In Search of Teal

I was off of work this Monday, April 13th and I spent a lot of time –more than expected– at the park searching for birds. As I embarked I had one specific bird in mind that I wanted to photograph and that was a Green-winged Teal. I'd seen them at the park in previous years, as well as in other places and learned they can be camera shy. I hiked quickly to the duck pond on the southwest corner of the park and sure enough spotted both Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal there. As expected they were on the opposite side of the pond from me and would quickly move to the other side whenever I walked around towards them. After much back and forth I decided to slowly "lurk" closer over time, stopping here and there for 15-20 minutes before moving quietly closer. It was muddy along the shore and more than once my foot sunk completely underwater with foul smelling swamp muck. I stuck to stepping on visible tree roots after a while and eventually made my way to narrower section of the pond where the ducks would have no choice to be closer to me as long as they remained on the water. Even though I had a longer lens than this time last year it was still a struggle to get within range as Teal are just as "wild" and unapproachable as Wood Ducks –or maybe even more so. I find Blue-winged Teal are the slightly more approachable of the two which isn't saying much. But a male finally came within range. Though a little more plain looking, the male's head will show just a hint of iridescence in the right light. You can see just a little blend to violet on his head in this photo. While I sat and waited and waited and waited for the Green-winged, I heard then spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet bouncing around in the trees above me. Sometimes it is really nice to just sit in one place in the woods and watch things around you versus continually moving yourself. I was also rewarded with a nice view of a Cooper's Hawk that glided right over me, swooped upwards and then landed in a tree not far away. I spied his perch through my binoculars and he continued to stay there at least another 30 minutes. Finally some action from the Green-winged Teals came as not just one but two made their way along the shoreline closer to me. They are "dabbling" ducks not divers, meaning they often have their head poking under water looking for food. So even if you do see them they don't always present their best side to you. After waaaay more time and waaaay more photos than anticipated, I finally gleaned these two images of a male, though I wanted desperately to get even closer. These are unfortunately still cropped quite a bit but you can see why they are such a beautiful bird. In the right light, their rusty brown head is split with an emerald green swath of feathers from their eye and dipping down the neckline. Such a strikingly beautiful bird! Last spring I also learned their call which is a quiet little inconspicuous "peep" that repeats about 3 to 5 times. I heard this sound again today while watching them. After at least a couple of hours invested, I decided I just wasn't going to get any closer today so I finally gave in and decided to hike the rest of the way around the park. I eventually saw a few more Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Ring-billed Gull, and one Great Horned Owlet still in the nest on the north side. The only good image I got was this little Song Sparrow who posed nicely for me in the light at the base of a large tree. Oh, and I also saw a Mourning Cloak Butterfly!

