Crab Apple Blossom Birding

Northern Minnesota can be a strange place. Yesterday I spent the day at my small Northwoods cabin near the Canadian border. I had to deal with a ice blockage in my water system. Yes … it’s been a cold spring. When I remarked upon this about the “strangeness” of blowing out ice in a water system, two friends commented about similar experiences they had had in the past few days. One person was trying to plant white pines in a boggy section of her yard. Her shovel hit ice one inch down into the ground. The second person has a pile of dirt which she wants to use for gardening, but the dirt pile is frozen a few inches deep. In my case, this is the second time in 30 years of owning our cabin where I have had to combat the Minnesota permafrost.

This morning yelled Spring! The blossoms are finally blooming up on Hawk Ridge. One crap apple tree was particularly beautiful, and I waited for the birds to pose for photo ops. Thankfully the blossoms attract bugs which attract birds. Life is good!

Indigo Bunting Blue Morning!

Black-Capped Chickadee

Red-Eyed Vireos and Chestnut-Sided Warblers need to learn to pose in my desired tree!

 

Learning to Count … Pelican Style

Here is the newest children’s counting primer!

One White Pelican

Two White Pelicans

Three White Pelicans

Four White Pelicans

For more birding with children, see the books I have co-authored.

White Pelicans Fishing at Port Washington

I arrived at Port Washington a bit before 6 am this morning. When one wants to photograph white birds, it is important to capture their images before the sun gets to high in the sky. Intense sun tends to “blow out” white in photographs. I hope you enjoy the fishing sequence … cool birds.

White Pelicans Fishing on Lake Michigan (all the same bird and sequence)

Close-Up of a fish in the Pouch! (different bird)