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

A QUICK NON BIRD NOTE

A FEW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INTERESTED IN VIEWING MY 2014 CALENDAR AND IT APPEARS THAT THE WEB SITE HAS CLEARED THE WAY FOR 2015 CALENDARS. SO THE ONLY WAY TO NOW VIEW MY 2014 CALENDAR (OTHER THAN LOGGING INTO MY ACCOUNT) IS TO BE DIRECTED BY A LINK. THAT LINK IS BELOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING IT.

THANKS - SKY THE BIRDMAN

https://www.createphotocalendars.com/Share/31e16084a94462262bfa2e5a57e04a980c0134a394f72f24fb8b4fe86a80f1e3f7c1a2d9ef9dac385a409b23f987b398d52f4f364b32bd809a3e5f63a16eb0e2

AN UNBELIEVABLE DAY

I didn't think it would happen but I managed to get another new bird today, making it 9 new Minnesota Life Birds for the year. I hope to get 5 more next year; finally reaching the 300 Club. My wife Melinda was with me for my last 3 new birds. 

What a fun and unbelievable day as we took off this morning from Anoka - headed for Duluth - all for a chance to see a rare duck that hasn't been seen in Minnesota since 1966. After a quick phone call and even quicker chat with some fellow birders milling around the Beacon Point Condos, Melinda and I headed down the lake walk toward downtown Duluth for a chilly stroll. The sun was out in Duluth (unlike in Minneapolis/St. Paul), but the wind was cold coming off of the lake. It was less than 30 minutes when another birder on the walk spotted 2 diving ducks with his scope. They were swimming south toward downtown Duluth so we hurried along the path - trying to be careful not to slip on the ice. Melinda and I had great views with our binoculars but I set up my spotting scope anyway to get great views of 2 juvenile Common Eiders. 

Common Eider

The attached photo is a bit dark as I had much back lighting from the sun. However, the photo proves diagnostic as you can see the very distinctively long bill with sloping forehead. The long bill extends almost to the eyes. Thank you Lord for making this quite the adventure. Success in finding a new bird and safe travel to and from Duluth. Thank you. Thank you. 

RARE RUFOUS MAKES 294

Back on September 20th we got to visit a nice couple in LeSueur, Minnesota. Visiting quite frequently was the very rare Rufous Hummingbird. These rare birds are inching me closer to 300.
I now need only 6 more. As of this post the bird was still being seen.

293 is a Wood Stork

AS BEFORE - I WILL NOT POST MUCH.............
BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD THROW ONE OUT THERE.
A WHILE BACK MY WIFE AND I DROVE TO HUGO MINNESOTA (ACTUALLY TWICE).
ON THE SECOND VISIT WE WERE BLESSED WITH THE SIGHTING WE WERE LOOKING FOR. MY 293RD MN LIFE BIRD - A WOOD STORK.
MAYBE LOST BUT CERTAINLY FELT AT EASE WITH THE MANY GREAT EGRETS AROUND.
IT WAS A BLESSING.

WOOD STORK IN FLIGHT

WOOD STORK - HUGO, MN