Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Park Point / Minnesota Point Playing Fields

August 20, 2015Year 2MN North: Amity, MN North: Brighton Beach, MN North: Minnesota Pointrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The rains returned to northeast Minnesota, and with the drenching rain the puddles / ponds reappeared on the playing fields at the end of Park Point. This combination plus the NE winds insured that at this time of year migrating shorebirds made an appearance to feed. Here are a few photos I took during yesterday morning’s blustery and foggy conditions.

I’ve also added two owl photos I took just prior to the start of this project / web site. Both owl photos were taken late winter 2013 within 800 yards of my home on Amity Creek.

Post Update on August 22nd: I’ve updated this entry to correctly identify one of the birds as a Lesser Yellows. Please see the comments for this blog post, as Adam and Dan helped with the ID and provided useful information.

View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size)

Great Yellowlegs

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Lesser & Great Yellowlegs on the hunt!

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Barred Owl (archive photo)

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Boreal Owl (archive photo)

Backyard Birding

August 5, 2015Year 2MN North: Amityrichardhoeg@gmail.com

We birders / photographers often make the mistake of travelling miles to find and take pictures of birds. We need to remember that our own back yards are often a great spot to spend time. The last two evenings at golden hour I have sat outside, hiding myself in the tall grass. Thus, it was possible to insure I was birding when the light was perfect. My local birds did not disappoint!

First the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird photograph which I have been trying to get for weeks:

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In the second instance I watched a house wren learning to hunt. Perhaps the conversation went something like this:

Immature House Wren learning to hunt bugs:

1. Find dead birch tree
2. Put head in hole to look for bugs
3. Flash one wing to scare bugs
4. Eat supper.

Mom, is that right?!

Answer: No … first flash both wings … then find scared bugs in hole.

July Bird Boredom: Not!

July 31, 2015Year 2MN North: Amity, MN South: Sherburne National Wildlife Refugerichardhoeg@gmail.com

This is the second in my new series, July Bird Boredom (first post). Folks tell me that July means bad birding opportunities, which just is NOT true. Yesterday I needed to be down in the Minneapolis area, and thus I grabbed the opportunity to visit the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge shortly after sunrise.

Although the birding opportunities are not as dramatic as earlier in the summer when birds are “a courting”, I think you’ll find using these birds as evidence, birding in July is anything but boring. It is important to get out early. Given the sun rises in these parts not to long after 5 am, one must be willing to get up early. If one waits till 9 or 10 am to head out, you won’t see anywhere near as many birds.

Eastern Phoebe