Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Day 342: New Years Eve Dawn Magic at Dawn!

Year 2,

The last day of the year was a magical time for photography. The day dawned cold with the prospect of a fantastic sunrise out over Lake Superior. Although I started out on my birding photography rounds before sunrise, I quickly adjusted my plans and enjoyed the year’s last dawn. Quite frankly experiences like the cold seasmoke dawn over Lake Superior are part of what makes early morning birding so much fun.

Sun + Wind (32 pmh) + Seasmoke = Stoney Point Magic
342-Birds-365-Stoney-Point-Seasmoke-Sunrise

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Today’s Bird: White Breasted Nuthatch
342-Birds-365-White-Breasted-Nuthatch

Days 332 to 334: Birds in the Gloom

Year 1,

Including today, here in northern Minnesota we have had 18 straight days of clouds (a tiny bit of sun briefly at dawn on the 3rd day), more often with rain, snow and/or fog. If the sun EVER reappears I will be ready. I have visited this Snowy Owl featured in today’s post multiple times over the past few weeks, and have learned many of its hunting perches. I am Just waiting for decent light to try some flight / hunting photos. My friend, the snowy, did not appear to happy with today’s weather … snow, rain and winds gusting to almost 30 mph.

Yesterday’s conditions (day #331) were even worse from a photographic vantage point. The weather include heavy snow, and dense fog. My photo gives you an idea of how my forest world appears right now.

Day 332: Snowy Owl in the Rain
332-Birds-365-Snowy-Shed

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Day 333: Common Redpoll and Pine Siskins During a Heavy Snow
333-Birds-365-Common-Redpoll 333-Birds-365-Pine-Siskins

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Day 334: Snowy Owl Reprise (and some waterfront Mallards)
334-Birds-365-Snowy

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334-Birds-365-Mallards

Day 331: Christmas Bird Count Black Capped-Chickadee

Background, Year 1

Today I led a team in northern Minnesota as part of the Audubon Societies Christmas Bird Count. We were given an area and go told to count the local birds. Please understand that in the Northwoods in the winter, the number of birds is greatly reduced and the weather during the count can be sub-optimal!

Our count totals: 233 individual birds

  • Bald Eagle: 1
  • Black-Capped Chickadee: 17
  • Blue Jay: 1
  • Common Crow: 30
  • Common Raven: 33
  • Common Redpolls: 132
  • Downy Woodpecker: 1
  • Pileated Woodpecker: 1
  • Purple Finch: 17
  • Red-Breasted Nuthatch: 3

Black-Capped Chickadee (one of the birds we counted)
331-Birds-365-Black-Capped-Chickadee