A Somewhat Un-birdy Day

I visited the park today around 12:15 in the afternoon. I had been out of town yesterday visiting some MN State Parks in the Alexandria area. In all the hiking I did on Saturday I saw very few birds so I was anxious to get to PLP and hopefully see some more. But much like the larger State Parks, today was very slow for birdwatching. In fact I think I had only seen about 10 birds –not 10 species– but 10 birds total by the time I was 4/5ths of the way around. Then finally near Shingle Creek on the south side I spotted a bit of movement. There were 2 Eastern Phoebes skimming the water here in search of insects. I had many opportunities to photograph them as this particular species is just not very skittish of people at all. Phoebes are known for constantly flicking their tail and also for "hawking" for insects, meaning they will often fly out from their perch after an insect and then land in the exact same spot again. One more reason they are easier to photograph than many other birds. Just a few minutes earlier I had spotted a group of about 40-50 Coots out in the lake near here. They are the first Coots I've seen at the park this fall but they were a little too far away for any good photos. But while sitting on the banks of the creek watching the Phoebes, one lone coot came swimming down the creek nearly in front of me. I took advantage before he scared off and at this close distance I could see his red colored eyes. I was hoping others might come in towards me too but for some reason it was just the one. Eventually he turned around and headed back out towards his group. Also here I spotted a Pied-billed Grebe, another FOF (first of fall) for the park. He too quickly headed out into the larger area of the lake. Other sightings for the day included; American Robin, Song Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Mallard, Wood Duck, Ring-billed Gull and one single Yellow-rumped Warbler. Near the end of my walk I noticed that the miniature Maple Tree on the east side was in nearly full fall color. There is NOT a lot of colorful foliage to be seen at Palmer Lake Park in the fall, but this particular tree turns a brilliant red every year about this time. I recently had a friend tell me that this tree was a Maple variety from China. I have a hard time remembering but I'm fairly certain he said it was an "Amur Maple" synonymous with the Amur River in China. Reading a bit about it now led me to the MN DNR's website that lists it under their "invasive species" section! I guess I shouldn't be too shocked as I've been coming to realize just how many non-native and other invasives are present within this park.

Lots to See on a Sunday in July

I took well over 100 photos today on my hike around the park. There were lots of birds out today including young ones such as a juvenile Barn Swallow sitting on the baseball infield with his mouth agape waiting to be fed. There was also some bird courtship on display –this time from a pair of Baltimore Orioles high up in a tree. I was looking directly into the sun during this so I had to drastically lighten up the photo to see any detail. But it was interesting none the less to see that it almost looks like the female is pursuing or displaying for the male instead of the typical other way around. I don't know if that's truly what's going on in this photo and I'd have to do some research to find out if that's even a possibility. After stopping to watch a Rabbit in the green grass and take note of an unidentified bird overhead, I found the male Indigo Bunting singing from the treetops near his usual territory on the north side. It's been such fun to see this guy so often this year but he's sure hard to catch any lower than about 25 - 30 feet up in a tree. Thus most of my shots are "under view" perspective but at least I'm picking up a bit more detail now with my new Tamron lens. One more bird I spotted on the north side today was something I've just not seen much of at all this year. In fact I heard other birders also say that Eastern Phoebe's (a very common summer species) have been somewhat scarce this year. I first took notice of this myself way back in early Spring around April. In other years at PLP, I have noticed that Eastern Phoebes are one of the very first migrating songbirds to return. In fact I usually start to notice them when I'm out watching the returning Waterfowl which come back weeks earlier than most of the songbirds. So finding one today was something of a treat. They're not a distinct looking bird by any means but rather plain looking. Mostly brown with a belly that looks olive-yellow in the right light. In fact there are number of other species that can look quite similar –also being in the same "Flycatcher" family. Don't even get me started about Flycatchers. There are two species of Flycatchers known to be differentiated ONLY by the call they make, otherwise looking perfectly identical in appearance. One bird that is often misidentified by birders around the country are Red-winged Blackbirds. Specifically the female Red-winged. She is also drab and mottled and lacking any very distinct coloring or patterning. Many times birds of each sex from the same species will bear some general resemblance to each other. But I've always thought the male and female RWB almost break that mold. After seeing so many females in the park each year I've become a bit more familiar with their shape and behavior so that I'm seeing other variances. Such is the case with this one who appears more yellow colored overall, especially in the face. She is in fact a juvenile female Red-winged Blackbird who hasn't grown into her full adult plumage yet. Other species seen today included; Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Mourning Dove, Common Yellowthroat, and American Robin.

