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As a freelancer who lives in Minnesota, I try to plan work in warmer areas in the winter. I love the Rio Grande Valley and it’s an easy and surprisingly economical trip from where I live. I’m currently working on a web series with Clay Taylor of Swarovski Optik North America. It’s going to have birding and digiscoping tips but it’s also a contest. All the bird footage we use in the series will be a clue to the theme. MORE
As for myself, in January of 2013, I finally took a much anticipated trip up to their world of ice and snow in northeastern Minnesota in search of them. My first day in Minnesota included a visit to Sax-Zim Bog, the most famous (and rightly so) birding hotspot in the region. First light revealed my first Common Ravens , a veritable goliath among passerines and the most commonly encountered species in northeastern Minnesota. Birding Birds Minnesota owl MORE
Media-Newswire.com) - The Humane Society of the United States has obtained government reports showing that the University of Minnesota has violated federal standards of care for animals in laboratories. University of Minnesota should publicly affirm its commitment to minimizing the suffering of animals in its research labs.". Tags: animal research humane society university of minnesota All this stuff makes me sick. MORE
Some states have no species at all, not even a pigeon, crow, or sparrow: Hawaii , Utah , Nebraska , Oklahoma , Minnesota , Iowa , Wisconsin , Kentucky , West Virginia , Mississippi , Alabama , Connecticut , and Rhode Island. For example, my list of the Top 25 National Wildlife Refuges for birding includes locations in Utah ( Bear River MBR ), Minnesota ( Minnesota Valley NWR ), and Wisconsin ( Horicon NWR ). MORE
” In the case of two Bald Eagles at the Duluth International Airport in Minnesota, the landing was of the not-so-smooth variety. The other was transferred to the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center with deep talon wounds, but was expected to do well. Well, that brings a new meaning to the phrase “ the eagle has landed.” The birds had locked their talons during a mid-air battle and plummeted to the tarmac together. MORE
A few states still have no checklists at all: Nebraska , Minnesota , Iowa , Kentucky , West Virginia , Mississippi , and Alabama. In contrast, the Collaborative has checklists from all but one of the 20 states with the most checklists, the exception being Minnesota. MORE
This is what happens when a Republican actually does something, even a very little something, to protect birds. The best part of the article is when the treasurer of the Freedom Club State PAC, the conservative organization attacking Republican State Senate candidate Connie Doepke, acknowledges he has no idea what his organization is talking about: However, Andolshek made a surprising admission about the mailings that went out last week regarding the “tropical bird habitats.” MORE
Filed under: Animal Rights , Veganism Tagged: Minneapolis wedding , Minnesota , planning a wedding , vegan food , vegan wedding , Veganism. Animal Rights Veganism Minneapolis wedding Minnesota planning a wedding vegan food vegan weddingI’m sorry for my incredible inactivity these past several months. I mean, I have been M.I.A. But I have a somewhat reasonable excuse, you guys: in September, I got engaged! MORE
Though he destroyed more than 1,000 nests worth of chicks and eggs of the American White Pelican nearly obliterating a colony on land he rented, a guilty plea by Minnesota farmer Craig Staloch means that he faces, at most, six months in jail. Justice? Asides MORE
Wildlife conservationists say the freeze will delay and possibly prevent the removal of gray wolves from the federal endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and also in portions of Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Let's keep our fingers crossed. MORE
I’m working on a project in Florida–if living in Minnesota has taught me anything, it’s that finding work in warmer areas in mid-winter will go a long way to keep your sanity during the deep freeze from November through April. I’m currently in one of my favorite states: exhausted (maybe even a tiny bit tipsy) in a hotel room sorting through mountains of bird footage after a fun day birding with my friend Clay. MORE
I was reminded this week as Minnesota received a few more inches of snow and some sub zero wind chills. If finches can survive a Minnesota winter…herons will be fine. Minnesota is known for a long harsh winter like many states in the northern U.S. It’s that special time of year when birds begin to move north and people see a migrant during a snow storm and ask, “Can that bird survive??” ” The answer? Usually. MORE
