Hairy Woodpecker and Three Sparrows - Species 31 - 34

 I added four species to my Big Year list, bringing my total species to 34.  The new species are:

31. Hairy Woodpecker - Gunflint Lake, MN

32. American Tree Sparrow - Gunflint Lake, MN

33. White-throated Sparrow - Gunflint Lake, MN

34. Vesper Sparrow - Gunflint Lake, MN

Vesper Sparrow

Hairy Woodpecker

Vesper Sparrow

Purple Finch

American Tree Sparrow

Other species I spotted today were the black-capped chickadee, red-breasted nuthatch, downy woodpecker, pileated woodpecker, purple finch, common grackle, red-winged blackbird, common loon (great northern diver), and merlin.  

Birding in Grand Marais - Species 25 - 30

 I had a great birding day in Grand Marais today, adding 6 new species to my Big Year.  The bald eagle, herring gull, and ring-billed gull were expected.  A merlin, yellow-dumped warbler, and two harlequin ducks were great surprises.  Other species I saw were the dark-eyed junco, common grackle, red-winged blackbird, and turkey vulture.  It was a toss up between the two gull species and (oddly enough) the bufflehead as to which species had the most members around Grand Marais.

25. Bald Eagle - Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, MN

26. Herring Gull - Grand Marais, MN

Herring Gull

27. Ring-billed Gull - Grand Marais, MN

Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gulls

Ring-billed Gull

28. Merlin - Artist Point, Grand Marais, MN

29. Yellow-rumped Warbler - Grand Marais, MN

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

30. Harlequin Duck - Grand Marais Harbor, MN

Harlequin Ducks

Harlequin Duck

Here are a few other bird pictures from today of birds previously entered on my Big Year list:

Bufflehead

Bufflehead (Female)

Bufflehead

Bufflehead (Female) in Grand Marais, MN Marina

Flock of Buffleheads

Pictures from Days 1 & 2 of the Big Year

 Today showed me that despite great effort, not every day will give me a bunch of new species for my Big Year. Ellie and I hiked the entire Kekekabic/Centennial Trail loop, followed by the Magnetic Rock Trail.  We covered 7 - 8 miles, and only saw only two new species, the turkey vulture and the hooded merganser.  Other species sighted included the mallard duck, bufflehead, ruffed grouse, pileated woodpecker, and dark-eyed junco.

23. Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture - Notice the upswept wings and small head.

Turkey Vulture

24. Hooded Merganser

Hooded Merganser

The following are pictures from the first two days of my Big Year:

Large Flock of Canada geese (Estimate 70 Birds)

Ring-necked Ducks

Trumpeter Swan and Canada Geese

Red-winged Blackbird

Ring-necked Ducks

American Robin

First Loon of the Year on Gunflint Lake

Common Redpoll

Dark-eyed Junco

American Crow

Common Grackle

Trumpeter Swan

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Largest Flock of Common Mergansers I have ever seen on Gunflint Lake

Brown-headed Cowbird Headed for a Red Squirrel

Ellie Resting at Magnetic Rock

Canada Geese

Red-necked Ducks

Black-capped Chickadee

Ruffed Grouse - Notice raised feathers on head.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse

Spruce Grouse - Notice smooth head feathers, and red spot above eye.

Big Year # 3

 I have decided to start my third Big Year today, April 17, 2021.  In my previous Big Years, I have spotted 93 and 132 birds respectively.  I plan to exceed both those records in the coming year.

A Big Year is an event in which participants try to see as many bird species as they can in one calendar year.  It can be tied to a specific area (back yard, county, state, United States, North America, or Earth.  I'm planning to travel around the United States (and hopefully Canada) in the next year a bit, but I do not have enough time or deep enough pockets to do a full out North American or larger Big Year

A Big Year keeps you in shape mentally and physically.  You have to be able to identify a bird very quickly, and you end up putting a lot of miles on your feet and in a canoe and kayak.  I look forward to seeing many of my previous species, as well as adding some new ones to my life list.

The honor of my first bird of the new Big Year goes to the red-breasted nuthatch.  He was singing loudly in a nearby tree when I let my dog Ellie out this morning.  The nuthatch even stayed around to have his picture taken.

I say the following birds today:

1. Red-breasted Nuthatch - Gunflint Lake, MN

2. Red-winged Blackbird - Gunflint Lake, MN

3. Common Grackle - Gunflint Lake, MN

4. Brown-headed Cowbird - Gunflint Lake, MN

5. Dark-eyed Junco - Gunflint Lake, MN

6. Common Redpoll - Gunflint Lake, MN

7. Purple Finch - Gunflint Lake, MN

8. Black-capped Chickadee - Gunflint Lake, MN

9. Common Raven - Gunflint Lake, MN

10. American Crow - Gunflint Lake, MN

11. Pileated Woodpecker - Gunflint Lake, MN

12. Downy Woodpecker - Gunflint Lake, MN

13. Common Loon - Gunflint Lake, MN

14. Ruffed Grouse - Gunflint Lake, MN

15. Mallard Duck - Gunflint Lake, MN

16. Ring-necked Duck - Moose Pond Landing near Saganaga Lake, MN

17. Trumpeter Swan - Moose Pond Landing near Saganaga Lake, MN

18. Canada goose - Moose Pond Landing near Saganaga Lake, MN

19. American Robin - Trail's End Campground, MN

20. Spruce Ground - Trail's End Campground, MN

21. Bufflehead - Seagull Lake, MN

22. Common Merganser - Gunflint Lake

I decided to start my Big Year today in honor of my grandmothers.  My maternal grandmother, Viola, was born on this day in 1915.  My paternal grandmother, Sylvia, seeded my love of birding when I was very young by teaching me bird calls and taking me on birding hikes.  Both grandmothers inspired me in many ways in our shared lives.

Bird of the Day - Trumpeter Swan

 Happy Easter!

The bird of the day today is the trumpeter swan.  This amazing bird was almost extinct in the early 20th century.  They are making a wonderful comeback in recent years, and they have been commonly seen in much of Minnesota.  Although they are more concentrated in the hardwood forests, they have also started to make appearances in the boreal transition forests of north-eastern Minnesota.

To identify the trumpeter swan, look for a large white bird (60-inch length).  There is a distinctive “V” on the forehead, with the edges of the “V” coming up to the eyes.  Unlike the similar tundra swan, there is no bright yellow in the bill.