On Friday Melissa and I made the decision to cure our cabin fever by taking a day trip to the Twin Cities on Saturday.  We had errands to run, family to visit, and birds to chase.  Since I follow the Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union on Facebook, I had learned of a pair of Peregrine Falcons that were nesting on the High Bridge in St. Paul.  I had also started following Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch and had been corresponding with the person in charge of that, Vanessa Greene, about locations of nesting platforms and returning Osprey to the Cities. Despite our busy day ahead, we had a somewhat leisurely morning and slept in a little. When I did my dog chores I noticed that the Common Redpolls weren’t too scared of me when I’d pass within a few feet of the feeder.  I had a little time to kill, so I thought this would be the perfect time to try hand-feeding these birds – something I’ve seen online.  I grabbed some seed off the feeder and rested my open hand on the base of the feeder while I looked down and remained motionless.  Within seconds the redpolls were buzzing around me and started landing on the feeder again.  Then it happened.  One landed on my shoulder!  After it left I went in the house to get Melissa to take these pictures.  When I went back out I put bird food on my hat, shoulders, and open hand.  Nothing was coming.  I didn’t even see any redpolls around. A couple minutes went by.  My hand was frozen. Then one flew in. And another, and another, and so on.  There were several on the thistle feeder that my hand was resting on (it is hidden from view in the photo above).  Slowly I raised my hand upward so it was right beneath a feeding bird.  Just like that the little guy hopped onto my hand and started feeding!  As it fed, dozens of these little birds were flying all around me to the feeders.  Some landed on my head and shoulders.  It was a crazy experience!  Since my back was to the house window, I slowly moved my hand with the feeding bird so Melissa could get a picture from the house.  It was incredible to feel this little pulse of life in my hand and have it trust me even as I moved it a couple feet away from the feeder.

(If you want to see a really cool video I shot the next morning of over a dozen Common Redpolls feeding off my hand, click here.)

The bird activity has been wild around our house with this latest winter weather.  Here’s a snapshot of the feeding frenzy of redpolls in the front yard.  I was feeding them by hand in the back yard.  I still can’t believe we have redpolls this late.  We must be getting more and more as the most southern migrants wing their way north. This bird has been one of my favorite yard birds – the male Oregon Junco.  Today he posed for a picture. After this bit of fun birding in the yard, it was time to head to the Cities.  We drove in on Minnesota Highway 7 so that we could drop south through Carver Park Reserve by St. Bonifacious, an area with a few Osprey nesting platforms.  Each platform we found had no sign of activity, but the Reserve was beautiful with paved hiking and biking trails.  We decided we would drag the camper out here this summer. The next spot to check was an Osprey nesting site in Edina near the junction of the Crosstown Highway and Gleason Road.  An Osprey had been observed at this nest earlier this “spring.”  There was no bird for us when we got there.  Bummer.  At least this platform had sticks on it for a nest; the others were bare. We were close to our next stop – Veterans Memorial Park in Richfield.  A pair of Great-Horned Owls had been known to reside in this park.  We got out to do a little walking, but we were frozen after just a couple minutes!  We did get to watch Mallards, a Belted Kingfisher, an American Goldfinch, a Great Blue Heron, and an American Kestrel, but there were no owls. We were striking out.  There were a couple more places to check, but desperation was starting to set in.  We took a break from birding so Melissa could go to a specialty running store to get some running shoes that were correct for her feet.  At least she hit her target for the trip.  She wouldn’t let me take a picture with her prize, though. After this stop we were near the High Bridge in St. Paul, so we went down to see if we could find the Peregrine Falcons.  We parked several hundred yards away from the bridge.  This time the girls opted for the warmth of the car.  We birders were on our own.  As we walked quickly to the bridge, we looked at the island on the Mississippi River to search for another Osprey nest site that had been occupied the prior weekend.  No luck.  The closer we got to the bridge the more we realized how massive it was and how many girders and supports there were to check out for the falcons.  Right away, however, I saw a little blob on the bridge on our side of the river.  Could it be?  I whipped out the camera to zoom in.  Yes!  It was the Peregrine Falcon, a super cool life bird!  This was the female on her nest. As we watched, we heard and saw the male come and land right near the female.  It was awesome to hear him “scream.”  It is a very distinct, unforgettable sound. It was very satisfying to finally hit one of our targets for the day.  I couldn’t believe how easily we found them. The birds were on the girder just above and to the right of Evan’s head.  If you look between the two short vertical supports on the right (just under the cement wall), you can see two small bumps on the horizontal cross-piece.  Those are the falcons. Making our way back to the car we observed a bunch of Double-Crested Cormorants on the river.  This was a life bird for Evan.  I just couldn’t bring myself to take a picture. I’ve never been fond of this ugly bird.  It was good to see a Great Blue Heron and an Eastern Phoebe, though. It was now time to go to my brother’s house in St. Louis Park.  The whole trip Marin had been impatiently asking, “When are we going to Uncle Jason’s?”  Before we went to his house, though, we decided to check the Edina nesting platform one more time.  As we approached the site on the Crosstown Highway, we saw a large, dark bird on the nest!  The Osprey! We pulled off the freeway and found a small parking lot where we could observe the bird from the comfort of the car. Vanessa told us tonight that this bird is referred to as J4 and comes from Iowa.  Apparently it has nested in this area for several years.  We hit our second target for the day and got to add another cool raptor to our life lists.  We were excited! Well, maybe one of us wasn’t. It was a successful trip.  We all got something we came for: birds for us guys, shoes for Melissa, and Uncle Jason’s house for Marin.  Metro birding was a lot of fun.  I can’t wait for our next trip to the Cities to hunt for birds.  There are some good ones there and lots of birders who report their sightings to help the rest of us.  It was a great day of birding all around.  I still can’t decide what my best birding experience was today – feeding that little bird or seeing those powerful raptors. Both were incredible memories that we got to experience as a family.

