Ask the Outdoorsman!

Background, Year 7

Welcome to a new feature of my blog … “Ask the Outdoorsman!”

Last fall I held a virtual seminar, which I may still repeat, but I have decided to try something different. Quite simply, ask me a question using the form given at the end of this post. Next week I will answer all questions. You will only be identified by your first name and the initial of your last name.

Remember, as my favorite college professor often stated: “The only dumb question is the unasked question!”

There are few ground rules for this experiement:

  1. Don’t ask for locations of sensitive birds
  2. The region I know best is NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin
  3. Questions need not only be about birding. Check my “About Rich” section of this blog to learn more about my background, but my life experiences range from taking self-supported bicycle tours totalling over 10,000 miles riden around the world, to chasing the Northern Lights in Minnesota and the Norwegian Arctic.
  4. I do not pretend to be an expert, but I am knowledgeable.

I will close questions in a few days and note same by editing this blog post. The resulting post with the Q and A will then appear in the near future depending upon the number of questions / work required on my part.

Use the form given immediately below the photograph of me. Obviously a web site is NOT required, but if you have one it is fun for me to learn about all of you … my readers.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Florida Finale!

Year 7

I am back in Minnesota having traded 70F and blue skies for 20F and blah weather. However, I am planning for my initial Northland birding outings including “Super B..owl” Sunday. However, here is my Florida Finale including a trip to the Babcock Webb Wilderness. This wildlife area about 25 miles north of Fort Myers is really cool with two distinctive habitats … pine savannah and a lake/wetlands region. I drove over at the wrong time of day … mid afternoon, but immediately realized it is worth a repeat visit at sunrise on a future trip south.

Wally Gator hanging out in Six Mile Slough

Blue Heron in a Pine Tree

Awwwck … Belted Kingfished coughing up fish remains

Burrowing Owls at Sunrise (video link for email subscribers)

 

Bicycle Birding in Florida

Year 7

It has been a delightful week down here in Florida, and tomorrow Molly and I head back to northern Minnesota where a minor owl invasion appears to be in progress. The last few days have seen a Boreal Owl spotted and a Great Gray Owl seen hunting right at the 21st Ave. East exit on I35 … not normal habitat for this deep forest bird.

However it is still warm sun and blue skies for one more day. This morning I took my first bicycle birding ride in a looooooong time … perfect vision on board thanks to my Botox treatment. While the birds did not exactly knock me over I thoroughly enjoyed my 18 mile ride. I did see a Common Gallinule for the second time in my life. This bird definitely has a wierd squawk which is what first attracted my attention.

Common Gallinule.