Day 289: Sandhill Cranes Crex Meadows Fall Migration

November 9, 2014Year 1WI North: Crex Meadowsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Over 21,000 Sandhill Cranes have stopped at the Crex Meadows Wildlife Refuge to feed and rest during their fall migration. In addition, there are lots of ducks, eagles and swans. Yesterday morning I drove 100 miles south from northern Minnesota to Grantsburg, Wisconsin to insure I was in the wetlands before dawn. When the sun rose, the cranes started to move out of their night time roosts to eat in the surrounding farmlands. The noise and sight was inspiring and beautiful. Here are a few photos and two videos I took shortly after sunrise.

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An bald eagle looks over possible breakfast birds!

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A small flock of sandhill cranes starts to take off

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Still photographs of sandhill cranes and one trumpeter swan

Days 285 to 288: Winter Bird Friends

November 7, 2014Year 1MN North: Amity, MN North: Pagami Creek Forest Fire Region, MN North: Two Harborsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

While most of the usual suspects have headed south for the winter, some birds including waterfowl remain with us up here in the frozen Northland. As area lakes start to ice over, if one finds the open water it can often be amazing the density of ducks and geese one will find. Our first snow have now fallen, and we are poised for our first winter storm come Monday. Here are just a few feathered friends who have decided to hang around northern Minnesota for the moment.

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Day 285: Goldfinch w/o the gold (winter plumage)

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Day 286: Ruffed Grouse

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Day 286: Ross’s Goose, Snow Goose, Great Canada Goose

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Day 287: Edna G and her flock

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Day 288: Takeoff of the Dawn Patrol

Day 284: Saying Goodbye to Bird Friends

November 3, 2014Year 1MN North: Forest Hill Cemeteryrichardhoeg@gmail.com

I visited my friends, the hooded merganser couple, twice this morning. Early this morning it was cloudy, and later the sun broke through! Why the “goodbye”? Ice has now almost covered one of the ponds, and my friends … the ducks … will need to fly south fast! It was nice to finally get some sun to photograph the “hoodies”!