Near Freezing Temps but More Returning Species

Today was Easter Sunday and after stuffing myself full of ham and other good stuff, the day was still long enough to get to the park again. But this time I decided that rather than walk all the way around, I would simply just sit along the banks of Shingle Creek. I did this once last year as well -probably around the same time I think- because all the early spring waterfowl are coming through now. It is really fun as you never quite know what you might see -proof positive by yesterday's Ring-billed Duck sighting! I parked on the northeast corner of the park and hiked immediately towards the foot bridge over the Shingle Creek. But before I got there I cut across the field making my way towards the water but staying behind the tall banks as much as possible. As I approached I could see many Ducks huddled along the shore -lots of them Wood Ducks. Unfortunately I didn't take 3 steps closer when some of them began to scare off, which in turn scared the others off. In just a few more steps there were NO ducks anywhere near me. But I found my favorite place to sit in the sun, leaning up against the big, tall Cottonwood and facing downstream. I realized I might have to wait quite a while for something to make it's way back upstream. But after just a few minutes, two Ducks flew in from above and landed quite close to me. I'd forgotten all about this possibility but was even more excited to see that the pair were Blue-winged Teals -the first ones I've spotted this season! The male and female made their way to the shoreline and cleaned and preened for about 10 minutes before leaving again. Much further downstream I counted approximately 15 Hooded Mergansers, male and female. They were all so far away but after patiently waiting quite a while, one pair did swim upstream again. It was fun to watch them dip under the water. Sometimes 6 or 7 would all go under within seconds of each other and it made me wonder if they ever bump into each other underwater. One male that was closer to me came up with a little fish that it dropped at first but then quickly grabbed again. These ducks are quick! As I watched them I couldn't help but notice a couple of small birds off to my right that would periodically seem to fly right down to the surface of the water and then back up again. As cold as it was today (I noticed I could see my breath), I would have thought it much too early for this bird, but indeed they were Easter Phoebes -another returning species. They would perch on little twigs over the water, swoop down to the surface and then right back to the exact same perch over and over. I know they eat insects near the water but I would think it was still much too cold for any insects to be out either -though you never know. As the waterfowl activity seemed to be slowing down for the evening, I made my way out the same way I came in through the field to my left. From a long distance I could see two Red-tailed Hawks flying to the south and watched them through my binoculars. Soon one landed and then surprisingly the other landed on top of the other. They were quite a ways away but I realized quickly that they were mating. Being the type of fierce hunters that they are with such sharp claws I am quite curious how they don't tear each other to shreds! It would have been awesome to see this sight closer but I thought it was worth mentioning on my blog here today.

Mid-September Sights

This Sunday I had an afternoon walk at the park, arriving just after 2:00pm. It was another beautiful day to be outside and I saw just about everything from birds and deer to turtles and butterflies. The first thing I spotted was this young spike Buck on the southeast side of the park. He was foraging around the little drainage pond there right off the paved trail. I snapped a few quick photos and got a good look at his akward little mis-matched antlers. I figured there would be more deer around but he seemed to be by himself and then trotted away after just a minute or so of me watching him. After this I spotted a Bald Eagle, a Grey Catbird and then lastly this interesting bird perched just above water on the southwest side where the little creek connects to the Duck Pond. At first glance it seemed too large and skinny to for an Eastern Phoebe. I was also seeing it only from behind and there seemed to be an almost bluish-grey coloring that i don't typically associate with Phoebes. I started doing some research, thinking maybe it could be some kind of Pewee or Flycatcher. After reading and looking at quite a few photos I can honestly say it would take a more experienced birder to quickly pick up on the subtle differences between Phoebe's, Pewees and Flycatchers. That being said, here are my findings. Eastern Wood Pewees look extremely similar with little-to-no eye ring, yet they differ with a typically orange lower beak or "mandible." Most Flycatchers (with a few exceptions) also have an orange lower mandible AND tend to have a more prominent white eye-ring too boot. Based on this photo showing no eye-ring and a black upper and lower mandible, I would still say it is an Eastern Phoebe. I hope my ID is correct because I just can't say for sure. Later on I had the opportunity to spot and more easily identify a sparrow that is a lot less common than your average House or Song Sparrow. This is a White-throated Sparrow and I believe the very first one I've ever captured a photo of at the park! I've heard their very memorable song before but not had the opportunity to actually see one until now. Their song is worth hearing if you've never heard one before. Click here to listen to one!

Last Day of March and One New Waterfowl!