Growing Families of Birds

Bird watching can really slow down in August –at least at Palmer Lake anyway. So I'm kind of surprised to have 6 photos that I want to share from my visit this Saturday morning. The first is a Downy Woodpecker that I was able to get very close to. This male Downy (as evident by the red patch of feathers on his head) was busy looking for insects inside dried up cattail and other weed stalks. Compared to pounding into a tree I'm sure this was much easier! I saw him poke a hole into it and even saw his long tongue come out once. Maybe it's because I was close but I thought for sure that this was a Hairy Woodpecker which is about 3 inches larger than a Downy. But with my photo I was able to catch a small detail that helps a person distinguish between the two nearly identical species. Notice the small black dots near the tips of the white tail feathers –something a Hairy Woodpecker does not have! In the same general area were lots of Goldfinches coming and going and making plenty of noise too. I've been trying for weeks to get a nice photo of one and am coming to realize it's just not that easy. Here and there I could see one or two through the tall green grass and this was one that did not seem shy of me. To me it's brownish coloration reminded me of how the males will look in winter. But why did it look this way now in the middle of August?It puzzled me enough to ask other birders and it turns out I overlooked the most obvious answer. It is a juvenile! Whilst standing here watching, I finally spotted a bright yellow male but there was not a clear view of him through the tall grass. Eventually he worked his way upwards and grabbed a hold of a blade of grass to bend it over. At the time I didn't notice but in the photo now I can see there are little green aphids on the grass. I don't know for sure if that's what he was after or not. I didn't watch closely enough to see if that was the case. There was one more little yellow bird that I saw today further along the wood chip trail to the south. This was a female Common Yellowthroat who teased me with only a partial view from behind some cattails. I often forget that this species is a Warbler, seeing as how they are here in our area for almost the entire summer season and how easily they can be found through their constant and loud songs. Though I've heard plenty of them lately, I've seen only females in the past few weeks. Later on the north side I spotted a bird that I've not seen in some time now –possibly since spring. I first noticed a patch of bright red against white which usually means one thing, a male Rose-breasted Grosbeak. They are one of my favorite birds but every year I notice that the males in particular become very scarce in the summer. After trying for a while to coax it out of the thick buckthorn, I noticed movement which I followed to another tree. Finally it was out in the open where I could get a photo. But as I did I quickly realized it was not the same bird. This was in fact a juvenile and more obviously a juvenile male! This is something I've never seen before and was quite exciting. It still had many of the characteristics of an adult female –the striped brownish head and even the rusty orange breast with small speckles. But in the middle of that breast was the bright red patch of an adult male. This photo was lightened up considerable to show some of those details. Its great to know that this bird is possibly nesting in or near the Palmer Lake area! Finally, on the northeast side of the park I had spotted what looked like a Song Sparrow fly down from a perch and start following another bird very closely. When a bird shows this behavior of following another around and opening it's mouth for food it can only mean one thing –that it is a young bird or "fledgeling." Indeed this odd looking Song Sparrow with some yellowish coloring on it's face was being fed by the adult which was a neat sight. I took quite a few photos but hardly got any focused shots of the action of feeding that happened so quickly. After getting it's meal though, the young bird would still be very close to the adult giving me multiple good photo opportunities of the pair.

Quintessential April Birds

This Saturday's visit to the park showed me just about all of the most common birds one would expect to see in the month of April. When I arrived I spotted a mature Bald Eagle soaring overhead but he zoomed past quickly and I never got another look at him. Then almost immediately after I spotted a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was yet another female as were the majority of others I've seen so far this year. Next came a Common Grackle, a bird I've seen already but not gotten a photo of yet this year –so this is the first. Much like Red-winged Blackbirds, I am excited to see them returning each spring and then later get completely sick of them by the end of the season! After this I spotted a pair of Wood Ducks and then what looked to be a Cooper's Hawk. But I was to capture one more first of the season photo next when I spotted a Hermit Thrush hopping around near the ground. It is really quite interesting to note that almost every time I've ever seen a Hermit Thrush, there is still snow on the ground. It's almost like they prefer it and seem to travel just far enough north to keep themselves in line with areas that maintain just an inch or so on the ground. So if you ever see a bird that looks similar to this, taking note of the conditions may help you identify and differentiate it from other "Thrushes" that will arrive later in the season. Next I headed out across the big field on the north side, walking out along Shingle Creek to see what I might find. Indeed I found the Bluebirds again but didn't manage any good photos of them. There was however a Song Sparrow perched nearby who was singing out loudly. It seemed to be so engrossed in singing that it let me creep up closer for a couple of decent photos. This is also another bird who's song heralds the arrival of Spring in Minnesota. On the creek I scared up a Pied-billed Grebe who actually took to the air. It was actually the first time I've ever seen one flying and I got to see it up close which was pretty neat. After this I came upon a large group of Cedar Waxwings feeding on dried up Buckthorn berries. Many times I've found that I can get extremely close to this species, especially when they're in a group and eating. For such a beautiful looking bird, they are one of the most tolerant when it comes to people. This combination makes it a great bird to try and get photos of and I've had more good results than with other birds. Though the time of year makes the lighting not as cooperative as the bird! After this I spotted a Dark-eyed Junco, a flock of Double-crested Cormorants, more Ruby-crowned Kinglets and also a Canada Goose to wrap up my hike.

