First of Year Northern Shrike

It was hard to find much of interest today at the park but as I came around to the north end I noticed a bird perched high up in a tree a long ways ahead of me. It kind of stuck out and caught my attention and I quickly realized it was a Northern Shrike. I feel like I used to see a lot more of them in the area and it's been some time since I've found one here. A friend of mine mentioned to me that she had been seeing one on the north side over the past couple of weeks. I took some shots and then moved closer but unfortunately the bird immediately flew off a long ways and it was the last I saw of it. Other birds seen today were common variety; Hairy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee etc. I also noticed some strange looking "rainbows" on either side of the sun, something known as a Sun Dog. This is caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. They seem fairly common in Minnesota winters, especially in January and February.

Late February and First Red-winged Blackbirds!

I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the park today or not. I had the day off of work but I have also been summoned for Jury Duty this week. After making my mid-day call, I learned I didn't need to report so I went for a long hike instead. Except for a few slightly cool (and average) days, today was another warmer-than-usual day for February. I believe we hit 48º or so and the sun was shining to boot. I wanted to check Shingle Creek on the north end of the park to see if any early waterfowl had returned yet, but all I found there was a lot of Mallards and a small group of Canada Geese. Shingle Creek has not been iced over for probably the entire month of February if not more, which is pretty unusual. There was also no sign of the Belted Kingfisher I spotted in the first week of this month. As I hiked around the south end of the park, I heard a familiar sound that I could not immediately place. It was a faint "chek" sound coming from my right. Then it hit me –a Red-winged Blackbird! The arrival of this bird (especially to the Palmer Lake area) each year has become an important observation as a sign of the coming Spring season. I swung around to my right, peering into the cattails and there he was! My first-of-year Red-winged Blackbird. I hiked in closer to the area in hopes of catching a better photo but it was not to be. In all of my previous years watching birds, my first RWBB's have always been spotted in March so to have seen them in February is a new record for me! As I continued on the south side I paused more than once to take in the golden light being cast over the cattails and tall grasses looking northward. This area is truly unique to find within such an urban area. In certain spots (like this one) you can forget that you are surrounded by urban sprawl on all sides. Today I was also carrying a new camera lens with me for the first time in over two years. I decided to give it a whirl on some of the Mallards in the "duck pond" on the southwest corner of the park. Both the light and the ducks were fairly cooperative so I got a few keepers. Surprisingly though I did not witness any mating behavior among them today. I guess they were too busy preening and soaking up the sun.

Day 2

Well yesterday is going to be hard to beat and that's about all I can say about that. The sun was gleeming on the dried cattails stalks, making glowing hallows in their shape. I noticed a long abandoned Baltimore Oriole nest hanging from the tree tips. One bird that was soaking up the sun was this overwintering Robin. About the only other birds I saw included Black-capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, and an American Tree Sparrow in some thick Buckthorn bramble. Red-twin Dogwood reflected deep red in the sun and the view downstream at Shingle Creek was beautiful.

Some Very Good Bird Watching

Earlier this morning, myself and other members of Friends of Palmer Lake Park held our annual spring cleanup. Except for a couple of known problem areas, we were happy to see that the park was in better shape than usual in regards to garbage. But because you can't do much bird watching while picking up litter, I decided to come back after lunch for a long and slow hike around to see what I could find. I started counter clockwise from 73rd Avenue and noticed that a few trees had been marked for removal. Whenever I see this in the park I get truly upset as I feel there's usually not good reasons that specific trees get marked. Yes the ones shown here were somewhat dead or dying, but most of them were far enough off the trail as to not pose a safety risk. In fact the one seen on the far right with the hole about 5 feet up was home to a family of Grey Squirrels that I photographed years before. With the city continuing to cut into the woods, where will it stop? And I have yet ever to see a single invasive Buckthorn tree marked for removal. Instead they choose to remove native trees that are 100's of times more beneficial to wildlife. It gets me so angry that about all I can do is pretend not to see it. Moving on. Today was really good bird watching and I saw a lot of species I don't have room to share them all here. Some notable sights were many migrating waterfowl including Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, and Widgeon! Near the northwest corner I paused to watch a Black-capped Chickadee poking at a seeding out Cattail. It's not too early for them to be looking at nest cavities so I like to think thats what this one was doing with the soft material. Shortly after I noticed a Common Grackle who was much more interested in finding something to eat than with me. I snapped a couple of pics that I feel really capture their colors. I'd tried for years in the past to get shots like this and this year I've managed to get more than one. When you see them in this light they really are gorgeous looking birds. On the south side near the duck pond I spent a lot of time watching a Ruby-crowned Kinglet who was near the ground inside a thicket. Catching an unobstructed view however was quite another story. I decided to sit right on the wood chip trail and just watch and hope to get lucky. After quite some time and a lot of attempts I was able to catch a couple of good ones. I like this one as is shows a hint of the "Ruby crown" for which they are named. A little further along the wood chip trail now on the south side of the park I was rewarded with the most close views I've ever had of a Northern Cardinal. This female sat quietly about 4 feet off the ground to my left and must have thought she was hidden. For whatever reason she barely moved even as I inched closer. It was quite thrilling to be this close and for a minute I wondered if she was injured or stunned or something. I snapped hundreds of pics at a close proximity and after finally exhausting different angles and even different camera settings, I slowly walked away as she stood fast in the exact same spot. I've never encountered one that seemed so tolerant. The close photo here is barely cropped at all!

