tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70377654809451166332024-02-06T20:12:40.982-06:00_CabinGirlCabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.comBlogger149125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-5367287301886895582015-01-08T14:56:00.001-06:002015-01-08T14:56:33.591-06:00Snowy GoldfinchesToday's one of those beautiful snowy days where the snow is continually falling and blowing around. Our feeders are packed and I thought I'd take the opportunity to snap a couple goldfinch photos:<br />
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They remind me of my grandma. Seriously. She had this old fur coat that she used to bundle up in the winter and it was the exact tawny color of the goldfinches at this time of year. She was really petite, only 4'9", and she'd tuck her head down in it and shiver. Funny how some things just pull up memories...<br />
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There are a couple goldfinches that haven't quite lost all their "gold" yet:<br />
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Hope you and your backyard friends are having a great start to 2015!CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-65205518648503692542014-10-24T10:24:00.001-05:002014-10-24T10:24:37.368-05:00Solar Eclipse Over Afton Farm Fields<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday evening I drove down the road running south of us to watch the sun disappear on the horizon. I hadn't thought about it at the time, but digital cameras are great for watching eclipses. Just turn on your viewing screen and you're all set!<br />
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It was a beautiful sunset and incredibly cool to see the sun,with a bite taken out of the upper left corner, disappear from view over the farm fields.<br />
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Hope you all had a chance to watch the eclipse as well!CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-58696520381819101932014-09-08T10:00:00.000-05:002014-09-08T10:00:00.470-05:00Back to CampI wasn't sure if I'd be able to take my annual fall camping getaway after this summer's "extended" trip. Thankfully I have a wonderful boss who said "sure, go ahead!"<br />
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My annual trip to the far northeast corner of Minnesota's Arrowhead is a much-needed recharge after a traditionally crazy spring/summer work schedule. All these photos are from my trip earlier this summer. This is a view of the west side of "my" campsite, looking west over the lake and my favorite reading spot.<br />
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In my last post I mentioned that my trip with my mom had several days added to it due to overly ambitious beavers. There is a single gravel road going in and out of the campground (and that's a very generous term, there are only three no-service sites on the lake) and beavers have apparently moved into the slough on the south side of the road, approximately 4 miles before you get to camp, building a new dam across the slough's main outlet.<br />
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Days of rain led to a swamped road that was impassable for my XC70 Volvo. The water was mid-thigh (yes, we made the trek out to the "Big Muddy" daily to wade it in hopes that the level was dropping). Since the campground's off-grid no one knew we were stuck until we miracuously picked up a data signal one day. No phone but data, go figure. I was able to text a friend who called my boss and my partner Dean to let them know why we weren't home before the signal disappeared. We never got it back.<br />
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In the meantime we enjoyed reading, playing cards, hiking, kayaking and watching the area wildlife. During one kayak a juvenile Bald Eagle plunged from a tree and opened its wings so close overhead I heard the deep "boof" of them snapping open. On another one we watched dozens of Cedar Waxwings lining the cove dive and swoop after hatching mayflies, snatching them just feet above the water, right over our heads.<br />
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This is looking west late in the day so the lighting isn't the greatest, but I love the feel of the image:<br />
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A lot of people don't realize how dense loon feathers are. And all throughout their bodies, not just on their underside. If you ever have a chance to hold a loon you'll be amazed at how much they feel like a plush toy. Here's a closer look so you can see the layers upon layers of feathers in the wings:<br />
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Birds included the <b><a href="http://cabingirlslife.blogspot.com/2014/09/chestnut-sided-warblers-at-camp.html" target="_blank">Chestnut-sided Warblers</a></b> that I mentioned in my earlier post and this nesting Mourning Warbler that fluttered about every time we hiked past its nest:<br />
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Mom was a trooper through it all and even gamely laughed when I suggested needing to eat tree bark if the water didn't drop. We started every morning by walking with our coffee to the huge rock outcropping that overlooks the lake, facing south for that much-needed morning warmth (nights were in the low 40s and we were tenting). Here's mom and my oldest dog, Panzer, enjoying the morning sun:<br />
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We saw beautiful wild flowers on our hikes and kayaks. The Blue Flag Irises were in bloom everywhere:<br />
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Four days later than expected, we finally made it through, white-knuckled with our foglamps underwater. Thankfully the Volvo survived.<br />
