TOBY’s MSP Touchdown

Obsession has put down deep roots here at ABWCH over finding Eastern Screech-Owls in anticipation of finding one for TOBY (Tommy’s Owl Big Year) in June.  The more I researched and chatted up the wise old birders, the more nervous I was getting about our prospects for this bird in June–sightings drop off dramatically in the summer months. Meanwhile, Tommy DeBardeleben had been blitzing toward his goal of seeing all 19 Owl species that can be found in the U.S., seeing 15 of them already by April 7th. Accomplishing this unique goal was no longer a pipe dream, but now a very realistic possibility.  TOBY could not fall apart over the relatively common ESOW.

Seeing as how we had a “bird in the hand” with the Lake Harriet Screech in Minneapolis, I got the crazy idea to explore the possibility of flying Tommy in for a lightning-fast trip to knock out this Owl. To my amazement, airfare was ridiculously cheap. I proposed my idea to Tommy and like the proverbial tossed spaghetti, it stuck.  After coordinating work schedules on both ends and shopping for airfare, Tommy was all set with a $127 plane ticket and a round-trip that would only take 21 hours from the time he walked into Phoenix Sky-Harbor Airport to the time he walked out. Tommy is likely the only birder to ever make a cross-country chase just to see an Eastern Screech-Owl.

Last Tuesday after I tucked the kids into bed, I drove to the Cities and crashed at my brother’s place for a few hours.  Tommy’s plane got in at midnight, and I was there to pick him up by 2:45 AM.  We would be Owling right away.  We traveled to Chimney Rock Scientific and Natural Area near Hastings to search for Screech-Owls in the dark.  Several had been reported here in the past.  However, as soon as we got to the location, we knew it was likely a lost cause–wind was gusting up to 20 mph.  There would be no way we could hear Screech-Owls vocalizing.  We Owled on regardless, hoping to get lucky.  The only bird we had any luck with was a Dark-eyed Junco that was equally stunned to see us.

Dark-eyed Junco

After an hour or so in the wind and spitting rain we gave up and decided to make our way to Minneapolis so we’d arrive at the location of the famous Lake Harriet Screech just before dawn.

Once we were at Beards Plaisance, a park on the southwest side of Lake Harriet, I immediately checked the famous roosting cavity with my flashlight.  Nothing. Then I checked a couple of White Pines where it can be found, and again did not find it.  It was somewhat discouraging, but Tommy and I were still confident the famous Screech was near us…somewhere.  I had given up on searching until it was daylight out when Tommy had called out that he had it! Lifer Owl #18 for Tommy, and #16 for TOBY! In the pre-dawn light Tommy caught a glimpse of it flying right by him as it was being chased by a Robin. From that point forward, we spent a great deal of time enjoying the Eastern Screech-Owl.  Prior to this I had only ever seen this species in a hole of some sort.  To see one out in the open and being very active felt like I was seeing this bird for the first time.

Eastern Screech-OwlThe Owl vocalized often and moved from perch to perch.  It was simply awesome.

Eastern Screech-OwlI was amazed by how hyperactive this Owl was–it pays to observe a nocturnal bird nocturnally!  Here’s a short video where you can see what I mean.

Watching and photographing this Screech-Owl alongside Tommy was incredibly fun.  We got to observe this Owl as few people do since most people come during the daylight hours and see a sleeping bird.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Eastern Screech-OwlThis bird called often with its monotonic trill.  Hearing it was a new thing for me and just as thrilling as seeing it.  Check it out.

The Screech continued to be active and vocalize even as it was getting more and more light out.

Eastern Screec-OwlEventually, though, it retired to one final perch and quieted down.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Eastern Screech-OwlIt was now to time to take celebratory photos.