The husband and I took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) a couple of months ago and received the most unremarkable results. When I started blogging in May of 2006 I was very snarky. Snark defined blogging back then. And of course, as a (pop) culture whose sensibility has been formed by The Onion and The Daily Show , it's no wonder. My snarkiness increased, and turned into ranting, but then ranting for some reason got old. MORE
I also found this 1995 account of a warbler in Minnesota that bore similarities both to the bird I saw this morning and to Audubon’s Carbonated Warbler, to which the Minnesota observers compared their bird. As for the Minnesota bird from 1991 and Audubon’s “Carbonated Warblers,” is it possible that a rare aberration in Blackpoll Warbler plumage or molt sequence can explain these birds, and similar sightings? MORE
The ruling today affects wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Good news for wolves in the Great Lakes area. TRAVERSE CITY - State officials say they're not pleased with a federal court's ruling overturning the government's decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list for the Great Lakes region. It's in response to a lawsuit filed by several environmental groups, including The Humane Society of the United States. The U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., MORE
Focusing on an often under-appreciated portion of the continent, the book showcases forty species found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio – but perhaps not for long. I’m hardly the first person to observe that it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by bad environmental news, and the title Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest sounds like a pretty major downer. MORE
It is possible to see birds like the above female Ruby-throated Hummingbird well into October in northern states like Minnesota. Some of the unusual species we’ve documented here in Minnesota in the fall include Magnificent Hummingbird (above), Costa’s Hummingbird and Green Violetear. Let’s just start this post with the answer someone googling this info will need: You do not need to take your hummingbird feeder in on Labor Day. MORE
Minnesota’s Superior National Forest is now on the radar for underground mineral mining. Minnesota’s Superior National Forest PETITION. As we enter the second century of protecting, preserving, and respecting our wild spaces, certainly no one would actually consider undoing, reversing, and exploiting our national parks, forests, and monuments. Right? And yet, it has begun. MORE
We had a snow storm approaching Minnesota last weekend and the day before I headed over to the bird feeders at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to see if they were getting any Pine Siskins or Common Redpolls (surprisingly, no). The feeders were incredibly active which is to be expected before a snow storm. MORE
I’m not even talking about the usual, “oh that eagle/vulture/every hawk sounds like a Red-tailed Hawk ,” I’m talking about watching a film set in Minnesota and hearing a Tawny Owl , watching something set in Africa or South American and hearing a Kookaburra or watching a bunch of cowboys around a fire in the desert and hearing the lonely wail of a Common Loon. MORE
The spill that keeps on giving – now petroleum compounds and the chemicals used to clean up the oil from BP’s massive spill two years ago in the Gulf of Mexico are showing up in eggs of breeding birds in Minnesota. Asides MORE
Birds Cedar Creek Minnesota sandhill craneThe stage is set for two rival gangs to fight over coveted territory: a grassy lawn bordered by a dirt road and a smattering of trees, surrounded by grassland and marsh. At first glance, the Sandhill Cranes seem to be at an advantage. They’re taller, after all, with larger wingspans and sharper beaks. On the other hand, the Canada Geese have both safety in numbers and famously aggressive personalities. MORE
The survey was a join effort with the University of Minnesota. Report to the National Flyway Council from the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and University of Minnesota. Comprehensive surveys of U.S. MORE
The resulting properties—WPAs—are small ponds, wetlands, and associated grasslands, primarily in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana, but also in Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa. Established in 1962, Fergus Falls WMD is located in western central Minnesota. It is also a site on the Minnesota Pine-to-Prairie Birding Trail. Prairie Wetlands Learning Center at Fergus Falls WMD in Minnesota (USFWS). Jason A. MORE
In addition to spotting exciting new species in Florida, including the rare Snail Kite, travel across the country brought me into contact with birds in Oregon, California, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, and more. 2018 proved to be one of my best birding years ever. MORE