Still Some Color

This Sunday morning I got a later start than usual and did not arrive at the park until after 10:30am. It was a mostly sunny day with just wispy, thin clouds floating by. There's barely a trace of snow left from our first snow on Wednesday and with a lot of vegetation still remaining green, it was hard to imagine that it even happened. One plant in particular I was noticing as very green is Garlic Mustard. The leaves look exactly the same as the do in the spring, maybe only a little larger. In an earlier post I mentioned that I hadn't paid particular attention to when Song Sparrows leave for the season. I believe this was a Song Sparrow I saw today. I detect a bit of yellow coloring around the neck area which isn't something I associate with a Song Sparrow, but that could also just be the lighting. Everything else fits with a Song Sparrow so it is interesting to note still seeing one this late in the season. They are definitely hearty enough to come back in the spring while snow is still on the ground so November certainly wouldn't be out of the question. Looking at all that green in the background, you might not guess November. On the southwest side I walked along the wood chip trail that follows the edge of the Duck Pond hoping to see anything out of the normal. But all I saw were Mallards. A couple pairs of them were sleeping so still along the shore that I almost stepped on them before noticing them. Like a lot of animals I don't think Ducks ever really sleep deeply or for long periods as it would be too risky. I got the feeling from this female that maybe they sleep with one eye open –figuratively and literally. Besides these two birds today, I spotted Northern Cardinal, Red-tailed Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco and Black-capped Chickadee. Oh, and I even spotted a Wooly-bear Caterpillar today out trying to cross the paved trail. Another hearty creature indeed. This last photo here is of the only two remaining crab apples still clinging to a tree somewhere on the north side, just off the trail. At the height they were at (above the small and still green Buckthorn), the red color really stood out and caught my attention. Though I estimate Buckthorn makes up more than 70% of all the trees at PLP, you'd be surprised at how many other tree species are out there. The problem is that there are so few of them. And in time, if the invasive Buckthorn is not addressed, the other species have a harder and harder time populating. Generally, any fruit-bearing tree is good for wildlife –including birds. Buckthorn does produce berries, and wildlife will eat them, but this particular berry is toxic and will produce diarrhea in birds and other animals –including humans!

Golden-crowned Kinglets!

Just 10 days earlier, I happened upon a little bird that I'd never seen before. This was at Hillside Cemetery in Northeast Minneapolis over my lunch break. It was a very tiny bird that moved incredibly quickly and often but it didn't look like anything I'd ever seen. It had a mostly white breast but I was catching glimpses of bright yellow on it's head. I assumed it was a Warbler of some kind. After several dozens of shots that came up with an empty branch, I began thinking to myself "what is the only other bird I know that moves this quickly?" A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was my answer. Then it hit me –there was another type of Kinglet! I looked him up on my phone right then and there and realized I was seeing a Golden-crowned Kinglet! I was so excited to have stumbled upon something new but my photos weren't too great. I even went back to the cemetery that evening after work, attempting to locate them again but no such luck. I never considered that I might see them at PLP but today I did. And even more exciting was that I ran into them several times today in different parts of the park! In the end I was able to get at least 2 post-able shots to share here, but this was 2 out of probably 50 shots I took. In the very brief instances that I've been able to see this new bird, I've decided that one clue you could go by to identify one is that they almost appear to have no neck. Their head seems to be almost part of their round little body, giving them a "chubby" appearance much more than any other bird I know. I've also learned that while both male and female have a bright yellow crown atop the head, only the male has an additional tiny little orange-red patch at the back of his crown, making his crown appear more of a rich orange all around. I was able to see that in at least 2 of the birds I saw today and you can just barely make it out in my first photo here. I was quite excited to get to see this bird for only the 2nd time ever –and especially excited to see it at PLP!
One more bird that is coming through now with the change in weather, is the Fox Sparrow. I became familiar with these only over the last couple of years but now I can pick them out easier than before. First and foremost they are noticeably larger than other sparrows. And since they often are among other Sparrow species, you can see the difference in size quite easily. They are also often colored a rich, rusty red, contrasting a lot against their bright white but speckled breast. This one was posing in the bright sun for me, making him appear even more distinctive than I would have previously thought. I've not heard this bird make too many sounds but upon looking it up I found they have quite a unique and beautiful voice. As I neared my vehicle back on the east side I caught a quick glimpse of a small bird land in some weeds just below me. I got off just one shot before he flew away and I ended up getting a pretty neat shot of a Song Sparrow. Though I definitely notice the return of Song Sparrows in the early spring, I've not paid particularly close attention to when they might leave. After just looking now at their range map, it seems both their summer and winter territory almost converge in southern Minnesota.