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Once we were out of camp, we did a whirlwind tour of the sights I'd been hoping to gradually explore with mom. Portage Brook Falls is a hidden gem on the Arrowhead Trail. I've only run into other hikers there once in the seven years I've been visiting it.<br />
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On the way back we stopped off at Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior just in time to watch a massive fog bank roll in:<br />
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For the next couple weeks I'll be back up here with the dogs enjoying the area and hopefully not being stranded by beavers (the DNR blows the beaver dams when they start undermining the roads). Poor Dean is still in his busy season but hopefully he'll be able to join me for a weekend. (hey, someone has to work!)<br />
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In the meantime I'll schedule some posts of other sights from the area so you can "vacation" with me. Looking forward to catching up with all of you when I return!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-84384333794009149932014-09-03T20:46:00.000-05:002014-09-03T20:46:07.442-05:00Chestnut-sided Warblers at CampWhile my mom was here visiting from Florida we headed north to my favorite camping spot, way up in the tip of Minnesota's Arrowhead, just a few miles from Canada as the raven flies.<br />
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That trip, which was much longer than expected due to the single road being flooded by an overly ambitious beaver, is worthy of its own post, but for now I'll share images of a friendly Chestnut-sided Warbler that was just down the gravel road from our site.<br />
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Chestnut-sideds really are beautiful birds - they look handpainted to me.<br />
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There was a pair nesting in a clump of alders just off the road. We didn't look for the nest so as to not stress the birds, but we did enjoy watching them frantically flying back and forth as they collected bugs for their hungry youngsters. <br />
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I love their mustached face from the front:<br />
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After some time away I'm very happy to be reuniting with other bird lovers for <span style="color: #990000;"><a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Wednesday</a></span>. Be sure to check out their posts, too!<br />
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CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-39459724460013029662014-08-29T10:30:00.000-05:002014-08-29T10:30:00.013-05:00Racket-tailed Emerald<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I just submitted my first record to <a href="http://www.odonatacentral.org/index.php/PageAction.get/name/HomePage" target="_blank"><b>Odanata Central</b></a>. (for someone who doesn't keep any type of "life list" this is a pretty big step!)<br />
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This female Racket-tailed Emerald is pretty common but as far as I can tell only three other records have been submitted for Cook County, Minnesota and they are museum specimens from 1970. We found this one while hiking during a July camping trip in the Grand Portage State Forest.<br />
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Overall, Racket-tailed Emeralds are found throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada and frequent lakes and boggy areas. The ID points on this one are the slightly bisected yellow band and a clear forewing triangle (no cross-vein). They land more frequently than other emeralds which, according to one of my reference books, "makes them the most easily-photographed Emerald."<br />
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I'm still happy that I got a nice photograph of one before it darted off after one of the millions of blackflies that were swarming around us!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-86487816645333524742014-08-14T19:11:00.000-05:002014-08-14T19:11:00.062-05:00Juvenile Green HeronToday I released two rehabilitated juvenile Green Herons that had been raised in the WRC Avian Nursery. They flew to a tree on an island and eyeballed the people who had gathered to watch the release. Very nice of them. So many people go their entire lives without seeing these small, somewhat elusive herons. Live well young herons!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-12492983739355421682014-07-29T18:57:00.000-05:002014-07-29T18:57:15.872-05:00Yellow Warblers at the CabinJust a quick post before I hit the road, returning to the Twin Cities after a fun-filled weekend with friends and family.<br />
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I was thrilled to find more than four different pairs of Yellow Warblers flitting through the birch, oak and pine trees at the cabin. Looked as if there were several fledglings with them as well. Very fun to see!<br />
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Hope you're all having a great summer and enjoying the nature that surrounds you.CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-55779322909908249552014-06-29T15:46:00.001-05:002014-06-29T15:56:08.520-05:00Juvenile House Wren Study<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who doesn't love baby birds? They're amazingly cute and very, very hungry.<br />
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Right off our stoop is a nest of House Wrens. They've been growing louder and louder for the past two weeks and started poking their heads out a few days ago. I've been hoping to get photos and today they obliged.<br />
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The parent wrens, who must be absolutely exhausted by now, are attempting to lure the baby wrens out of the house by moving farther and farther away while holding food.<br />
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The baby wrens beg and beg until the parent wren capitulates and comes to the perch to feed them. <br />
