April Rundown

Amid a predictably Midwestern April--wind, rain, sun and snow all taking turns in the meteorological amalgam--many mornings and afternoons were spent in search of birds.

An early stop at Kellys Slough . . .

This started becoming a regular scene at the backyard feeders . . .

Not complaining, I think Grackles are awesome!

Birds at the park!

eBird's monthly challenge motivating me to get out on some not so pristine days . . .

Here's to some nice days to end the month and the beginning of May!!

Rain Break

My birding goals for 2021 have been to add 50 lifers to my list, submit eBird checklists for at least 6 states and hit a minimum of 10 new counties between North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. With shorebirds, waterfowl and more on the move, I spent the morning checking out some spots to either side of the North Dakota/South Dakota boarder. In addition to just enjoying the nice weather and shading in some counties on eBird, I added the Baird's Sandpiper to my life list and enjoyed a lot of Scooter.

Easter in Melrose

It should be noted that the lack of posting does not correlate to a lack of birding. The past two weekends have been particularly busy with consecutive trips to the Twin Cities. The more recent excursion had me birding at the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge in Bloomington, the conveniently-located Kane Meadows Open Space in Blaine and, most significantly, the town of Melrose.

Thanks to eBird, I was aware of Sauk River Park and had considered making a stop there on previous trips to and from the cities but had never taken the bite, so fate took matters into its own hands and convinced me. How? A dead alternator in the middle of Easter Sunday interstate traffic.

After a little wait in the shade of an overpass, a friendly tow-man took my car and self to nearby Melrose where I checked into the local Super 8 and waited for the garage to open for business. Fortunately, I was outfitted with my beloved Jones Soda, my sister's homemade cookies, plus my camera and charger, and after a quick trip down to Sauk River Park, I had the night to watch the Women's NCAA title game, Extreme E and Toy Story. The quality of sleep typical for your average hotel ensued, and by morning I was ready to be going.

I made a quick stop at the garage where my car awaited service, then bummed around Melrose's Meadowlark Park and Sauk River Park. Although nothing too exceptional showed itself, I was happy to observe a pair of purple finches and a brown creeper—one of my favorite regional species—shimmying up an old tree. But even with all of the birds about, by noon, the day was beginning to drag. Note: my car's repair was delayed by a defective replacement alternator.

So, I found a shady spot at Meadowlark Park where I decided to wait out the rest of my time, and after what felt like several quiet hours had passed, I was investigated by a curious girl who understood bird-chatter and told me that they say a lot of not so nice things. After the girl and her mother carried on their walk, an older man approached me, regaling me with stories of his time in the Army and on the farm fields until my car was just about ready to go.

Another walk to the garage and a few hundred dollars later, I moved on from Melrose, making a quick stop at the wonderful North Ottawa Impoundment before graciously arriving home.