On the Wing

This Saturday evening I didn't make it to the park until after 5:30pm. I decided to hike out along Shingle Creek and sit in my favorite spot with a view downstream. The light was very nice when I arrived but it was already late in the day. Aside from a Mallard or two, all other birds were flying overhead, not stopping anywhere near me. The first thing I heard was a pair of Wood Ducks flying over. Then later an unmistakeable noise that kept growing closer, a pair of Sandhill Cranes! These were the first I've actually seen this year but I've been hearing them fly over periodically. Sometime later a Great Blue Heron also came flying over. By now the light was getting poor and I was getting dark, grainy photos. Such a quiet evening despite the nice weather today.

A Looong Hike with Larry

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and thus an extra day off work for me. As I pulled into my parking space today who should pull in right beside me but another birder friend of mine Larry. He has grown up around the park and hiked (and watched birds) here at Palmer Lake Park since he was a kid. Thus he is one of the most skilled birders I know and can tell you of some pretty amazing sightings at the park. Some of them being birds that are just not seen at the park anymore and would cause a state-wide phenomenon if they were spotted anywhere near the park today. We decided to hike together up the frozen creek heading towards the north side. As we did the sun made it's first unexpected appearance for the day and cast an eerie glow against the dark sky in the north. We likely did more talking than looking but to be honest there has just not been much to see this entire weekend. It's just that time of year when a Chickadee or Woodpecker is an exciting spot. Larry would of course prove me wrong though as we went around the north side when he pointed out a Barred Owl. It could be seen from the trail but was behind such thick brush and against the sun too, for a pretty crummy view. Niether of us wanted to bump him so we watched from the trail for a bit before moving on. On the west side I noticed a Downy Woodpecker at almost eye level on a Willow tree. He was more interested in poking his tongue into the crevices so I followed him around the tree clicking photos. I kind of like how this one turned out. We had been hiking since 9:00am today and my legs were actually starting to hurt. I knew lunchtime had come and gone but I wasn't quite sure how much time had gone by because I forgot my phone at home. Upon getting home to find it was 2:30pm I then realized I'd been hiking for 5 and a half hours! Holy crap, no wonder my legs hurt! One last bird I stopped to photograph for they day was this American Tree Sparrow. Opposite of some of the birds Larry used to see in the area as a kid, he pointed out that Tree Sparrows used to be a very rare sighting when he was young. A few other species we saw today included Mallards, a mature Bald Eagle, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, American Crow and Northern Cardinal.

Saturday After Christmas

As I get older I look forward not to Christmas anymore but to it's passing. So much running around and adding unnecessary stress to our already hectic lives. Boy I sound old. But really I look at it now as something to get past and one step closer to Spring. But Spring seems like a distant memory as I hiked around the snow covered park today. Wet, sticky snow from a recent storm clung to everything it could and built up in even the smallest of twigs. It made for neat views today which was good because there were very few birds to be seen. Probably the best bird I spotted was a Red-bellied Woodpecker but from a long ways away. Other than this I saw a couple of American Robins, Mallards in the duck pond,  a small flock of American Crows, and a couple of American Tree Sparrows. I hadn't started my hike today until almost 3:00pm so there was a short time of light. As I was coming back around on the north side I liked how the setting sun was hitting the twisted Willow Trees. This was about 4:30pm and it would be dark soon so I headed back to my vehicle.

