinal.

January Thaw

After a long and brutal cold snap, we are finally above freezing again and even the sun came out this morning! It was a great day to be at the park hiking around and seeing what could be seen. It was so nice I inadvertently did the southwest side of the park twice. On the first round I noticed a few little birds hopping about in front of me in the shade. Upon closer inspection they were Goldfinch in their winter plumage. I think there were only 2 or 3 at the most but I like to see them in the winter time. Shortly afterward I stopped at the duck pond and noticed a group of a dozen or so Cedar Waxwings bathing in the open water along the bank. This was on the other side from me so I walked around to get closer and scared them off. But after a bit they started to come back one by one and were putting on quite a show. I wished I could have got even closer but it was so thick here. While watching the Waxwings I heard all the Mallards in the duck pond making noise all at once and move quickly in a large group. When I looked up I noticed a Hawk had just swooped over the group of ducks and perched on the opposite side of the pond. It looked to be a Cooper's Hawk but was in the dark shade. I wanted to get a closer look and immediately headed around to the other side, trying not to bump the raptor. To my surprise it stayed put, perched nearly at eye level with me. As I snuck around the back side I finally got into better light and could see bright yellow eyes –indicating a juvenile bird. A mature adult would have bright red eyes. I took quite a few photos from this angle assuming it was a Cooper's Hawk but upon processing the photo I am starting to think it might actually be a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Sharp-shinned Hawks are nearly identical in plumage but tend to have a smaller head, more square-ish looking tail, and be somewhat smaller in size. Though the larger female Sharp-shinned can be nearly the same size as the smaller male Cooper's Hawk, adding yet another layer of complexity to identification. Only last year I learned how to differentiate a Cooper's from a Sharp-shinned in flight, but perched is another story. I generally err on the side of Cooper's since they are apparently far more common to find perched among the woods. But this one really made me look more than once. I am posting to the Minnesota Birding facebook page for some help and should have a positive ID soon. If indeed it turns out to be a Sharp-shinned, it would be my first ever photo ID of one! Upon walking the woodchip trail away from the duck pond, I scared up a Great Horned Owl almost right above me! I stopped in my tracks and said a few choice words to myself as I would have likely gotten a great look at it in the full morning sunlight. The bird flew a fair distance but basically traveled in a straight line away from me. I could kind of make out where it perched and followed behind, trying not to look up toward it too often. I've noticed from experience that they tend to bump again quickly if you stare them down as opposed to just looking at the ground. In fact I've come much closer to Owls when I wasn't looking for them and just happened to look up to find one right above me. As I headed closer it moved yet again and was followed by a second Owl close behind. The pair chose a familiar roost I've seen them at before. The pair is likely scoping out a possible nest as Great Horned Owls will begin nesting somewhere between late January through February.

Don't Bump the Lump

After a long hike around MAC Park near the Crystal Airport this morning, I somehow found enough energy yet to visit Palmer Lake Park. I didn't arrive until after 3:00pm and with our short daylight hours I knew I only had roughly an hour. Therefore I parked on the south side and hiked only along the south and west edges of the park. Here I found Robins a plenty. I often see them come down to the open water between the duck pond and the adjacent body of water where the culvert connects them underneath the trail. The water here stays open all year long and provides a good place for all birds to drink from. This particular Robin had already taken his drink and backed up a little on the ice. I really like the way the blue ice contrasted with the orange breast of the bird. Along the paved trail on the far west side I ran into a small group of American Tree Sparrows and this one sat still long enough for me to get in closer for a photo. This photo turned out to show a good representation of all of the characteristics that would help you identify the bird as an American Tree Sparrow. First you have a noticeable rusty-colored crown butted up to a rather gray colored face. Then there's the tell-tale –but not always obvious– dark spot in the middle of the white breast. And lastly, what I find to be the most definitive characteristic is the two-toned bill (dark upper bill and lighter/yellow lower bill). On my way back I noticed a large, dark "lump" up in a tall Cottonwood tree that didn't seem like part of the tree. It's hard to spot Owls but to be honest that is what I look for –unusual looking "lumps" high up in the trees. By now it was getting dark and I know how terrible it can be to get a photo at this time of day –especially looking upward into the white sky. So I cranked up the ISO settings as well as adjusted the exposure compensation before even attempting to walk closer to the "lump." I was glad I did though as I was fortunate that the lump did not "bump" which is bird-geek talk for flying away. I thanked the Great Horned Owl and walked slowly back to where I came from which is somewhat of a rare occurrence as they do tend to fly away more often than not once they realize you are watching them.