All the info I needed came in an e-mail from a Minnesota birder named Peder. Trips jinx bird minnesota wood-warblersNote: This is an account, originally published in June 2006, of my quest to remove a jinx bird from my bird-watching soul. I am sharing it again here, at the request of Corey Finger, who takes some sort of sick pleasure in seeing other birders squirm and suffer under the weight of their obsession with life birds. MORE
I see them all over in marshes in Minnesota but I had never seen a duck use one. It’s called Woodworking for Wildlife and even though it’s put out by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, it can apply in other areas as well. The nesting season is underway and people love to put up nest boxes. It seems an easy thing to do, you buy or make a wooden box and put a hole in it and viola–BIRDS! But it’s not always that simple. MORE
Those eerie calls come from the Common Loon, the state bird of Minnesota. Minnesota legislators named the loon their state bird in 1961, as their state has more Common Loons than any other barring Alaska. Around 12,000 loons call Minnesota their home, and are an iconic part of the summer soundscape. Birds common loons loon Minnesota state birdPicture this: you are on a lake, with dusk just beginning to fall. MORE
I’m writing this post a day late (sorry) from Itasca State Park, Minnesota. Which reminds me of something funny about Minnesota. One of the most interesting locals in Minnesota, but if your cabin is up a different route you would not know about it! The picture at the top of the post is the tallest white pine in Minnesota. The tallest red pine was nearby, but it is now known as the “Formerly tallest red pine in Minnesota.” MORE
Well, she apparently did such a great job convincing the folks at the Minnesota Book Awards that you can claim to love animals and then send them to slaughter, that not only was she a finalist for their award, but she won it. Jenny sent me a link to a remarkably-ironic story that was very tough to get through. Remember Catherine Friend, who wrote Compassionate Carnivore ? Here 's my commentary on it, and here 's my commentary about what compassionate carnivore means--and doesn't mean.) MORE
Minnesota Valley NWR (Minnesota): 274,000; $4.2 Every few years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) attempts to calculate the economic contribution of National Wildlife Refuge visitation to local communities. The most recent effort was released in June 2019. MORE
Scott DeMuth, a sociology graduate student at the University of Minnesota charged last year with felony conspiracy under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act agreed yesterday to a plea bargain. Instead, DeMuth will plead guilty to conspiring to damage a Minnesota company that breeds ferrets. From the Science Insider. MORE
Birders in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Virginia are all enjoying Snowy Owls , but none as much as the North Carolina birders, who are enjoying their first and second Snowy Owls in thirteen years. Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013. MORE
From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.I don't see any mention in this article (or in this one from the Chicago Tribune ) about threats to human life in this incident. Straight vandalism and economic loss. Is this a valid prosecution? Is it terrorism? Scott DeMuth, who is being held in jail in Davenport, is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court Friday. MORE
Perhaps some other time I’ll write in more detail about the links between Minnesota’s Bell Museum and birds. Cranes are a bid deal in Minnesota, and they are a big deal at the Bell. Birds Bell Museum Minnesota Museum DisplayThere are many. Now I’ll just note that the Bell Museum was closed for a long time during a move to a new location; the Bell had its grand opening last Sunday; I took some pictures to demonstrate the Bell-Bird link and here they are. MORE
We especially love playing in the snow, which we get lots of here in Minnesota! My name is Jan. On May 5, 2010, I adopted a two-year-old poodle/terrier mix from our local shelter, Animal Allies. I named her Angel. She came from another shelter as a stray, had been abused, was very skinny, and she was extremely shy and afraid of everyone. I fell in love with her immediately. MORE
Locke Lake in Fridley, Minnesota was the site of a train derailment this past July. The train was carrying corn and dumped tons of grain into the lake. Now the lake has been invaded by thousands of ducks and geese , far more than the usual dozen or so birds. But are the birds there because of the corn or because of the mild winter that has left the lake open and the waterfowl reluctant to head south? Asides MORE
