About the only think one can say about our weather over the past few days, it could be a whole lot worse. While we have had strong winds, rain and now snow squalls, 250 miles to our west there is already 24 inches of new snow on the ground with 60 mph wind gusts. Therefore I should be happy I managed to take a few photos this morning before the local snow squalls shut me down.
On Golden Pond … the remaining aspen leaves reflect on a Hoodie’s own fall colors.
Splitrock Lighthouse
There is something wrong with that title! After all, Horned Larks are a bird specie which prefer open fields and tundra. However during the magic of migration, if you learn to “think like a bird”, one often finds birds in unusual places. Here in NE Minnesota, we live in the Boreal Forest, but lots of birds which prefer wide open spaces get “pushed by NW winds” to the shores of Lake Superior. These birds are not very adept at finding food in the forest, and therefore when they reach towns along the North Shore with open areas / fields … Eureka!
I found these Horned Larks this morning in the Two Harbors cemetery … some habitat that was some of the first open spaces that these birds had seen in quite a few miles! In about two weeks the Two Harbors golf course because a gem of a birding location. Once it closes to golfers for the season, its combination of ponds, tall grasses in the rough, and cover (adjacent to the Boreal Forest) makes for some great hikes. 
I’ll admit it … I love my Subaru Outback. Here in northeastern Minnesota I drive some very remote, ugly dirt roads. My Outback has never let me down, even when there might be 12 inches of new snow on the ground. However, this morning … my Subaru decided to take a more active role in my birding excursions … as a perch for an unusual bird migrating through from the Arctic. I always say … when you can’t find the birds, let them find you!
Many of us were birding Park Point Recreation Area this morning, and the beach near Sky Harbor. Basically we were all seeing little bird activity. Just as I was about to leave the fields, this Lapland Longspur flew over and landed on my Subaru Outback! Hmmm … me thinks … there must be Longspurs around. I now really checked the long grass on the playing fields, and discovered there were 50+ Longspurs hidden amongst the grasses. In fact, I almost stepped upon two different birds while they were feeding! A few finally left the long grass and provided better photo opps! Have you ever needed birds to lead you around by the nose to insure you would see them? LOL.
First the Lapland Longspur Subaru Outback Photographs
And some Longspurs in more natural settings
Here is the Lapland Longspur’s Range Map courtesy of Cornell University.
And some videos from this morning. The noise in the background is from Sky Harbor Airport … both a float plane taking off and work on a runway extension.
And finally two photos I took while out birding a few winters ago … on a logging road where I was 18 miles from the nearest paved road. It was early in the winter and therefore the snow was not yet deep. Given our first snowstorm of the season is expected this weekend, it may be time for my Outback to earn its keep. I love Minnesota’s winters. Between my Subaru and Nordic Skis I spend a lot of time in the Boreal Forest. Think snow!