It was slightly cooler out this morning -probably more normal for this time of year compared to warm days we've been having lately. I parked on the south side today and headed round the park on the paved path instead of the wood chip trail. The woods is just thin enough yet to see through to the "duck pond" on the southwest corner. From here I could see there was something different in the water -something with bright white coloring. I tried quietly to sneak through the woods but by the time I made it up to the water's edge I'd scared off 2 of the ducks which I then recognized as Northern Shovelers. I've been itching to see these again this year so I parked myself on a log and waited for a while. Eventually a third one that was further out to my left came swimming into view. The first time I saw a Shoveler, it's head looked blue but this one looked green. I guess it all depends on the angle as their head is iridescent. I was also seeing a lot of Red-bellied Woodpeckers today which was a little odd only because I tend to see more of them in winter time. I think I saw 3 or 4 all within a short time frame. The next bird I spotted I was definitely not expecting to see today. On the north side I walked back into the woods a bit just to see what I might find and there near the ground was an Eastern Phoebe! This really surprised me as I don't typically see much of these until late spring or even summer. They eat only insects and true to form it was flying out short distances to pick them out of the air and then return to the same spot over and over again. I was able to get closer and see glimpses of it's olive-green colored belly. This might have been the closest I've gotten to one so far but it kept landing in a little bush that was blocking it's face. Upon returning to the south side I could see quite a few ducks out near where the creek empties into the lake. There were Mallards, Wood Ducks, Shovelers and even Coots. But there was something else I could not recognize. They were smaller, about 3/4 the size of a Mallard and mostly greyish brown and smooth looking. There was also a female following behind that looked mottled and similar to a female Mallard. At first I thought they were Teals but there were no obvious facial markings. The male seemed to have a thin white band around it's neck and when he was swimming away from me he seemed to have a rusty colored patch on his back. Something I noticed only later from my photos is that the male seemed to have a dark bill while the female had more of a yellow bill. After going through my field guides I was still having a hard time positively identifying them. After consulting other birders and looking at other photos online, I'm almost positive that they are Gadwall. This is definitely something I've never seen before!

Warm and Wiiiindy

This Sunday was another nice sunny and warm day, only it was super windy. Because of the wind I didn't expect to see many birds but I was able to get closer to this Cardinal than I normally get to them. In fact I walked up right underneath him. From this angle he didn't fit that familiar "regal" and trim looking shape but rather more like a fat Robin. In the first little pond near the parking lot I also spotted a few Wood Ducks -with just one being a Male. They are so much more skittish than Mallards and took off at the first sight of me. It doesn't seem like there's been as many Wood Ducks this year compared to last, and I definitely have not gotten as close to them this year. It's getting so late now that this may be the last I see of them this season. Later I spotted another Easter Phoebe catching insects over the water. I took some photos but they turned out all washed out from the bright sun reflecting on the water. Despite the strong wind, Canada Geese were moving around in large flocks today. No two groups ever seem to be headed the same direction. This larger than normal group circled above me for a bit and broke into more of a circular pattern versus a typical "v."

Day off walk

Today was Monday but I had the day off of work. I decided to get a walk in fairly early and arrived just before 8:30am. One of the first things I noticed were the calls of Red-winged Blackbirds. It struck me that it's been a while since I've heard so many of them -and being this late in the year it seems likely that these were birds who had been further north and were just moving through the area headed back south. In one of the small sloughs on the east side, you can now walk along the water for a bit due to recent construction going on in the park. Rock has been added around some of the drainage openings which should prevent erosion and also help filter water. Here I spotted and Eastern Phoebe, recognizable by it's pattern of returning to the same branch after repeatedly flying out to catch insects. A short time later on the edge of the ball fields I could see 4 or 5 birds that I easily recognized, although don't seem to common at Palmer Lake. I recently learned that the European Starling was introduced to the US in the late 1800's by a group of Shakespeare enthusiasts who wanted to introduce all birds mentioned in his plays. All European or "Common" Starlings you see today would be descendants of 100 Starlings introduced to Central Park in New York! Read more here. Near the end of my walk I had an opportunity to see another common bird that has been elusive to my camera lens -a Dark-eyed Junco. They typically will keep moving forward as I approach, just far away enough to make them hard to photograph. It was a bit unusual to find myself right underneath this one.

Great Day of Birding

It was another warm day this Sunday but I got a slightly earlier start than yesterday. Even so I was eager to head into the cover of trees on the southwestern wood chip trail. About half way up the trail I spotted a large Hawk perched and facing directly towards me. From this vantage point I couldn't see it's tail or backside and it was also hard to tell the coloring as I was looking into the sun. Interestingly it was sitting on one leg with the other tucked in towards it's breast. Based on it's size and what little I could see, I would guess that it's a Red-tailed Hawk. It's head and beak looked too large for a Cooper's Hawk. He quickly flew off before I could definitively ID him although I still struggle with Hawks in general. As I made my way around I was able to positively ID a fairly long list of other birds including a Cedar Waxwing, Downy Woodpecker, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Song Sparrow, Crow, Common Grackle, Northern Flicker, Cardinal, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Osprey and even a Blue Jay. The best bird sighting of the day however was the first Hummingbird of the season. On top of that it was smack dab in the place where I've been expecting one to be. I've been scanning the tops of these 4 or 5 dead trees on the northeast side for weeks hoping to see one and finally got lucky today. I got off one shot and as I was taking the 2nd, I could see him take off already. Luckily the camera went off not a moment too soon. Hopefully I will start to see them more often now. Another slightly interesting sighting was at the end of my walk right before I was about to head to my vehicle. This bird had a slightly larger and fuzzier head than most which is what caught my eye. It perched on a small branch and then would dart out for just a second before returning. I'm assuming it was catching insects and this behavior matches up with the description for an Eastern Phoebe.

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!