It was warm this morning at my house at the north edge of Duluth (-18F as opposed to -22F yesterday). Thus, in my pajamas I went outside before dawn to capture the crescent moon! Apparently the chill factor was in the -40F to -50F range. This weather should continue for another week.
Category Archives: Year 8
Minnesota Birding News Updated
The forecast for the next week is for the temperature to drop to between -15F and -20F every night, and never get above zero during the day. Fierce winds will make the windchills even colder. In short, I don’t expect to do much birding. It is dangerous to be outside for more than short periods of time.
The weather gave me the perfect opportunity to update my Minnesota Birding News Service. This free service installs on any Android and/or iOS device, as well as a PC or MacIntosh computer. Whenever any of 39 birding services post an update, you will be automatically informed and be able to read the new content via an app (not via email).
- Use this link to learn more / install the free service
Here is how the service might look on your mobile device. These are screenshots I took and annotated when originally creating the Minnesota News Service. The service utilizes a technology called RSS and an app named Feedly. This term and app are explained in detail with video tutorials via the Minnesota News Service Web Page.
The 39 “feeds” are distributed across these classifications:
- Minnesota Bird Areas
- Minnesota Bird Blogs
- Minnesota Bird Orgs
- USA Bird Blogs
- USA Bird Orgs
- International Birding
Feedly Post Install Screenshot #1
Feedly Post Install Screenshot #2
Feedly Post Install Screenshot #3
Snowstorm Birding!
This morning the snow was coming down hard, with an increasing wind (20 mph on its way up to 35 mph). In short, it was an excellent time to go birding. Success in these conditions requires previous research and knowing how to think like a bird (makes me a bird brain?!).
The wind meant trying to find raptors (owls or hawks) would be a foolish activity. Birds that require either perfect sight lines or hearing to hunt, sit out storms. In the winter raptors conserve energy and hunker down out of the elements when adverse weather would make hunting fruitless. However, songbirds like Bohemian Waxwings will continue to eat through a storm. The will prefer protected locations.
Thus I drove back roads to a old crabapple farm. I hit the jackpot and found over 250 Bohemians. The wind and snow meant they chose crabapples trees which provided some protection from the elements. This winter the size of the waxwing flocks has amazed me. In some recent years almost nary of Bohemian flew south from Canada.
Take notice of fruit trees whenever you are out and about. Return when you have time to bird; the food will eventually attract our feathered friends.
Crabapple Eating Time
Braving the Elements (snowflake bursts against a Waxwing, and another battles the wind)
Great Gray Owl Hunting Yesterday Morning just after Sunrise
Snowy Owl Hunting Yesterday Afternoon just before Sunset