Nicer Day of the Weekend

When I started out for my walk this Sunday morning it wasn't really all that nice out. But after yesterday's wind, rain and temps in the lower 40's, it was quite nice. I spotted a wide variety of birds and waterfowl but the first thing I caught a photo of was this Great Blue Heron fishing along the shoreline where the creek flows back out of the lake. I noticed him just in time before walking right out into the open and scaring him off. You can also see here that the edges of the water are greening up while further in is still dead and dry. By the time I was on the east side I'd seen a lot of other birds but wasn't able to catch any good photos. There is a little tiny ditch here that usually has standing water in it and this hen Mallard came walking up out of it. She was so close I couldn't resist a photo. I was hoping she might have some ducklings with her as I've seen quite a few already but she did not. Shortly after I stopped to watch some Tree Swallows for a while, zooming out from a nest box, then coming back repeatedly. I think they were still building a nest inside. I've also been seeing a lot of Brown-headed Cowbirds recently -usually groups of 10 or more. Mostly I've noticed them on the ground out in the baseball fields on the east side. Each time I see them I can usually also hear their very high pitched squeaky call. After turning my attention of the quick moving Tree Swallows I noticed this female Cowbird sitting by herself across the trail in the willows. They're not a particularly pretty bird and I realize they are generally despised by birders for their behavior but you'd never guess it from this picture. I always think the female seems to have spots running down the side of her breast but I think it's just how the feathers lay. By the time I arrived at the bridge over the creek on the north side, the sun had popped out and it really turned a corner. I met up with a friend from the park and we watched the Barn Swallows, Mallards and Wood Ducks while we talked. A little bird came bouncing up the creek bank and came up almost right underneath my feet. I thought at first that it was a Chipping Sparrow or American Tree Sparrow -both of which I don't have photos of. But later I think it was just another Song Sparrow. Regardless he was within that range that I can never pass up so I took a few shots. Usually when I see them they are all puffed up and don't look like the slender bird this one does.

Busy Birds

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm gonna start by saying yet again what a nice, warm day it was this Sunday morning. In fact, breaking records describes this month quite well. Its been all over the local news that we've hit 70 degrees or higher a total of 8 days now this month -which shattered the old record of just 5 days back in 1910! On the east side there is a small pond surrounded by cattails and this Chickadee was busy hopping from one to the next and tearing into them. I suspect they are after the seeds on the inside which I don't think are very large. The process creates quite a mess of "fuzz" from the cattails and its hard to believe they don't choke on it all. I'm starting to see a few female Red-winged Blackbirds now but their numbers pale in comparison yet to the males. The females can actually be quite colorful and this one showed a lot of rust color in her wings. Song Sparrows have been around the park and very vocal for at least a couple of weeks already. They don't look like much but they sure make some nice and loud songs. This particular one was so occupied with singing that it let me get fairly close. They are typically not this fat looking. Every few seconds or so it would puff-out as it belted out it's loud song. It looked as though it took every ounce of energy yet it was repeated over and over and over.

Memorial Day Thunder and Rain

It had rained and stormed again overnight and when I arrived at the park this morning everything was still very wet. It was Memorial Day Monday and I was hoping things would dry out in time later for a picnic outside. That possibility was promising as the sun was peaking through periodically. With yet more rain I still stuck to the outer paved trails. Just after setting out I was able to spot a Yellow Warbler fairly close off the trail. I got to watch him sing while viewing him and this always helps me better remember their call in the future. It's a series of 3 to 4 high pitched "twicky-too" sounds -at least in my opinion. Near the north side I encountered another singing bird -a Song Sparrow. They sure sound a lot more like a brightly colored Warbler than the drab brown, speckled bird they are. They also seem to strain upward with every inch of energy they have when they call out their song. Kind of fun to watch. On the east side it had started to rain a little bit, then a bit more and I got nervous seeing as how I'd left my rain jacket behind. I picked up the pace but as I did, the thunder started rolling again. I even saw a bright flash of lightning as I was looking upwards for birds. I honestly thought it would not rain again but as I was back on the south side it began to pour down hard. I was getting really wet but paused as this open field because you could just see the rain in the air against the backdrop of trees.