The 2012 event was held at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. On a Minnesota Birding Facebook page, someone related a story of finding four people taking photos of the birds only instead of standing at the dam, they were in the mud…well sinking in to the mud. Birding birders MinnesotaWhat is up with the birding community in the northern part of the US recently? Have we all gone completely mental? MORE
Here in Minnesota they are listed as threatened. And apparently they are getting gunned down on a regular basis in Minnesota. … It’s illegal to shoot trumpeter swans in Minnesota. This problem is, of course not unique to Minnesota. Birds Conservation Cygnus buccinator hunting Minnesota Trumpeter Swan Many years ago, back in the 1970s, I visited my sister, who lived in West Yellowstone, Montana, in the dead of winter. MORE
Here’s a great article about Bob Janssen, a 79-year-old birder from Minnesota who has been birding since his teenage years. ”Citizen birder” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Asides MORE
in ecology from the University of Minnesota and has lived in Monteverde, Costa Rica since 1972. MORE
Building-stunned bird: Nashville Warbler above by Stephanie Beard, Project BirdSafe, Audubon Minnesota. Or perhaps I should say “illusive.” ” That’s because an American architecture firm is planning what’s billed as the “world’s first invisible building” in South Korea. Hat tip to Pat O’Donnell for the story; the image above is by GDS Architects, via CNN.) MORE
Equestrian Mag has provided this information on rescue efforts going on in Minnesota and North Dakota. MORE
Minnesota Valley NWR (Minnesota). There are more than 550 national wildlife refuges in the United States, with at least one in every state and one within an hour drive of almost every major American city. Many were specifically established for migratory birds and are strategically positioned along one of the four major North American migration flyways. Others were established to protect specific bird species or subspecies. MORE
Minnesota Related Topics 10,000 Birds
JULY 7, 2015
Those eerie calls come from the Common Loon, the state bird of Minnesota. Minnesota legislators named the loon their state bird in 1961, as their state has more Common Loons than any other barring Alaska. Around 12,000 loons call Minnesota their home, and are an iconic part of the summer soundscape. Birds common loons loon Minnesota state birdPicture this: you are on a lake, with dusk just beginning to fall.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 24, 2013
As for myself, in January of 2013, I finally took a much anticipated trip up to their world of ice and snow in northeastern Minnesota in search of them. My first day in Minnesota included a visit to Sax-Zim Bog, the most famous (and rightly so) birding hotspot in the region. First light revealed my first Common Ravens , a veritable goliath among passerines and the most commonly encountered species in northeastern Minnesota. Birding Birds Minnesota owl
Critter News
MARCH 19, 2010
Media-Newswire.com) - The Humane Society of the United States has obtained government reports showing that the University of Minnesota has violated federal standards of care for animals in laboratories. University of Minnesota should publicly affirm its commitment to minimizing the suffering of animals in its research labs.". Tags: animal research humane society university of minnesota All this stuff makes me sick.
Critter News
MARCH 31, 2009
Equestrian Mag has provided this information on rescue efforts going on in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Critter News
NOVEMBER 21, 2009
From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.I don't see any mention in this article (or in this one from the Chicago Tribune ) about threats to human life in this incident. Straight vandalism and economic loss. Is this a valid prosecution? Is it terrorism? Scott DeMuth, who is being held in jail in Davenport, is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court Friday.
10,000 Birds
MAY 21, 2012
The spill that keeps on giving – now petroleum compounds and the chemicals used to clean up the oil from BP’s massive spill two years ago in the Gulf of Mexico are showing up in eggs of breeding birds in Minnesota. Asides
10,000 Birds
JULY 31, 2012
This is what happens when a Republican actually does something, even a very little something, to protect birds. The best part of the article is when the treasurer of the Freedom Club State PAC, the conservative organization attacking Republican State Senate candidate Connie Doepke, acknowledges he has no idea what his organization is talking about: However, Andolshek made a surprising admission about the mailings that went out last week regarding the “tropical bird habitats.”
