Category Archives: Year 1

Day 291: White on White during White Bird Photography!

Decided today was a great day to try photographing “white on white during white!” Thus, I drove up to Two Harbors from Duluth (a challenge in itself given our major winter snowstorm in progress), and hoped I could track down the Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese which have been hanging around the area. When zero birds were viewable from the car, I decided hiking was in order and trudged into the snowstorm in hopes I would find geese. After about 1/2 mile I heard honking … perhaps I would be in luck. About 1/4 mile further on I found hundreds of geese, but the question was if my “white friends” were among the multitude. After another 10 minutes of searching, I saw the Snow and Ross’s Geese fly overhead, and disappear into the snowstorm. Thankfully, they decided to come back and I was able to do my “white on white during white” photos!

The Snow Geese and Ross’s Geese
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Some Herring Gulls and a Cackling Goose get into the act!
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Day 290: Beauty Before the Storm

Our first major winter storm is bearing down on the Northland. It appears the birds must know this fact, and were busy foraging and eating all day long. Here are a series of photos from sunrise to just before sunset.

20 minutes before sunrise at Brighton Beach (Canada Geese)
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Look at me! I can walk on water! (Mallards)
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Food! (Blue Jay)
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Day 289: Sandhill Cranes Crex Meadows Fall Migration

Over 21,000 Sandhill Cranes have stopped at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Refuge to feed and rest during their fall migration. In addition, there are lots of ducks, eagles and swans. Yesterday morning I drove 100 miles south from northern Minnesota to Grantsburg, Wisconsin to insure I was in the wetlands before dawn. When the sun rose, the cranes started to move out of their night time roosts to eat in the surrounding farmlands. The noise and sight was inspiring and beautiful. Here are a few photos and two videos I took shortly after sunrise.

An bald eagle looks over possible breakfast birds!

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A small flock of sandhill cranes starts to take off

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Still photographs of sandhill cranes and one trumpeter swan
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