Backyard Birds & Migration Rising

Just after Big Day, my feeders received their first goldfinches.

Visits to the park and archery range saw several first-of-year birds, and I happily added the awesome Magnolia Warbler to my life list!

Big Day, Spring 2021

The eighth of May was marked as Cornell Lab's annual spring Big Day for 2021, and the day of fundraising and birdwatching was made the focal point of this month's eBird challenge.

For myself, Big Day began at 2:00am, when I roused myself and drew a travel mug full of cappuccino before hitting the highway for Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge. I arrived at the refuge just as the sun began to peek from the horizon and was greeted by a pack of deer and an ensemble of wrens, blackbirds and trumpeter swans. Another bird making itself heard from the reeds, was the Sora with its downwardly-winding call. Amidst the acrobatics of the local barn swallows, I craned my head and waited in hopes of spotting one of the typically shy Soras. As luck with birds can go (particularly when you're not the most patient), the one Sora who broke from cover was standing, unnoticed by me, just beside the short step bridge to the observation deck. This would have been a beautiful opportunity to see the bird in the open, but as I turned for my car, the Sora quickly vanished. Still, with plenty of ducks, sparrows, and some black-billed magpies, it was a satisfying start to the day.

Next up, Oakland Park in Thief River Falls. Looping around the park's frolf course, I was able to watch a Great Blue Heron fishing along the riverbank and had a short conversation with a friendly, bird-knowledgeable man; his son and their nice, very sheddy dog.

Gary Pines was my third target and quite a surprise. I was expecting a speck of pines and play area, but  a cool labyrinth of trails reached back a nice ways and provided a great pitstop for migrating warblers and natives.

My original plan for the day would have seen me making stops at Felton Prairie and the sewage settling ponds of Fargo, but weariness took me straight down MN-32. I reached the trail to the archery range in Wahpeton slightly after three o'clock. Several firsts of the year making appearances:

Relieved to be home, I spent the afternoon watching qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix and going through the day's photos and notes to compile my checklists.

Heating Up

 The first day of May brought the heat with temperatures reaching into the upper 80s. Well before the temperature peaked, I struck south for the Hecla Ponds for some sunrise birding. It would prove to be a fruitful venture. Among the masses of coots, blackbirds, Franklin's Gulls and cormorants, a Black-crowned Night-heron peeked up from the reeds, and I spotted a pair of Hudsonian Godwits to add to the life list.

After a few hours poking around the ponds, I headed back northeast, encountering a few more Franklin's Gulls on the way.

While not as fruitful as Hecla, Hankinson Hills handed me a few first-of-year birds including Eastern Bluebird, Vesper and Clay-colored Sparrow. It also gave me a chance to experience the heat in unabated fashion, and after a couple miles of hiking and a short nap on the grass, I was comfortably tuckered out and ready to head home. But the day had more to give, as my feeders hosted their first (to my knowledge) clay-colored and savannah sparrows. All in all, a fun and rewarding day of birdwatching!

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.

2021 Begins

 2021 is off and running! While my schedule and the weather aren't always in synch, it's been a decent start to the birding year. Here's to spring.