To end another drought, here's a short rundown on the end of 2023.
I was pretty burnt out after the Louisiana trip (something about squinting at thousands of pictures of gulls and terns). My fall birding was restricted to watching the backyard feeders and a few walks through the park. Most exciting was seeing a cackling goose up close at the park and watching the migratory birds investigating the garden.
Due to my schedule, I opted not to take part in Project FeederWatch for the 2023-2024 season. I'm hoping things work out better for 2024-2025. So far into this snowless winter, I have seen Pine Siskins amid the usual finches, woodpeckers, chickadees and other birds.
My last birding for 2023 took place over this last weekend when a friend and I did some birding by car and foot in northern Minnesota. The morning was wet and cool, and we arrived at our site with the day's first light. Not long into our slow drive, my friend called, "Owl, owl." I slowed to a stop. Atop a dead tree not twenty feet behind us was an owl, almost certainly a Great Gray. Unfortunately, I was in a very awkward position to snap a picture, lighting was poor, and another car pulled up behind us and stopped next to the owl. The owl flew over the other car as the driver came up to ask what we had seen.
I told my friend as we drove away, laughing and frustrated, that I had a good feeling we would see another owl. We drove a few more miles before spotting a lifer for me: a very distant Northern Hawk Owl perched up in a tree.
It wasn't long until the second lifer of the day appeared: a tiny silhouette which turned out to be a Northern Shrike!
Before heading back, we walked a short trail and saw plenty of woodpeckers, chickadees and Canada Jays.