Ten Arizonan Fingers for 10 Arizona TOBY Owls; 6 Minnesotan Fingers for 6 Minnesota TOBY Owls, sub-divided into two hands--a hand of 5 fingers for 5 Tommy Owl Lifers and 1 Thumb for a big thumbs up on Tommy's progress

Ten Arizonan fingers for 10 Arizona TOBY Owls (so far); 6 Minnesotan fingers for 6 Minnesota TOBY Owls, subdivided into two hands–a hand of 5 fingers for 5 Tommy Owl Lifers found in MN this year and 1 thumb for a big thumbs up on what Tommy is working so hard to accomplish

Tommy

18 Owl Lifers, 16 TOBY Owls, 1 Happy Tommy

We left the Screech to enjoy the rising sun over Lake Harriet before taking his daylong nap. It had put on quite a show for Tommy and me.

Eastern Screech-OwlWith the major trip goal of seeing an Eastern Screech-Owl all locked up by 7 AM, Tommy and I had a good 5 hours of free birding time before I had to drop him off at the airport.  I was thinking as a lister and giving Tommy options for some life birds he could get.  Tommy had his Owler hat on that day, though, and he instead opted to see Barred Owls again with this free time.  We went to Fort Snelling State Park to see the famous pair, but unfortunately they were a no-show. Fortunately, Tommy picked up his American Tree Sparrow lifer for a nice bonus on the day.

We next went to the Minnesota River National Wildlife Refuge Long Meadow Lake Unit to look for another famous pair of Barred Owls that are nesting there.  As we searched we came across many fun birds as migration is just getting underway.  My personal highlight was detecting a singing Winter Wren.  Their song is one of the best of the northwoods where it lives; I was surprised that it was singing in migration.

Winter WrenWinter WrenEventually Tommy spotted what we presume to be the male of the nesting pair of Barred Owls.  I was surprised when he pointed it out to me–I really wasn’t expecting a Barred Owl in this spot.  It was a reminder to be vigilant always.  Tommy never lets his guard down.

Barred Owl

Barred Owl

This Owl was not very photogenic and quite skittish.  After following it through the woods a couple times, we decided to leave it alone and go look for the nest.  Eventually we found it.  The Mrs. was much more photogenic.

Barred OwlBarred Owl

Barred owl

Barred OwlAfter enjoying these Owls and the other birds it was time to wrap up this flash of a visit.  Tommy and I enjoyed a hot meal of Swedish meatballs at IKEA in the shadow of the Mall of America before getting him to the airport at noon.  I told Tommy that perhaps there were some Arizonans who flew to MSP the same day as he did to do something just as frivolous–spend their time and money at that retail behemoth.  The difference, though, is that what Tommy came to get will not end up in a landfill some day.  Instead we created yet another fun memory that will always be with us.

I’ve known Tommy for just over a year now, and in that time we have gone on four major birding adventures together, each with its own major goal.  And each time we have succeeded in meeting our goal.  Here’s a quick recap:

April 2015 – Elegant Trogon – Madera Canyon, AZ

October 2015 – Rufous-capped Warbler – Hunter Canyon, AZ

January 2016 – Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Snowy Owl – Northern MN

April 2016 – Eastern Screech-Owl – Minneapolis, MN

Little did we know that the winter MN Owling trip would spark TOBY, making it a real possibility.  Tommy has just three Owls left to find for his Big Year: Flammulated, Short-eared, and Boreal.  Working on TOBY is not over for me yet, the focus is just shifting.  Tommy is counting on another trip to Minnesota as Plan A for one of these birds. Perhaps Minnesota will even have a remote, unlikely chance of being Plan C for another. Time will tell.

It was a thrill to be able to do this compact, high-adventure with Tommy.  I am looking forward to the next adventure. Congratulations, Tommy, on your new lifer Owl and getting Owl species #16 on the year!