ZZZZ-ZZZ-ZZ Zero Degrees for a High

A major winter storm system swept across the midwest last night. We were predicted to get a couple inches of snow but here in the northern suburbs we hardly got a dusting. But one thing they did get right was the extreme cold following the system. Our wake-up temp this morning was -5º and I was really thinking I would just stay inside today. BUT because the sun came out and we've seen so little of it lately, I decided what the heck. When I arrived at the park at 2:30pm we were just hitting our high temperature for the day of 0 degrees! As if that weren't bad enough, it was windy as heck on top of it. I really had one goal in mind today and that was to find and photograph a Cedar Waxwing. When I started out I wasn't really seeing much and I started second guessing why I was here watching birds on such a day as this. Off to my right I noticed what looked to be a bird frozen to the side of a tree. This White-breasted Nuthatch was just sitting motionless on the side of the tree facing the sun. I hiked in closer, almost underneath it and the bird never bumped, making me think it was just trying to warm up. A bit later I spotted a mature Bald Eagle perched high in a tree near the center of the park. It was too far away for a good photo, but is my first BE of the year! When I stopped at the Duck Pond on the southeast corner I wasn't too surprised to see Mallards, but wow was there a lot of them! I loosely estimated that there were at least 450 of them swimming and diving and flapping and chasing each other in water that had to be much warmer than the air temperature today. In fact the water was steaming in the cold temperature. Finally on the south side I located my Cedar Waxwings. In fact the first one I saw from a distance stayed put the entire time as I crept closer and closer to get a photograph. There were about 6 to 8 Waxwings in a Buckthorn tree busily picking and gulping down the berries along with a dozen or more American Robins. I couldn't have asked for better lighting conditions but it was hard to get an unobstructed view of them in such a thick tree. I took quite a few photos and this is just one of my favorites. The Robins were also busy eating the same Buckthorn berries and they looked quite colorful against the clear blue sky. I decided today that I really appreciate Robins more in January than any other time of the year. Ha ha. Here is my checklist for today.

Happy New Year 2015!

As I lay in bed last night listening to fireworks and other noise at midnight on New Year's eve, I instead was thinking about a whole new year of bird watching. I felt optimistic for a change about what I might see and/or photograph in the new year and decided that I would try to do a better job at recording my sightings. So today when I visited Palmer Lake Park like I often do on the first of the year, I tried taking at least one photo of every species I saw. Then at home it made it easy to enter my data into ebird.org. It would be neat I think to do this from now on so that at the end of 2015 I could look back and easily tally up the number of species. My very first bird of the year was an American Tree Sparrow on the east side of the park. Though still a sparrow I kind of appreciate them now as they are only here in the winter and tend to disappear come Spring. I spent a while at the Duck Pond this morning trying to catch a photo or two of the Mallards bathing themselves and splashing water everywhere. I did manage a few neat shots but I really liked all the color in this one as he was preening. It was during a short time when the sun stayed out. The next thing I saw was a pretty good sighting I think for the very first day of the year. I noticed a Great Horned Owl fly from it's perch over the wood chip trail and land in another area. I hiked back to where I'd already came from and found not just the one Owl but a second one as well! This is the time of year when GHO's are "pairing up" in preparation for mating and nesting in Feb - March. When I took this photo the first one had already taken off. I saw a total of 15 species today during my hike which is not a lot by any means but fairly average for this time of year. I was happy to add some Mourning Doves to my list near the end of my walk. They tend to overwinter in the park near the northeast side.