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

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

UNDER

CONSTRUCTION

TIME OFF NEEDED

TO RE-CONFIGURE THE PIE CHART

KEEP PRAISING GOD

GETTING CLOSER

None of us know how many days we have left on this earth. But one thing for sure is that I am getting closer to spotting and identifying 300 bird species in the state of Minnesota. Not an easy task. And there are no guarantees that I will make it. Yesterday's travels had me leaving directly after men's bible study and heading to a little town out west called Herman, Minnesota. In the past, known for having the biggest percentage of unmarried men, now they will be known for hosting the first and only pair (so far) of breeding Black-necked Stilts. It was a long drive but when I got to the Herman Water Treatment Ponds, there they were. It took less than 30 seconds to find them, but about a 3 hour drive. Next I was able to visit the farm & home of one Charlene Nelson who so graciously opened up her residence to birders wanting a chance to see a White-winged Dove. Both of these birds are very rare to the state of Minnesota so I jumped at the chance. Initially I left without seeing the dove but while in Herman, Charlene called me on my cell phone to tell me that the bird just showed up. Cell phones - as I have mentioned before (maybe not on this blog) - are a God-send when it comes to being able to spot birds. Drove back and got the bird. I now need only 8 more birds to join the elusive 300 Club. Neither one of the birds was a North American Life Bird as I had seen them previously on trips out of state. Enjoy the photos and I hope God richly blesses your day.

BLACK-NECKED STILT

WHITE-WINGED DOVE