 

A Return to Madeline Island–The Mourning is Over

Madeline Island

Madeline Island, the largest of the 21 Apostle Islands on Lake Superior’s south shore in Wisconsin, has become a reunion destination where my parents, siblings, and respective families all gather together. Our first trip four years ago was fun and memorable.  We had high hopes to repeat those feelings in 2013 on a return trip.  But even as we were packing up and getting ready to join the family, Marin came down with a devastating case of Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.  This disease is both highly contagious and was extremely painful for Marin.  With great heartache for all of us, the Madeline Island trip was over before it started.  The rest of the extended family went on without us.  We stayed home…and moped.  We got out birding a little at home and even picked up a couple lifers, but they were pathetic, insufficient consolation prizes.  We were wishing we were somewhere else.

Madeline Island

The good news is that it’s not 2013 anymore, and last week we were able to board that ferry to gather once again with family at Madeline Island.

Evan Marin

It felt really good to get back to this place–this place of beauty.

Madeline Island

This place of lupine-lined roads.

Madeline Island

This place of serenity.

Lake Superior SailboatThis place of adrenaline.

David

This place where the ice-bucket challenge ain’t got nothin’ on Lake Superior in June.

Evan Marin

This place of expensive gas.

Madeline Island Ferry

This place of very large, obtrusive Herring Gulls.

Herring Gull

This place of birds who were made to live in Wisconsin.

"Free beer!" -Alder Flycatcher

“Free beer!” -Alder Flycatcher

This place of four breeding Catharus species.

Hermit Thrush

Of the Veery, Wood Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, and Hermit Thrush that all breed here, the latter three are annoyingly similar-sounding. I thought I had a Wood Thrush when Melissa finally helped me get visuals on this Hermit. I’ve only ever had to learn the WOTH song as that’s our only breeder of the three in west-central MN.

This place that Sandhill Cranes call home.

IMG_4381

Sandhill Crane

And raise babies.

Sandhill Crane

But for me, this is a place of photo redemption for many bird species. I saw birds and crushed birds that I have never seen well before, photographed at all, or crushed.  Common Raven is of the latter-most category.

Common Raven

The very common Double-crested Cormorant is finally making its long overdue debut on ABWCH.

Double-crested Cormorant

Contrary to what I’d thought my whole life, DCCO are actually kind of cool-looking.

Double-crested Cormorant

One bird, which has the best sound of the northwoods, I have heard a few times and seen briefly once.  On this trip to Madeline Island, I have now seen the Winter Wren well while it sang.  Truly, this was one of my highlights of the MI trip, a trip that even included seeing an endangered species lifer.

Winter Wren

Don’t know the song? Listen to it right now; this is the Information Age after all. #beatsanywarbler

Winter WrenI’m human, I make mistakes. Awhile back I prematurely declared on this blog that Canyon Wren is the best Wren.  I now retract that statement.  Sorry, AZ friends, but I’m declaring WIWR the best Wren now.

Winter Wren

Finally seeing the little ball of chocolate and seeing it well, coupled with the incredible song, wooed me.

Winter WrenThe WIWR was a huge highlight, but perhaps even more thrilling because of the bird’s vibrant colors was finding a Mourning Warbler.  Unlike the Wren, I have seen MOWA well before but always briefly, certainly never long enough to photograph.  That changed on this trip.

Mourning Warbler

By the way, who’s ever heard of a Warbler perching on a wire?

Mourning Warbler

Sometimes, to get the full effect of a Mourning Warbler’s colors, you need a stunt-double, a second bird.  A much, much, much more cooperative bird and the only other MOWA I found on the island.

The Mourning Warbler gets its name from its black bib--a symbol of mourning.

The Mourning Warbler gets its name from its black bib–a symbol of mourning.

Previously I’ve only ever managed one head-less photo of a Mourning Warbler.  Therefore, this photo session felt sooooo good.

Mourning Warbler

Mourning Warbler

Mourning WarblerIt felt good to get back to the island…so good after the disappointment of 2013. The last time I was at Madeline Island in 2011 I wasn’t even a birder.  I didn’t even know what a Warbler was.  This return to MI was incredible in many regards, but especially for seeing birds and photographing them. For the next post I honestly can’t decide what to share with you first–the high seas outing to get an endangered species lifer or the meatiest, crushiest mega-Warbler post I’ve ever done.  Wait and see, I guess.