10,000 Birds
JULY 17, 2018
Perhaps some other time I’ll write in more detail about the links between Minnesota’s Bell Museum and birds. Cranes are a bid deal in Minnesota, and they are a big deal at the Bell. Birds Bell Museum Minnesota Museum DisplayThere are many. Now I’ll just note that the Bell Museum was closed for a long time during a move to a new location; the Bell had its grand opening last Sunday; I took some pictures to demonstrate the Bell-Bird link and here they are.
Creature Talk
JANUARY 19, 2011
Filed under: Animal Rights , Veganism Tagged: Minneapolis wedding , Minnesota , planning a wedding , vegan food , vegan wedding , Veganism. Animal Rights Veganism Minneapolis wedding Minnesota planning a wedding vegan food vegan weddingI’m sorry for my incredible inactivity these past several months. I mean, I have been M.I.A. But I have a somewhat reasonable excuse, you guys: in September, I got engaged!
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 19, 2015
I’m writing this post a day late (sorry) from Itasca State Park, Minnesota. Which reminds me of something funny about Minnesota. One of the most interesting locals in Minnesota, but if your cabin is up a different route you would not know about it! The picture at the top of the post is the tallest white pine in Minnesota. The tallest red pine was nearby, but it is now known as the “Formerly tallest red pine in Minnesota.”
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 27, 2018
Birds Cedar Creek Minnesota sandhill craneThe stage is set for two rival gangs to fight over coveted territory: a grassy lawn bordered by a dirt road and a smattering of trees, surrounded by grassland and marsh. At first glance, the Sandhill Cranes seem to be at an advantage. They’re taller, after all, with larger wingspans and sharper beaks. On the other hand, the Canada Geese have both safety in numbers and famously aggressive personalities.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 18, 2012
The 2012 event was held at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. On a Minnesota Birding Facebook page, someone related a story of finding four people taking photos of the birds only instead of standing at the dam, they were in the mud…well sinking in to the mud. Birding birders MinnesotaWhat is up with the birding community in the northern part of the US recently? Have we all gone completely mental?
10,000 Birds
MAY 17, 2011
All the info I needed came in an e-mail from a Minnesota birder named Peder. Trips jinx bird minnesota wood-warblersNote: This is an account, originally published in June 2006, of my quest to remove a jinx bird from my bird-watching soul. I am sharing it again here, at the request of Corey Finger, who takes some sort of sick pleasure in seeing other birders squirm and suffer under the weight of their obsession with life birds.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 14, 2021
A few states still have no checklists at all: Nebraska , Minnesota , Iowa , Kentucky , West Virginia , Mississippi , and Alabama. In contrast, the Collaborative has checklists from all but one of the 20 states with the most checklists, the exception being Minnesota.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 27, 2011
Here’s a great article about Bob Janssen, a 79-year-old birder from Minnesota who has been birding since his teenage years. ”Citizen birder” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Asides
Critter News
SEPTEMBER 14, 2010
Scott DeMuth, a sociology graduate student at the University of Minnesota charged last year with felony conspiracy under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act agreed yesterday to a plea bargain. Instead, DeMuth will plead guilty to conspiring to damage a Minnesota company that breeds ferrets. From the Science Insider.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 16, 2011
Though he destroyed more than 1,000 nests worth of chicks and eggs of the American White Pelican nearly obliterating a colony on land he rented, a guilty plea by Minnesota farmer Craig Staloch means that he faces, at most, six months in jail. Justice? Asides
10,000 Birds
MAY 15, 2013
” In the case of two Bald Eagles at the Duluth International Airport in Minnesota, the landing was of the not-so-smooth variety. The other was transferred to the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center with deep talon wounds, but was expected to do well. Well, that brings a new meaning to the phrase “ the eagle has landed.” The birds had locked their talons during a mid-air battle and plummeted to the tarmac together.