After the girls picked us up Saturday afternoon, the four of us slowly made our way to Duluth through the blizzard for a two-night stay at a Country Inn and Suites.  Once checked in, the kids were dying to go swimming.  I was dying to see an owl.  We told the kids we’d first go out to eat at Grandma’s restaurant in Canal Park, a site of recent Snowy Owl sightings near dark.  We didn’t see any, but there was still a bit of daylight left while we dined.  Darkness would soon be upon us, so before everyone was finished eating, I sneaked outside the building to take a quick look at the top of the flagpole, a known perch for the Snowy.  Nothing.

We went back to the hotel and swam and swam. The plan for the next day was to head up the North Shore.  I wasn’t optimistic because the Boreal Owl sightings had abruptly ended.  But before our Shore adventure, the kids had us (or I should say me) scheduled for more swimming. When I woke up that morning I checked my email and saw an MOU-Net posting from the middle of the night.  In my morning haze I could hardly believe the subject line I was reading: Great Gray Owl along the North Shore.  Wow.  The Great Gray Ghost. The Phantom of the North.  The owl that Jack Black’s character in The Big Year hunted for with his dad.  Could it be our day? With an elevated heart rate, I read the body of the email and saw the accompanying picture of the bird hunting from the top of a power pole.  The blizzard in the background was proof it was from late last night.  A local guide, Erik Bruhnke, wrote in the posting that he saw this one on his way back to Duluth from Sugarloaf Cove late in the evening.  Quickly I fired off an email asking for a more exact location.

As we ate breakfast and soaked in the chlorine brine, I kept wondering if Erik had replied to me.  Getting back to the room, I grabbed my phone.  No email, no text, no missed call.  I was desperate for the location because Sugarloaf Cove is a good hour and half drive from Duluth.  That’s a long trip to make for just the chance of seeing a bird.  After waiting around a bit with no response, we decided to just start making our way up the Shore.  The first stop was Canal Park and Park Point.  The kids and I had never been across the lift bridge and out onto the Point, so we drove across.  As we did, we saw dozens of ducks in the open water of the canal.  Everything else in the harbor was iced over. Evan wanted to stop and look at the ducks, but we decided to drive out to the end of Park Point.  I had no idea how long it was which only felt longer with every, “Can we please go back and look at the ducks?”

We drove all the way out to the end and back and were finally able to stop to view the ducks.  I was curious to see if there were any lifers for myself.  I grew up on a lake seeing lots of ducks, but the waters of the big lake create a coastal effect bringing in some unique species.  Just a few dozen Mallards and a handful of Common Goldeneyes were there today.  At least Evan got a lifer with the goldeneye, which is always a thrill.  They were pretty shy and wouldn’t come close for a picture.  Zooming doesn’t give the best pictures, but you get the idea of what these birds look like.  Goldeneyes are diving ducks, which means they dive for their food.  Many of the divers have this crisp, black and white plumage.

We saw some gulls, too, but I just haven’t gotten into gulls.  Maybe someday I’ll study them as I continue to slide across the spectrum of birders to total bird nerd, but I’m not there yet.

With the ducks out of the way we hit Scenic 61 to Two Harbors.  I scanned every tree as best I could to look for a 10 in. Boreal Owl.  Actually I think we watched cars more than trees.  Why is that guy stopping?  What are those cars doing?  Are they onto an owl?  And the answers were: he’s turning, they’re fishing, and nope.  I did make note of the incredible beauty of the day with the pine boughs laden with the fresh, heavy snow and the dark blue waters of Superior contrasting with the ice formations of the shore.  Only Lake Superior can make a cloudy day look breathtaking.

Steve had told me in the phone conversation the day before to look around Stoney Point for a Great Gray Owl.  So we went down Stoney Point Drive which brings you right out by the water.  Right away I saw a guy stop and get out with a camera!  He went down by the lake. What was he going to look at? We trailed another guy who stopped for a looong time.  I saw him pull out a huge camera and aim it at something.  What was it?  We didn’t see anything.  Evan and I got out to walk down to the shore to see where the first guy was.  It turns out he was just taking pictures of the lake and the ice on this incredible day.  I think he missed the best shot available.

