First Migrant Bird of the Season!

August can be kind of a "dry" time for finding new birds, well at least at Palmer Lake Park anyways. Seems like all the best birds have gone somewhere else by now. The first thing that caught my eye was a Cabbage White Butterfly on the south end. It was nectaring from the tiny yellow flowers of some wild (and likely invasive) mustard. The Cabbage White is a very common and easy to find butterfly but somewhat difficult to photograph as they just never hold still. The next thing I found got me excited for birds again though; a Northern Waterthrush! This little bird is a member of the Warbler family, though you're more likely to find it on the ground near muddy banks versus up in the trees. This bird is actually already returning back south! One can see them for 2 to 3 weeks maybe in the springtime, then they are on their way further north to breeding grounds. A couple of years ago I came across another one around this same time, maybe even earlier. It's surprising how soon some birds migrate back south. Shorebirds are typically first, followed by waterfowl, but that is just a generalization and each species is different. I spent quite a bit of time following this bird around trying for a better photo, but for all my efforts this was the best I could do. Later I spotted another bird that stood out, but for my inability to identify it. Juvenile sparrows are notoriously difficult to ID, but I see some good indicators here for a young Swamp Sparrow. I'm still not 100% sure but that would be my best guess. Other birds seen today include; American Redstart (male and female) and a Gray Catbird.

Day 11 of My "Big Month" and a 2 New Birds!

I had the day off of work today but it rained most of the morning. I made it to the park in the afternoon and realized this was my 3rd day in a row around Palmer Lake. I don't really have any rain protection for my bigger camera equipment so I was a bit hesitant to go out. But had I known what great photo ops were in store for me I'd have probably gone out sooner! First was a Northern Waterthrush on the southwest corner. This is a bird I almost always see on the ground, so getting one in a tree was extra special. You can really notice the pink/orange legs in this image with the green in the background. Northern Waterthrush also bob their tail nearly continuously, as this one also did so in the tree. The next bird I photographed was a male American Redstart. This tiny little Warbler was likely alarmed by my presence, or maybe it was flirting with a female because it had it's tail fanned out. I've seen Redstarts do this previously but I've rarely been lucky enough to capture a photo of it. The rain was off and on as I hiked around the park but thankfully it had subsided enough by the time I found my next bird of interest. Two Great Crested Flycatchers were seen hopping about together near the duck pond. I've never ever seen this species so close to the ground before. They were pretty much at eye level and were perching right in front of me. I couldn't believe it as this bird is nearly always in the treetops –mostly heard but not seen. Eventually I got into position where one of the posed nicely for me with a perfect green backdrop. This might just be one of the best images I've captured so far this month! Also on the south side I stopped to admire and photograph Marsh Marigold plants that are in full bloom now. They plants were larger than I remember in the past, with a lot more flowers too. I've seen these flowers "picked" before by people which is such a shame as they are so short lived and need specific conditions to grow. So I really hope nobody bothers them this year. I saw a good variety of birds overall today but I spotted one near the end of my hike that I've never seen before at the park. I assumed it was a Swamp Sparrow which is a species I've learned can be found at the park. But after looking more closely I noticed a lot of tan coloring –referred to as "buff" or "buffy" by bird watchers. This is one identifying characteristic not of a Swamp Sparrow, but of a Lincoln's Sparrow! So while it's possible I've seen a Lincoln's before, this is definitely the first time I've positively ID'd one. And that's always an extra plus when it happens to be at my favorite park! Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I spotted a brand new Warbler as well today –a Canada Warbler! It's the first one I've ever seen anywhere but I was unable to get a clear photo of it. A big bummer, but at least I get to count it towards my May list and also my 2015 list. Other birds seen today included; Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat (male & female), Magnolia Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, White-throated Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Common Grackle and Song Sparrow.

Making Tracks

My visit to the park today was short at under an hour due to rainy conditions. I barely took any photos as I was trying to keep my camera dry. But I did spot a Northern Waterthrush again! This is my second sighting of this Warbler now this August, the first time being on August 9th. This one was on the muddy banks of a drainage ditch on the north end of the park. I tried for a photo but it took off quickly. Then in the same place I noticed some animal tracks that looked quite unique. I'm guessing they are Raccoon tracks because of the way the toes are so spread apart but I'm not very good with tracks. I've only seen Racoons just a handful of times at the park but it doesn't mean they're not around. The only other items that I noted were a young Mallard and Snakeroot plant.

Awesome August Sights!