Morning Fog and a Beautiful Day

There are just some visits to the park I will remember for a long time and today was likely one of those. It was just such beautiful weather and with beautiful sights everywhere. When I arrived just after 7am, there was a heavy blanket of early morning fog settled over the park. It made everything green feel even more so, like a jungle of sorts. It also made for some great photo opportunities and at numerous stops I would try to catch the rays of sun through the trees lighting up the fog. On the east side there was a Killdeer running around on the baseball diamonds. I was hoping the fog would let me get closer to it and for once I did come closer than normal. Still this photo is cropped in quite a bit. I'm kind of fascinated with them as I really only became aware of their presence at the park this year. Killdeer are considered a "shorebird" but can be found in some interesting places. I once saw one in the Burger King parking lot in Brooklyn Center! As the sun began to burn off the morning fog, it left a dew on everything. I liked how it was reflecting in the sun on this tall grass so I tried to capture it in a photo. Birds of all kinds were easy to spot today but on the north side I ran into a Yellow Warbler who was singing it's heart out. As with all Warblers, the Yellow Warbler can be tricky to get a photo of because they just typically don't sit still. But this one sat in the same spot for over 5 minutes just singing loudly. Periodically it would stop to itch it's head with it's leg which was an interesting sight and something you wouldn't think a little bird was even capable of until you see it. Near the end of my walk I watched another comical sequence play out on the paved trail in front of me. An adult Robin landed near a half-dead earthworm. Immediately a young Robin landed just a foot away. The adult looked at the young one, picked up the worm and proceeded to shove it down the throat of the young one. In one big gulp the worm was gone and the young one stood there again with his mouth open. I snapped photos every few seconds and thus caught the entire sequence which I posted to the Friends of Palmer Lake Park facebook page. In addition to the birds listed above, I also saw: Brown-headed Cowbird, Gray Catbird, Downy Woodpecker, Wood Duck, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Mallard, Canada Goose (the largest flock I've ever seen –nearly 75), American Redstart, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Bluebird, American Goldfinch, Common Grackle, Mourning Dove, Song Sparrow, and Baltimore Oriole. I also saw a couple of Painted Turtles crossing the trail.

Another Coating of Winter

On Thursday & Friday of this week, we got walloped again with another snowstorm. Some predictions were saying it might be the single largest snowfall of the season. As if we need any more snow! I don't remember what the actual total was but I'm guessing it was somewhere around 7 - 9 inches. Neighbors have been plowing and digging out all weekend and the snowbanks are becoming increasingly difficult to see over at intersections. After I finally got my own driveway cleared I was able to get to the park on Sunday. Heavy, wet and sticky snow still clung to everything days later and it seems every little twig in the park has expanded to double it's girth. Snow like this can dramatically change the landscape and the look of things and it was just interesting to look at. Birds were somewhat scarce today other than the usual Juncos, Cardinals and a few Woodpeckers. I did watch a Chickadee very closely as it inspected the end of a broken off branch –probably for some kind of food. Later in the same area I thought I noticed some movement in the thickly coated shrubs. When I peered in I could see a group of Mourning Doves huddled together under the new white canopy of snow. I really wanted to get in closer for a better pic but stepping off of the trail meant falling into snow up to my waist! Somewhere on the west side I stopped to watch a few Northern Cardinals and admire their red color against the clear blue sky.

Finally February!

As I hiked around the park this Saturday afternoon, it seemed there was a little glimmer of hope among this harsh winter. Today was a new month with January behind us, and the sun had even poked it's head out. Each day it is up longer and longer and even now I can sense a difference in the time of year without looking at the calendar. As I made my way around the south end of the park the sun cast a warm glow out onto the lake area and cattails and even the thin white Aspen (?) trees out near the middle. Sometimes just a different light source can really change your whole view of how something looks –thus I thought this was kind of an interesting photo to share from today. The birds were few and far between today and I only spotted a handful of common species including Black-capped Chickadee and both Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. But I again found a flock of 15-20 Cedar Waxwings who were busily gulping down Buckthorn berries. The sun was just perfect and with a partly blue sky behind I snuck in closely to a few who tolerated me better and snapped a bunch of pics. I was pleasantly satisfied with a number of them including this one that I'm actually proud of. In fact I decided to submit it to the Capture Minnesota online photo contest! It is a really fun way to share and look at others photos and definitely inspiring.