Critter News
SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
The ruling today affects wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Good news for wolves in the Great Lakes area. TRAVERSE CITY - State officials say they're not pleased with a federal court's ruling overturning the government's decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list for the Great Lakes region. It's in response to a lawsuit filed by several environmental groups, including The Humane Society of the United States. The U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.,
10,000 Birds
APRIL 13, 2021
The survey was a join effort with the University of Minnesota. Report to the National Flyway Council from the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and University of Minnesota. Comprehensive surveys of U.S.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 3, 2011
Locke Lake in Fridley, Minnesota was the site of a train derailment this past July. The train was carrying corn and dumped tons of grain into the lake. Now the lake has been invaded by thousands of ducks and geese , far more than the usual dozen or so birds. But are the birds there because of the corn or because of the mild winter that has left the lake open and the waterfowl reluctant to head south? Asides
Critter News
JANUARY 30, 2009
Wildlife conservationists say the freeze will delay and possibly prevent the removal of gray wolves from the federal endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, and also in portions of Washington, Oregon, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
Animal Person
APRIL 29, 2009
Well, she apparently did such a great job convincing the folks at the Minnesota Book Awards that you can claim to love animals and then send them to slaughter, that not only was she a finalist for their award, but she won it. Jenny sent me a link to a remarkably-ironic story that was very tough to get through. Remember Catherine Friend, who wrote Compassionate Carnivore ? Here 's my commentary on it, and here 's my commentary about what compassionate carnivore means--and doesn't mean.)
Animal Person
APRIL 6, 2010
The husband and I took the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) a couple of months ago and received the most unremarkable results. When I started blogging in May of 2006 I was very snarky. Snark defined blogging back then. And of course, as a (pop) culture whose sensibility has been formed by The Onion and The Daily Show , it's no wonder. My snarkiness increased, and turned into ranting, but then ranting for some reason got old.
10,000 Birds
MAY 17, 2015
I also found this 1995 account of a warbler in Minnesota that bore similarities both to the bird I saw this morning and to Audubon’s Carbonated Warbler, to which the Minnesota observers compared their bird. As for the Minnesota bird from 1991 and Audubon’s “Carbonated Warblers,” is it possible that a rare aberration in Blackpoll Warbler plumage or molt sequence can explain these birds, and similar sightings?
10,000 Birds
JULY 21, 2018
Minnesota’s Superior National Forest is now on the radar for underground mineral mining. Minnesota’s Superior National Forest PETITION. As we enter the second century of protecting, preserving, and respecting our wild spaces, certainly no one would actually consider undoing, reversing, and exploiting our national parks, forests, and monuments. Right? And yet, it has begun.
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 13, 2019
Minnesota Valley NWR (Minnesota): 274,000; $4.2 Every few years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) attempts to calculate the economic contribution of National Wildlife Refuge visitation to local communities. The most recent effort was released in June 2019.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 25, 2019
Focusing on an often under-appreciated portion of the continent, the book showcases forty species found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio – but perhaps not for long. I’m hardly the first person to observe that it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by bad environmental news, and the title Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest sounds like a pretty major downer.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 20, 2013
I was reminded this week as Minnesota received a few more inches of snow and some sub zero wind chills. If finches can survive a Minnesota winter…herons will be fine. Minnesota is known for a long harsh winter like many states in the northern U.S. It’s that special time of year when birds begin to move north and people see a migrant during a snow storm and ask, “Can that bird survive??” ” The answer? Usually.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 12, 2012
We had a snow storm approaching Minnesota last weekend and the day before I headed over to the bird feeders at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to see if they were getting any Pine Siskins or Common Redpolls (surprisingly, no). The feeders were incredibly active which is to be expected before a snow storm.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 8, 2017
The resulting properties—WPAs—are small ponds, wetlands, and associated grasslands, primarily in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana, but also in Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Iowa. Established in 1962, Fergus Falls WMD is located in western central Minnesota. It is also a site on the Minnesota Pine-to-Prairie Birding Trail. Prairie Wetlands Learning Center at Fergus Falls WMD in Minnesota (USFWS). Jason A.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
Some states have no species at all, not even a pigeon, crow, or sparrow: Hawaii , Utah , Nebraska , Oklahoma , Minnesota , Iowa , Wisconsin , Kentucky , West Virginia , Mississippi , Alabama , Connecticut , and Rhode Island. For example, my list of the Top 25 National Wildlife Refuges for birding includes locations in Utah ( Bear River MBR ), Minnesota ( Minnesota Valley NWR ), and Wisconsin ( Horicon NWR ).
