11 New Life Birds found in Alaska

The trip to Alaska was outstanding. As my brother-in-law stated, "Alaska is majestic."
I found 11 new life birds. Including my new birds from Germany, my life list is now at 463.
Here's the list of new birds:

1.   Pacific Loon
2.   Mew Gull
3.   Gyrfalcon
4.   Arctic Tern
5.   Northwestern Crow
6.   Pigeon Guillemot
7.   Horned Puffin
8.   Tufted Puffin
9.   Black-legged Kittiwake
10. Common Murre
11. Black Oystercatcher


I got photos of all of these birds but I will only attach a few of the better ones (including some birds I have seen before).

Black Oystercatcher

Arctic Tern

Common Murre

Glaucous-winged Gull

Harlequin Duck (male)

Horned Puffin (in flight)

Mew Gull

Pacific Loon

Pigeon Guillemot

Steller's Jay

300 Club - My 300th Minnesota Bird

I was glad to get this bird (my 300th) because I didn't want this goal to lag on until summer.

God Bless

299 Means 1 Away from the 300 Club

On April 25th, 2015 I drove (for the 2nd time) to a small town called Brook Park, Minnesota.
It was a friend of Betsy Beneke's that reported a Western Tanager in her yard. I skipped Men's Bible Study to nab my 299th Minnesota Bird Specie. Since that time, I have missed on a Prairie Warbler, a Summer Tanager, and the Ruff that was seen at Bass Ponds for over 8 days. I missed it by 1 day. I also (prior to seeing the Western Tanager) missed a Cinnamon Teal by 2 hours. 300 will come soon. Plans are to head up to Felton Prairie to look for the nesting Chestnut-collared Longspur. That will complete the mission. 

Western Tanager

NOW 2 AWAY

COMMON EIDER WITH 2 NORTHERN PINTAIL DUCKS

Happy New Year!!!

What a great way to start the new year of 2015 with a new bird. On New Year's Day I bagged the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Didn't get a photo but got great diagnostic looks with all sorts of other birders mulling around the residence in Hastings, Minnesota. That made 296. 

Today I just got back from an MOU birding trip in the Duluth area. No new birds on Saturday, but after a fine rest with my good friends John and Virginia Tuttle, I was ready to go Sunday morning. Our group spent 30 minutes in the freezing cold daybreak waiting for the skulking Golden-crowned Sparrow. At first only a White-throated Sparrow showed up, but then ... excellent looks at the Golden-crowned. As I viewed the faint gold stripe running down the bird's head, a women from our group also ID'd it. She is from California and has them in her yard all the time. That put my MN life list at 297. We ended the day just before lunch north of Duluth. Tracked down a Ruffed Grouse and got some nice photos - then our guide Kim Eckert found a Hoary Redpoll. That bird had been eluding me for quite a few years. Not today - with photos to prove it. Hoary Redpoll is my 298th Minnesota bird. Now 2 Away from the 300 Club!

God Bless

HOARY REDPOLL

FEMALE EVENING GROSBEAK ON LEFT - PINE SISKIN ON RIGHT

BLACK DUCK IN FLIGHT

NORTHERN HAWK OWL

BOREAL CHICKADEE

SNOWY OWL (tagged)

RUFFED GROUSE