I arrived at the park just after 8:30am this Saturday and started hiking on the south side. While making my way around the duck pond along the wood chip trail I could see a bird or two near the water's edge among the Willow and other low shrubs. The first one to my surprise was a Great Crested Flycatcher. I'd never seen one this low to the ground before as they tend to stay up in the treetops. Unfortunately the lighting was too dark but at least I saw one. But then a second bird in the same area caught my eye and lo and behold it was a Warbler. Not just any Warbler but a Northern Waterthrush! I've not seen one of these since early spring and seeing as it's August now, I'm thinking that possibly this one is already on it's return trip back south. So this bird is officially my first "fall Warbler." There are lots of great plants and flowers and Butterflies out now as well and I spotted this beautiful patch of Blue Vervain just starting to flower. Though tiny, these little flowers are a vibrant violet and bloom from the top down along their flower stalks. This is one of the very first native Wildflowers that I learned and thus they are my favorite Minnesota Wildflower. Blue Vervain tends to prefer moist areas so it it prevalent in Palmer Lake Park. And speaking of Butterflies, I found more than one today. The first one shown here is called a "Cabbage White" Butterfly and they are quite common. I've tried countless times to photograph one in good light and detail and I think I finally succeeded with this shot. I don't know what kind of plant it was on but I do recognize the fuzzy leaves. Then not to much later I found this Red Admiral Butterfly hanging around a plot of Touch-me-Not plant. Maybe it's early enough in the season but this Red Admiral's wings were in pristine shape making me wonder if it wasn't that old yet. Sometimes Butterflies can get pretty beat-up. And such was the case with the next one I found –a Viceroy Butterfly! This was probably my most exciting find so far as I can't even remember the last time I've seen this species. A Viceroy is a "mimic" of the much loved Monarch Butterfly. The reason is that since Monarch catterpillers eat Milkweed plants, they are toxic to birds and are avoided as a food source. The Viceroy, looking so similar to a Monarch in color and pattern, are also avoided. Looking closely at the lower wing of a Viceroy, one can see an extra black line that runs perpendicular to and crosses the other lines. A Monarch would not show this pattern. And just when I thought I'd found the most interesting piece of nature for the day, something darted out ahead of me on the paved trail while hiking along the north side. It was a Pheasant, which isn't all that odd except for the fact that it stopped dead in it's tracks in the middle of the trail and craned it's head to look back. I knew something was up with this and got my camera ready. Sure enough, tiny Pheasant chicks came running out of the tall grass to catch up with mom! It was the first time for me seeing Pheasant chicks. I believe there were four in all and they were already grown enough to fly for short distances as evident by this photo showing the last one in flight. I tried to quickly run up ahead as I could see the group still on the edge of the grass on the opposite side of the trail. By the time I got up far enough, all but one chick had darted into the grass and I didn't get a good photo of the one. Quite an interesting sighting I think! Wonder if they had nested in the park?

More FOY Birds and Lots of Species!

My visit to the park this morning resulted in a LOT of birds so this post will have more than the usual 3 photos! Though I saw some awesome things I always like to post them in the same order I spotted them. The first is actually a bird that caught my eye as looking rather unique but I quickly wrote it off as an American Tree Sparrow. However, after studying my two photos now I firmly believe this is a Swamp Sparrow –which is a new species for me! Only recently I had a conversation come up with an experienced birder about Swamp Sparrows. I told him that whenever I heard people say "Swamp Sparrow" I thought they were using a nickname to refer to Song Sparrows. Well that turns out to be wrong, and there are indeed two separate species. But as it turns out, a Swamp Sparrow looks hardly anything like a Song Sparrow, and is actually way closer in appearance to an American Tree Sparrow. And since I've become so familiar with Tree Sparrows in the last couple of years, I can already see some notable differences here. For one, this new bird shows a distinctly whiter throat than most American Tree Sparrows. It is also missing the white wing bars on it's side. It's cap seems to start as 2 very dark streaks near the beak before turning reddish brown at the top which is also different from the American Tree Sparrow who's reddish brown is solid and the same color even at the front. There would also be a way more obvious distinction which is not very apparent here in either photo. While the American Tree Sparrow has different colors for it's upper and lower beak, the Swamp Sparrow has the same color on both upper and lower beak. Sorry to go on and on about the differences but I do this as much for myself as anyone –so that I can learn from it and also refer back to it! My next bird is one that I've seen before, but is the first time I've seen one this year. And it is one of my very favorite Warblers –an Oven Bird! This is probably one of the more elusive Warblers we have here in Minnesota as it is a ground nesting bird. In fact it is named as such for the "dome" shaped nest that it builds on the ground. I've come to spot Ovenbirds more frequently in areas that have both larger trees as well as a lot of "leaf litter" or left-over dead leaves from the previous fall. They are somewhat common at PLP if you look in the right areas and have enough patience to keep looking. The next bird I came upon is a Black-capped Chickadee who was busily excavating a hole in a stump. The first time I saw it go in the hole I thought I was seeing things. But it would pop out with a beak full of woodchips, fly off and then come back again to do the same. I'm assuming he or she was doing so in preparation for a nest, but the particular stump was only about 2 to 3 feet high off the ground. I would think being so close to the ground might not be safe from predators but who knows. Maybe if the hole is small enough no large mammal could get their head in there anyways. It was a funny sight. Later I spotted yet another Sparrow but this time it posed nicely for a photo. This is a White-throated Sparrow and you can probably see why they are named so just by looking at this photo. Besides the white throat patch, the have a bright yellow patch above and in front of their eye, thus making them one of the more beautiful of the Sparrows. But probably the reason people love this species of Sparrow is that they have a fantastically beautiful call that sounds like the first few notes of the Canadian National Anthem "Oh – Ca – na – da!" Next on the list is another FOY (First of Year) Warbler, the Black-and-white Warbler. This is a particularly distinct looking Warbler, as nearly all other Warblers are brightly colored in Yellow, Orange or Blue. The Black-and-white is striped in strictly black and white like a Zebra, hence it's highly technical name - LOL! They are also one of the only Warblers that can be found walking head first down the sides of trees. Therefore you are more likely to see this Warbler on or near larger, mature trees. And last but not least, I was able to spot one more Warbler today –a Northern Waterthrush. The Northern Waterthrush is also a somewhat secretive bird, staying mostly on the ground but almost always near standing water. They hold their butt and straight tail at a nearly a 45º angle and constantly bob their hind end up and down. So just by this posture and behavior alone, it is easier to discern this bird from others. They can be found bobbing up and down wherever water meets land in the spring. And in summer when the water recedes, look for them wherever muddy land meets the water.