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 30, 2018
Minnesota Valley NWR (Minnesota). There are more than 550 national wildlife refuges in the United States, with at least one in every state and one within an hour drive of almost every major American city. Many were specifically established for migratory birds and are strategically positioned along one of the four major North American migration flyways. Others were established to protect specific bird species or subspecies.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 28, 2019
In addition to spotting exciting new species in Florida, including the rare Snail Kite, travel across the country brought me into contact with birds in Oregon, California, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, and more. 2018 proved to be one of my best birding years ever.
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 5, 2021
in ecology from the University of Minnesota and has lived in Monteverde, Costa Rica since 1972.
4 The Love Of Animals
OCTOBER 2, 2011
We especially love playing in the snow, which we get lots of here in Minnesota! My name is Jan. On May 5, 2010, I adopted a two-year-old poodle/terrier mix from our local shelter, Animal Allies. I named her Angel. She came from another shelter as a stray, had been abused, was very skinny, and she was extremely shy and afraid of everyone. I fell in love with her immediately.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
It is possible to see birds like the above female Ruby-throated Hummingbird well into October in northern states like Minnesota. Some of the unusual species we’ve documented here in Minnesota in the fall include Magnificent Hummingbird (above), Costa’s Hummingbird and Green Violetear. Let’s just start this post with the answer someone googling this info will need: You do not need to take your hummingbird feeder in on Labor Day.
10,000 Birds
MARCH 5, 2014
As a freelancer who lives in Minnesota, I try to plan work in warmer areas in the winter. I love the Rio Grande Valley and it’s an easy and surprisingly economical trip from where I live. I’m currently working on a web series with Clay Taylor of Swarovski Optik North America. It’s going to have birding and digiscoping tips but it’s also a contest. All the bird footage we use in the series will be a clue to the theme.
10,000 Birds
APRIL 3, 2013
I see them all over in marshes in Minnesota but I had never seen a duck use one. It’s called Woodworking for Wildlife and even though it’s put out by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, it can apply in other areas as well. The nesting season is underway and people love to put up nest boxes. It seems an easy thing to do, you buy or make a wooden box and put a hole in it and viola–BIRDS! But it’s not always that simple.
10,000 Birds
JULY 10, 2013
I’m not even talking about the usual, “oh that eagle/vulture/every hawk sounds like a Red-tailed Hawk ,” I’m talking about watching a film set in Minnesota and hearing a Tawny Owl , watching something set in Africa or South American and hearing a Kookaburra or watching a bunch of cowboys around a fire in the desert and hearing the lonely wail of a Common Loon.
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 2, 2013
Birders in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, West Virginia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maryland, and Virginia are all enjoying Snowy Owls , but none as much as the North Carolina birders, who are enjoying their first and second Snowy Owls in thirteen years. Snowy Owl in Queens, New York, 1 December 2013.
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 22, 2014
I’m working on a project in Florida–if living in Minnesota has taught me anything, it’s that finding work in warmer areas in mid-winter will go a long way to keep your sanity during the deep freeze from November through April. I’m currently in one of my favorite states: exhausted (maybe even a tiny bit tipsy) in a hotel room sorting through mountains of bird footage after a fun day birding with my friend Clay.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 17, 2013
Building-stunned bird: Nashville Warbler above by Stephanie Beard, Project BirdSafe, Audubon Minnesota. Or perhaps I should say “illusive.” ” That’s because an American architecture firm is planning what’s billed as the “world’s first invisible building” in South Korea. Hat tip to Pat O’Donnell for the story; the image above is by GDS Architects, via CNN.)
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