Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Reach Out and Grab Some Color!

Year 4, ,

Man has it been dreary recently in northern Minnesota. The skies are forever cloudy, and most of the birds that I’ve seen have been black and white (or brown). Arrgh! I needed a color fix which thankfully a local cardinal provided when I got home this morning!

Seriously, I should probably work the North Shore of Lake Superior harder, but I’m not interested in making the drive up to Grand Marais and back. Jim Lind and John Richardson are reporting some cool ducks at various river mouths and harbors between Two Harbors and Grand Marais. I suggest watching for their names via eBird (Lake and Cook Counties)

Color! Red: Cardinal in my yard next to Amity Creek

Black & White Bird #1: Goldeneye at McQuade Harbor

Black & White Bird #2: Bald Eagle “grabbing some color” inland from Two Harbors

52 Week Photo Project for 2017

Year 4

Four years ago I initiated 365 Days of Birds, and for every day in the year I had to take a photograph of at least one bird. I enjoyed that project, but it was brutal and demanding.

  • Try finding birds in a whiteout / blizzard to take a photograph!
  • During the winter birding doldrums, another chickadee image?!
  • etc.

However, I learned a lot about myself and photography with my year long birding project. Thus, for 2017 I am starting a 52 week project. Once a week I must take an image of “The Deeps”. This waterfall, where water crashes over a bluestone outcropping as it rushes downhill to Lake Superior, is only 250 yards from my house. It will be fun to see how the personality of a waterfall changes over one year, and how I challenge myself to better my photograph skills.

Pinched Nerve Update: Limited walking! I drove my car to The Deeps (200 yards), but I did walk to the garage from my house … and then from the street to The Deeps.

Here is Week #1: The Frozen Deeps.

Wounded Birder Birding Starts Year #4

Year 4

This post leads off Year #4 of 365 Days of Birds. While the local birds are just fine, this birder, your host, can not say the same. Early New Year’s Eve I pinched a nerve in my back while reaching for some potato chips, and now five days later I still am having trouble walking. I wish I had a better, more interesting story for how this injury occurred, but while I love long birding hikes, month long bike tours and racing in Nordic ski races, a simple potato chip did me in.

Having to lie down for days in order to keep the pressure off my back is not my idea of fun, but at least my own yard and feeders continue to attract birds and give me something to watch out the living room window. Yesterday, I managed to hobble outside into the -8F weather and do my first birding on 2017, in my own yard. Here are some of images from that “trip”!  🙂

Pileated Woodpecker

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

White-Breasted Nuthatch