List of species (that I can remember) from today:
1. Swamp Sparrow
2. Song Sparrow
3. White-throated Sparrow
4. Ovenbird
5. Northern Cardinal
6. Blue Jay
7. Black-capped Chickadee
8. Red-winged Blackbird
9. Northern Shoveler
10. Mallard
11. American Coot
12. Black-and-white Warbler
13. Yellow-rumped Warbler
14. American Goldfinch
15. Wood Duck
16. Canada Goose
17. Downy Woodpecker
18. Hairy Woodpecker
19. Red-bellied Woodpecker
20. Hermit Thrush
21. American Robin
22. Brown Thrasher
23. Least Flycatcher
24. American Crow
25. Northern Waterthrush
26. Blue-winged Teal
27. Lesser Yellowlegs
28. Greater Yellowlegs
29. Common Grackle
30. Brown-headed Cowbird
31. Cedar Waxwing
32. House Wren
33. Gray Catbird

Friday the 13th

I got a "free pass" of sorts today as our offices unexpectedly closed up early and I found myself free on a beautiful late afternoon. The weather was simply awesome today as cooler weather had finally arrived. It was sunny, cool, dry and calm –everything a Minnesotan rarely has! I was tempted to go birding at the cemetery near my workplace but chose PLP instead, thinking I'd have a better chance for migrating fall Warblers. And I did see one right off the bat –a Northern Waterthrush bobbing his tail up and down on the muddy shore of a small pond near the east side. I was hoping for a better photo but I'm happy to spot this bird at all as they blend into their environment extremely well. In fact I put an arrow in this photo so you can locate him easier. This would prove to be the only Warbler I spotted today but I'm always happy when I'm able to see a Bluebird. I heard this one singing long before I found him atop the chain link backdrop to the baseball diamond on the west side. I was hoping his position would give me enough leeway to get close to him and indeed I did. I was able to get right up underneath this male and snapped a funny shot of him looking suspiciously at me. I'm wondering how much longer the Bluebirds will stick around before heading south. I really took my time walking the rest of the way as it was just so nice outside. As the sun was setting I found myself standing out in a field of tall ragged weeds, still hoping for another Warbler. Instead I caught this Goldfinch peering down at me from a Buckthorn tree.

My Big Month - Day 5

Well so far I am 5 for 5 in getting out to Palmer Lake Park this May. Today the month of May finally lived up to expectations as both the weather and birding were fantastic. I spent roughly 3 hours birding today and took 131 pictures in all. It was warm enough to notice larger insects and I even saw my first Mourning Cloak Butterflies -which seems very late in comparison to other years. Three of the big highlights for the day were seen while I was stationary, sitting by the edge of the little pond right by the parking lot on the south side. As I sat there, a pair of Blue-winged Teals flew in, then an Osprey flew overhead, and best of all a Black and White Warbler landed only just feet from me in some Willow Shrubs. I had my camera on him quick but I snapped the shutter even before it had time to focus and I lost my only chance at photographing him. My pick to post today however was the very last bird I saw today.

Definitely not by best photo of the day but this is a brand new species for me that I've never photographed. I'm pretty sure this is a Northern Waterthrush which is actually in the Warbler family. I watched it walk with it's tail bobbing up and down along the edge of a small pond on the east side. He was tough to get a photo of as they really blend in well. The only thing that stood out at all was it's bright pinkish-orange legs.

Total species seen today: Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black & White Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Goldfinch, Hairy Woodpecker, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Brown Thrasher, American Coot, Common Merganser, Bufflehead, Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, Wood Duck, Canada Goose, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Northern Cardinal, Osprey, American Crow, Tree Swallow, Mourning Dove, American Robin and a couple unidentified Warblers.

Conditions: 60 degrees and little to no clouds