Cold and Windy Winter

Even for us hearty Minnesotan's, this winter has been rough. Temps continue to be below average and when you add wind and periodic snow, it seems like there is no end in sight. Today the winds were terrible and as I hiked up the eastern side of the park, there were "walls" of snow zipping across the baseball fields. Here and there it made more sense to turn backward to avoid getting blasted in the face. I thought of all the birds and animals and how they can deal with such a harsh winter. I had only stepped out of a warm vehicle less than an hour ago but they have to endure the weather 24/7. So I wasn't expecting to see much. And though the total number of birds and species definitely diminish this time of year, there were still interesting things to see! On my way across the southern edge I'd seen a Bald Eagle soaring overhead, a Hairy Woodpecker and then finally a modest flock of about 15 Cedar Waxwings. I found it interesting to note that whereas I had been seeing flocks of Juncos in November and December, they seem now to have vanished and been replaced with Cedar Waxwings. Also interesting is that both species –so adapted to colder climates– seem to have similar sounding calls as well. Both Dark-eyed Junco and Cedar Waxwings make an extremely high-pitched sound. Some describe the Junco's sound as "electrical" sounding. As of late I thought I'd heard this sound and then realized it was not Junco's but Cedar Waxwings instead. Each time I've noticed them lately they have been eating berries from Buckthorn trees, which I hear is NOT good for any birds as they cause diarrhea, but is maybe the only food readily available. Later on the north side I stopped near the place I'd spotted the Great Horned Owl last week. After some intense looking around I finally did spot something. Barely visible between the trunks of two large trees I could make out a dark patch that seemed to be staring back at me. I am constantly amazed at how well Owls can blend into their background. You could be looking right at one sometimes and not even realize it. I like how in this photo both eyes somehow make it through the dried up Oak leaves.

Tough Snowshoeing with a Reward Near the End

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and I had the day off of work and was able to get in one more hike. I've not been out snowshoeing in probably 2 years now but today I decided to do just that. I first hiked out to the middle of the park where there is essentially an "island" of overgrown Buckthorn trees. It can be kind of a spooky place actually. When Buckthorn gets this big it becomes kind of twisted and gnarled looking. The tops become so dense and intertwined that they'll catch and hold snow and even create a bit of shade without leaves! Not that sun was a problem today though. It was very overcast when I set out and I even tried taking a photo of the sun itself as it looked more like a pale moon behind the cloudy winter sky. I thought maybe I'd see something interesting out here but every step I took on my snowshoes was loud enough to wake the dead. The snow was just crusty enough on top to be crunchy and loud but not hard enough to support my weight. I broke through on every step, my feet falling nearly up to my knees every single time. Having the snowshoes on made it only slightly more tolerable during an otherwise exhausting hike. I actually had to stop multiple times to catch my breath, it was so much work just to walk. I could hardly wait until I got back to the trail and I removed my snowshoes as soon as I did. The only wildlife I'd seen by this time was a Squirrel who had adopted a Wood Duck house high up in a tree along Shingle Creek. I decided I'd check the spot where I accidentally scared up not one, but two Great Horned Owls yesterday when I hiked in closer to watch a Pileated Woodpecker. Turns out the Pileated was hammering away just mere feet from a GHO who bumped and flew off before I even realized it was there. Then I spotted a second one, only feet from where the other was. I tried to get a photo but it was totally obstructed by branches and dried up Oak Leaves still clinging on from last season. But today my luck was better. I spotted one of the Owls from the path and he looked to be relatively out in the open. I stepped up onto the hard packed snowbank to get a little distance but didn't hike in any further this time. I'm fairly certain there is a mated pair here who are likely nesting now and I don't want to disturb them too much. To my surprise I had to wait quite a while before the Owl even turned around to look at me. When it did I quickly shot my pics and retreated. I've not spotted the nest yet but I'm certain it is close. Shortly after this I spotted a decent flock of Cedar Waxwings –maybe 25 or more. I watched them picking Buckthorn berries and also eating snow from the crook of a tree; a behavior I've witnessed once before. They are quite fun birds to watch and can be quite yellow on the undersides as shown by this pic.

A Few Days Before Christmas

It's only a few days now until Christmas. Our colder-than normal December has continued on as such and it seems like it snows every other day or so. One good thing is that my back has been giving me less pain than usual and I am thankful to have found some treatment that seems to be helping. Though I took multiple breaks where I sat for 10 - 20 minutes, I was able to get all the way around the park today without too much pain. There air today was saturated with snowflakes and I had to blow off my camera every few minutes to keep it from building up. I did some off-the-trail hiking today in hopes of seeing an Owl but no such luck. I did however see a Red-tailed Hawk who was screeching loudly over and over. I wondered if maybe HE saw an Owl somewhere but I couldn't confirm so. Other than the Hawk I spotted only the regulars today; Downy, Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees, Juncos, Blue Jays and Cardinals. I've hardly even spotted such other common birds such as a Crow or even European Starlings lately. From the north side I stopped to look over the park and it just looked so wintery and devoid of any life. I thought to myself it's amazing that this place can be appear so dark and desolate now but be teeming with life come spring. I took this photo with just the smallest of intention of seeing if I could make it look even more "dreary" later using Photoshop. This is the end result and I feel like it kind of captured the way I felt about something today. Near the northern most end of the park I came across a bright red Cardinal who was singing up in a tree so I decided to hike in closer. I'm still amazed at how bright they can look on a day like today and seeing one on a dull wintery day is always a plus. I hiked off the trail through some pretty deep snow but had a tough time getting a clear shot through the the trees. He was picking at Buckthorn berries like I see so many other birds doing throughout the winter.