We got back in the vehicle and made our way to Two Harbors.  Once in Two Harbors, we drove down by the water.  Long-tailed ducks had been reported in both bays not too long ago, but they weren’t there this day.  By now it was getting to be lunch time, so we continued up the Shore and stopped at the famous Betty’s Pies for lunch.  Tragically, the food was so filling that we didn’t save room for pie!  We’ll correct that mistake next time we go to the North Shore.  By this time the kids were starting to get antsy for the pool.  Melissa could tell I wanted to push on to Sugarloaf Cove, so we decided to keep driving.  At one point I thought I had the owl for sure.  I got out of the car and zoomed in only to see a big Common Raven.

After an emergency stop in Silver Bay for some pull-ups and wipes, we were driving up 61 when a call came in – Erik Bruhnke!  Erik told me the spot where he’d seen the owl.  Coincidentally we were in the exact spot of the bird when he called.  Unfortunately we weren’t seeing the Great Gray anywhere.  Erik told me that owls are best seen in the first and last hours of the day.  Ugh.  Right place, wrong time.  It was 3:30.  There was no way we could wait around for the chance at seeing the owl.  So, we turned around and headed back to Duluth.

I tried not to feel defeated, but it was getting tough.  However, my spirits were buoyed by looking at the scenery and just being with the best people I know.  After all, none of us had seen Split Rock Lighthouse in the winter.  What a treat that was.  Melissa took some great pictures of this memory.

I held out hope for a Great Gray on the way home as they’d been sighted all over the North Shore.  Still nothing.  When we got near Duluth I decided to venture across the bridge into Superior, Wisconsin to scan the airport fields for a Snowy Owl – another tip from Steve.  We were going through downtown Superior when I looked up at the top of a building and saw an owl!  I looped around the block for a better look.  Well, I saw an owl all right…

We got to the airport, and I did a quick scan.  The kids had been really patient with this drive, and I needed to reward that patience by getting them back to the hotel soon.  No owls at the airport.  (The day before I wrote this post I found out a Snowy was sighted near Culver’s in Two Harbors the day we were there.  In fact, we had gone by Culver’s twice.)  I had turned off my birding senses for the day.   I was bummed.  Tomorrow we were headed home.  I was driving away from the airport and winding through a residential area when POW!  A lifer sitting in a tree in someone’s yard – the Sharp-Shinned Hawk!  I slammed on the brakes, and Evan and I flew out of the car to see it.  I’m sure the locals thought we were crazy. This was an excellent consolation prize and a good ending to an almost no-bird, birding venture.

After yesterday’s hawk encounter, I got the bug to go birding for hawks this morning and I was secretly hoping to find a Snowy Owl. Plus I needed something to do with the kids to break up the day since Mom is at musical practice until later this afternoon.  Our first stop of the morning was Thompson’s Bakery in Atwater for the world’s best donuts.  The kids have to have sprinkles, but I got to the bakery too late (8:00 AM) and they were out.  So I grabbed us a mess of glazed donuts.  Sure enough, Evan balked, “What? You just bought me a bread donut?”  I told him they were my favorites and to just try it.  Grudgingly he put it to his lips, and then he couldn’t deny the deliciousness as his scowl turned to a grin and then laughter.  Not a crumb was wasted by either kid, and I ended up sharing my second donut.

Marin was excited for donuts and “bird hunting.”  About two minutes after her donut was consumed, however, she said, “I want to go home.”  There certainly wasn’t much birding action, and it was dull except for the scenery.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning with fresh, sparkling snow but nothing crossed our path as we traversed the barren landscapes.  On our zig-zag route home, I decided to swing by one of my favorite public hunting areas.  Boy, am I glad I did.  Right away we saw a rooster pheasant and before long we found a group of 5 roosters in a corn food plot.  They were spooked easily, but I got one decent shot of this one on the run to show you.  Look at those spurs!

Then I drove by a Waterfowl Production Area, and we hit the hawk jackpot.  First we found one Red-tailed Hawk high in a tree.  This bird was way out there (over 200 yards).  With that 200x digital zoom, I was able to reach out and get him.

As I was taking photos, Evan was screaming that there was another one in the tree right in front of us.  It flew away, but then flew back.  Look at its beak – building a nest, perhaps?

Then, this soaring bird landed right with the first one!  What a scene it was!  Of course, we were a scene too with our whooping and hollering and opening windows and climbing out of the car in 12 degree weather.  As you can see, they each took turns looking at us.

I actually saw these two hawks begin mating, but they quit soon.  I suppose they didn’t want an audience.  I wasn’t ready for the birds and bees discussion, so I kept this information to myself.  You can see the beautiful red tail below.

So, how do you top a rush like this?  You finish with a life bird – the Horned Lark!  These little guys were shy and spooked easily.  I couldn’t get within a tenth of a mile, so my photos are blurred.  But thanks to this camera, which doubles as my binoculars, we could make a positive ID.

What a day it was!  It is so satisfying to get our target bird of the morning, and a unique shot of two made it all the better.  Then to cap it off with a lifer made for a thrilling morning!