Going Cuckoo over Free Beer on a Blue Bird Day – Wild Birding at Mom and Dad’s

The parents' 80-acre spread

The parents’ 80-acre “farm”

Ahhhh, northern Minnesota.  It’s good for the soul.  I can’t believe June had nearly expired before we got up there this summer.  I blame bathroom remodels, snow make-up days, and birds.  June is probably the best month to be up there.  The weather is wonderfully cool, the scenery is a crisp blue and green everywhere, the fishing is fantastic, and the warblers are unbeatable. It’s a birdaholic’s dream with the great northern species and a maximum of 6 hours of darkness around this time of the summer solstice.

In fact, when we arrived at Mom and Dad’s around 7:30 last Sunday evening, I heard a life bird.  An American Bittern, also known as the Thunder Pumper, was just beginning his evening calling in the wetland across the road.  I battled the hordes of mosquitos trying to get a glimpse of it, but it never came into view.  Maybe tomorrow.

That next morning I was up early to go birding around my parents’ 80-acre spread.  The truth is that I’ve never really birded their land as I’ve seen most of my northern birds during migration back home. But this place is where the birding venture kicked off for me a couple years ago when I had a chance encounter with a Chestnut-sided Warbler. It was time to see what I could dig up when birding it properly.  My parents’ land is unusual in that it is mostly open prairie instead of being heavily forested like most of the region.  As such they get some fun prairie birds like Eastern Bluebirds and Bobolinks as well as a lot of the boreal species in the surrounding woods.

The dew was heavy that morning and the mosquitoes were unbelievably thicker than normal.  Admittedly I was quite miserable.  The beautiful song of another life bird, the Winter Wren, caused me to bear the misery a little longer.  But the Winter Wrens have an affinity for the thickest, shrubbiest, swampiest habitat.  Even if I got close I would probably not get a visual and the mosquitoes would increase tenfold.  I gave up on it after a time, deciding to go after it during migration back home. My morning was not a waste, though, as I was delighted to find a Northern Parula singing on territory.  My visual was quick but good even if I couldn’t get a photo.  Other than the Parula, the audio birding was wonderful – Veeries, Ovenbirds, and White-throated Sparrows were constantly at work creating a symphony in the woods.

White-throated Sparrow singing his "Oh, sweet Canada, Canada!" song with great gusto

White-throated Sparrow singing his “Oh, sweet Canada, Canada!” song with great gusto

Later that day Evan was begging for a 4-wheeler ride.  Usually I’m the one who takes him on such an excursion.  Eventually I relented.  Evan told me he wanted to go on “the longest 4-wheeler ride ever.”  The appeal of ATVs and snowmobiles has long worn off for me, but with all the birds around I had the sudden thought that I could probably give Evan “the longest 4-wheeler ride ever” and that it could be a lot of fun for both of us.  It would have several listening stops at key places.  Evan’s a birder and not enough of a motor-head to mind stopping every now and then to listen and look for birds.

Evan 4-wheeler

Our first listening stop was the location of that Northern Parula.  I played the song on my phone.  Immediately we got a response, but not from the Parula.  A Black-billed Cuckoo sounded off in the distance!  Holy Smokes!  That’s another life bird. I’m not sure if he responded to the Parula song or if it was pure coincidence.  Either way, we fired up the 4-wheeler and headed that direction.  We made a couple stops, playing the song each time.  Randy has said they are very responsive to tapes. Despite our efforts, we were not hearing it again.

Then I was about to give up at our last stop, when all of the sudden the Cuckoo flew in and landed in a dead tree right in front of us!

“There it is!”

“Where?!” Evan responded

“Right there!” I said, pointing as Evan sat on the 4-wheeler seat in front of me.