Snowy and Silent Sunday

This past Wednesday, December 4th we had our first significant snowfall at about 6 inches. And as per usual, after the snow fell our temps plummeted dramatically. At first we hit single digits but then it continued to drop into the double digits below zero. Yesterday December 7th our morning temperature was -14 degrees! So I opted not to venture outside for a walk yesterday at all. Today was a bit more tolerable, climbing back to roughly 10 above but with a slow and continuous dusting of snow. At a particular part of the trail today I remembered taking a photo not that long ago, thinking I would do a comparison after it snowed. So I stood in approximately the same spot for a photo today and combined them here. The top photo was taken 15 day earlier. Because of my hurting back I'm not supposed to be walking more than roughly 30 minutes at a time. But as I took in the quiet and peaceful surroundings of the park I just kept going. In fact I went all the way around and then some –going off the paved path hoping to see something more interesting. Having hiked only a short distance through the snow on the far northeast corner, I spotted something large take flight from a stand of thick trees to my right. I realized quickly it was an Owl and I pulled up my camera to try and catch him in flight. He was quite a long ways out in front of me so the photo's not great. The Owl then perched again shortly after this and I could just barely make out the shape of a Great-horned Owl even through my binoculars. I trudged closer but he took off once more and flew even further away. On my way back down the paved trail I watched this Gray Squirrel doing some pretty spectacular acrobatics in order to reach some dried up seeds. He was knocking some of the seeds off and they spiraled down landing right on me as I snapped pictures of him above. This was my favorite one of the bunch. After hiking through the snow I figured I'd give my back a break. So I dusted off the metal park bench where the trails meet and just sat there for a good 20 minutes or more. As I sat I saw Cardinals, Juncos, Blue Jays, Chickadees and various Woodpeckers –all doing there best to collect some food for the day. Then right in my viewshed a huge bird came flying straight towards me. I spotted him even before he'd passed the tree line and got my camera ready quickly. It appeared to be a young Bald Eagle and he passed quite silently straight above me. It was still snowing and after sitting for a time, myself and my camera were quite covered in snow. I only saw about 4 other park-goers today.

After the First Snow and "Bird Bumping"

Three days earlier, on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning we received our first snowfall of the season. It actually accumulated to about an inch of heavy, wet and sticky snow. It was kind of an odd thing because many of the trees have been late to turn color this year. So we had some brilliant looking Maple Trees looking almost out of place against the white covered ground. But as expected it all melted within about a day and a half. The snow was followed by much colder temps and this was like the final blow to the trees that had still been holding their leaves. This photo here shows the same Maple Tree along 69th Avenue on November 3rd on the left, and today November 9th on the right. This same thing happened all over the place and there is no denying now that winter is lurking just around the corner. Only about half way into my walk I ran into a good friend of mine who was also out in search of birds. So we paired up and walked together for the remaining half of the loop. We went off the main trail many times hoping to see better sights and we finally did come upon a Northern Shrike! It was perched in a large shrub out into the cattails a ways. As we've both learned to do, we approached it only 4 to 5 steps at a time, took photos, then repeated the process. It's actually quite a good method for photographing birds or any other wildlife. You never know exactly at what point you're going to "bump" the bird (or other subject) so you take 1 or 2 photos at intervals while you continue to advance closer. But with the Shrike I didn't quite make it as close as I'd hoped. I expect I will have many more opportunities though this winter season. Near the end of our walk we went off-road one more time and flushed up a group of Mourning Doves. I quickly pulled up my lens and snapped this shot before the bird flew off a second time. I was really happy to see how well it turned out. I always joke that I'll take photos of any bird that is very close to me. But the thing is, even with very common birds like Mourning Doves, Robins or Chickadees, we don't often get to see them so closely. A good close proximity photo can really make you appreciate just about any bird. I previously wouldn't have guessed that Mourning Doves have such a beautiful blue, almost turquoise eye-ring.