Get your Winter Birding Questions Answered!

October 19, 2021Year 8MN North: Amity, MN North: Two Harborsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

This coming Friday, October 22nd, between the hours of 12 noon and 3 pm, I will be at Duluth Studio Market in Lakeside to answer your winter birding questions. This neat little store features local artisans and authors. Thus, I will be happy to autograph one of my children’s book. Given its MEA in Minnesota and school is out of session, bring the kids. I would love to also answer their bird questions.

Duluth Studio Market
512 North 45th Ave East
218-348-4729

A flock of Bohemian Waxwings. Photo location: Two Harbors

Poor Richard’s Almanac: Snow Soon!

October 18, 2021Year 8MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery, MN North: McQuade Harborrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Sorry folks, but winter is coming soon to the Northland! One way I measure how soon snow will be in our future is when Snow Buntings arrive from the tundra near the Arctic Ocean. While I have seen other birds this fall that may have nested that far north, those birds also use more southern habitat in Canada. Snow Buntings are truly a very northern bird. Get those shovels ready. (range map courtesy of the Cornell School of Ornithology)

My apologies to Ben Franklin and his “Poor Richard’s Almanac“, however I am named “Richard” and my birds help me predict the seasons. There will be snow soon!

I also had a lifer for me at Forest Hill Cemetery yesterday afternoon. I decided to see if the Soras were still around (there were), and spied a Swamp Sparrow. Like the Soras, Swamp Sparrows like to hide out in the reeds. This individual gave me nice views.

Cemetery Soras!

October 17, 2021Year 8MN North: Forest Hill Cemeteryrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The last two days have been fantastic. The sun is back and the birds are migrating. As always, I spend a lot of time at cemeteries. It’s great to visit for birding and not for a “six feet under” permanent lodging!

While Soras are not a threatened species, like the Rusty Blackbirds I also saw at Forest Hill Cemetery, sightings are equally rare. Soras hang out in reeds and rarely show themselves. Soras are normally heard, but not seen. Thus it was a thrill to watch two soras in the sunshine feeding yesterday afternoon. Enjoy!

Two, not One!