Summer’s End Sunflowers & Birding

Year 8,

Today is August 12th, and it may seem strange to be talking about summer’s end, but “meteorological summer” ends with August, not September 21st. Here in northeastern Minnesota over the next few days temperatures will drop into the mid 40’s at night, and ground fog / lake steam will be common at sunrise. While there are still hot days ahead, the “times are a changing”. Many birds have already started their southward migration. Warblers are the latest bird specie to start exiting the northern forests (monitor this Fall’s migration via BirdCast).

Today is one week since my two surgeries which means I am now allowed to take some longer excursions. At sunrise I visited MK3 Hardwood Farms. This family farm plants a field of sunflowers and includes a walking path through the blossoms. Sunflowers are at their peak right now, and one would be hard pressed to find a better morning walk. (MK3 Hardwood Farms: corners of Cty 18 and Matten Road near Wrenshall). If you are not able to visit at sunrise, arrive 90 minutes before sunset. The colors early in the morning and late in the day are amazing, and it’s cooler! Although there is no “admission charge”, make sure you leave a donation in the wooden box at the entrance to the walking path.

Here are some photographs from my visit early this morning

Someone always has to be different!

With the end of summer approaching, birds start to feed in ways you may not anticipate, but they are just taking advantage of great food sources. Many of you may think Cedar Waxwings are berry eating birds. Actually this Cedar Waxwing was ignoring the berries and acting like a fly catcher. They will eat berries once bugs disappear.

In fact, hundreds of waxwings were diving out over the pond to catch bugs … very common for August. The final image is a juvenile. Note how its colors are not as bright, and the streaking. Camouflage for when it was in the nest. There are a lot of predators around.

Dads Ignoring Kids! Real Life Birding!

Year 8
How many of you Dads sometimes have this feeling. If I ignore my kid begging for food , perhaps it will go away and be Mom’s problem?! Here is a male purple finch and juvenile this afternoon I photographed this afternoon.

On another note, my owls continue to be very involved with my heart surgery therapy. Although I had not seen my Great Horned Owls in almost two weeks, shortly before 6 am I heard a crow attack in progress. Anyhow, I took a one mile hike in the fog and found one of the juveniles. No pics … foggy and dark. See my prior post … Owl Cardiac Therapy. My medical team 100% supports my hiking right now, but I am not allowed to use the car to go anywhere.

Cyborg Birding

Year 8,

My adult children say better a Cyborg, than a Borg! Events over the past three days have been interesting:

  • 3 mornings ago: Watch Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise (bike ride in afternoon)
  • 2 days ago: Rest day prior to surgery when it was moved up by almost 7 weeks
  • Yesterday: Surgery

Without going into all the details, I am doing fine this morning (post surgery). My planned Ablation (blocks extra electronic signals in the heart) turned into a Pacemaker Replacement to get a new model implanted which 100% controls your heart. Some pacemakers assist the heart, but the more complex “3 lead” versions totally control the heart. Shut my pacemaker down now, and you shut me down.

I am beginning to feel like the “6 Million Dollar Man” for those of you that remember the TV show from the early 1970’s (TV video trailer link for email subscribers). You would need to be a “sci-fi freak” (which I am) to understand my Cyborg / Borg opening sentence. The statement was sent by one of my kids after I texted them this video clip last night. Towards the end of the video, the narrator talks about all the operations and devices installed in “Colonel Steve Austin”. (Wikipedia link)

Over the next 7 to 14 days after recovery from surgery I will learn my new normal. Prior to this point, I got tired very easily but was still pushing my myself to hike, bike and bird. Birding and blogging will be part of the new equation.

Now on to some birding. As noted three mornings back I had the good fortune to watch a Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise. Given the combination of ground fog and forest fire smoke, the light was a bit subdued which kept my friend out past sunrise. The owl’s feathers were quite wet from diving into sopping wet grasses. Here are a few of the images I took …

How many of you have Guard Dogs? or at least does Fido let you know when strangers appear? While I don’t have a dog anymore, I do have a “Guard Hummingbird”. Apparently my Bee Balm is prime stuff and worth guarding from other hummingbirds. This female or immature male has set up shop in a small dead tree ten yards from my flowers. Any other hummingbird which appears get quickly chased away! I like these photos because it gives a clear view of the hummer’s feathers.