“I see it! Yes! Another life bird!” Evan said while doing a fist pump and standing simultaneously.

The visual was good.  The photos are another story.  It’s such a secretive, sneaky bird!

Black-billed Cuckoo lifer - Finally!

Black-billed Cuckoo lifer – Finally!

IMG_9577

IMG_9578

This bird flew out into this open meadow a few times checking us out.  We had really good looks at it as it flew by.  What a thrill it was to finally get this bird!IMG_9579  A good sighting like that made a beautiful day even more beautiful.

IMG_9582

IMG_9590

I took my dad out a couple hours later to see the Black-billed Cuckoo.  He had never seen one either.  We took the 4-wheeler, but as is the customary pecking-order of father-son relationships, I was no longer the driver.  I opted for sitting on the back rack, facing the opposite direction instead of sharing the seat with him.  I was able to help Dad see the Cuckoo.  It was also fun to enjoy the birds that benefit from the nesting boxes Dad has put up.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Dad and I also got to see a White-throated Sparrow and a Chestnut-sided Warbler singing within each other’s territories.  While we were listening and watching, we heard the distinctive “Free beeeer!” call of the Alder Flycatcher.  Sweet.  Alder Flycatchers are one of the five Empidonax species we can see in Minnesota, and the only safe way to correctly identify them is through voice and habitat.  Flycatchers are a drab bunch. Maybe that’s why the Alder and Acadian Flycatchers try to lure in birders and unsuspecting college students alike with their respective “Free-beeeer!” and “Piz-ZA!” calls.

Dad and I found the Alder no problem.  Flycatchers love their dead snag perches above the rest of the shrubbery.

Alder Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

There were many other short 4-wheeler trips during our time at Mom and Dad’s.  It’s always fun to see birds that are residents here but migrants back home, like the Olive-sided Flycatcher or this Hermit Thrush.

Hermit Thrush

Hermit Thrush

I tried several times to see that American Bittern.  I may have seen it fly, but I’m not sure and won’t count it.  While searching for the Bittern one evening I had the good fortune of seeing another Black-billed Cuckoo!  But all that gave me photo-ops were this Common Yellowthroat.

Common Yellowthroat

Common Yellowthroat

And this rainbow.  It wasn’t going anywhere.

IMG_9609Not bad birding around the parents’ farm.  I also sneaked away one morning on a quick solo mission to hike the Vermilion Gorge trail by Crane Lake on a tip from local birder, Dee Kuder, to look for Pine Warblers.  Pine Warbler is a hole in my warbler life list, and I always forget about this drab warbler during migration and when I’m up north.  It’s like that quiet kid in the classroom – always there but greatly overshadowed by the more gaudy and boisterous warbler children. Today was the day to look for the Pine.  Evan declined my offer to go on this hike.

The Crane Lake area has the classic northern Minnesota beauty with tall pines and pristine lakes with rocky shores.  Unfortunately it was a cloudy day and I had to save my dying camera battery for a chance encounter with that Pine Warbler, so I wasn’t able to get any scenery shots.  Not even of the Vermilion River Gorge itself, a deep, narrow canyon a couple hundred yards long where the river rushes through.

Dee’s information paid off though.  I found the Pine in a large stand of towering Red Pines.  The Pine Warbler is way at the far-end of the beauty spectrum as far as warblers go, but I was ecstatic to find this drab, little bugger.  It was my 30th warbler species.

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

A Pine Warbler in the pines.  You can’t beat that.  I always prefer to see birds in their natural territories rather than in pot-luck sightings during migration.  Evan was bummed that I got the Pine; I guess I forgot to tell him I was looking for that bird when I asked if he wanted to go hiking.  But as bird sightings go, now that I’ve seen the Pine, I will start seeing them everywhere so Evan should get his in short order.

Our trip up north was productive both birdwise and relative-wise.  And I had yet another crazy bird/birder adventure.  Hopefully I can secure some guest photos from that encounter so I can share the fun story here.  Stick around.