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Hopefully I'll be around when they fledge. Wishing you a wonderful baby bird season!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-23311800586505370212014-02-13T13:25:00.000-06:002014-02-13T13:25:18.288-06:00Snowy Cardinal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was amazed at the colors in this when I saw it onscreen. You know how you snap a photo, think "oh, this might be good" but really don't know until you open it up? I had no idea it captured the "glowing" aspect of the cardinal - was so excited when I saw this. No filters, no nothing, just sheer luck.<br />
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I took this in the evening during a heavy snow a couple weeks ago. The cardinals were sheltering in our large white pine that's just yards from a feeding station. The branch this one is sitting on sticks out farther than the rest, so it gave a nice brightness in the forefront with the background being in shadow. You can almost feel the silent denseness of the fresh snow in it.<br />
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Hope all of you have at least one "wow" moment this snowy winter (even those of you battling the snow down south!).<br />
<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-17067737178550744852014-02-06T09:30:00.000-06:002014-02-06T09:30:00.034-06:00White-tailed DeerBird feeders attract more than birds! One of my favorite visitors are the White-tailed Deer that frequent our yard.<br />
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These images were taken up at the family cabin in Lakeshore, Minn. I love how the setting sun creates a nice soft glow in the background with the birch trees. It's even coloring the deer's fur on her neck.<br />
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I found the shot below pretty interesting. It was taken five minutes after the first shot, from a different angle. The setting sun actually has created a bit of an orange halo along the top and right side of her head. The funny thing? The sun is setting to her left, not her right as it appears, and there's nothing really for it to reflect from on the right side - other than the snow. Pretty neat!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-38389616596640315312013-09-19T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-19T09:00:01.545-05:00Cooper's Hawk Profile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite images of the juvenile Cooper's Hawk who has been hanging out in our yard. I love the soft diffusion of light that the white pine boughs create in the background.<br />
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<i>I'm away on my northwoods camping trip. Unplugged, off grid, just enjoying nature :-) Thank you for visiting my blog - I'll reply to comments when I return in a few weeks!</i>CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-31476573102026755952013-09-17T09:30:00.000-05:002013-09-17T09:30:00.966-05:00Dragonfly and Dahlia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A favorite "summer" image of a female White-faced Meadowhawk in my garden.<br />
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<i>I'm up north, unplugged and enjoying nature. Thanks for visiting while I'm gone! I look forward to catching up with you and your blog in early October.</i>CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-67151715319022701882013-09-11T14:45:00.000-05:002013-09-11T14:48:18.630-05:00Not Your Usual Yard BirdsI always love migration. You just never know what's going to pop up in the yard. First, I should say that "yard" for us means roughly a half acre of grass, the rest is one acre of in-process prairie restoration and 3.5 acres of mixed hardwoods and pines. It makes for fabulous bird watching.<br />
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We had two visitors this week within 15 minutes of each other that had me running for my camera.<br />
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When I caught a glimpse of the first bird my initial thought was "Curve-billed Thrasher??? WHAT?" Trust me, there's a good explanation for why I'd pop a bird from the American Southwest into Minnesota. We've raised one in our Avian Nursery at WRC. Yep. It caught a ride on a trailer hitch for nearly 600 miles before the people found it. It's hopping a ride back to Arizona tomorrow so it's been on my mind lately. But that's a whole different story... the point of this is that the curved bill is what caught my attention through the apple tree:<br />
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Turns out it's a juvenile Yellow-billed Cuckoo. (not a Curve-billed Thrasher... go figure!) <br />
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The second cool bird was this Blue-headed Vireo: <br />
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From a front view you can get a better look at its signature "spectacles:" <br />
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While Blue-headed Vireos nest up north in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota, the Yellow-billed Cuckoos nest in my area. But I've never seen one in our yard before. <br />
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You can tell it's a juvenile by its bright yellow orbital ring. The ring will begin greying next spring. Here's a closer look at its eye:<br />
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Note the cuckoo is actually panting. We've had an extremely hot run of weather and are in the middle of drought. Both birds came down to bird baths that we have in our yard. Water is an equally important draw as bird feeders. Without water I probably never would've had these birds come so close to the house.<br />
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While the cuckoo has a long migration ahead of it (all the way down to South America) the vireo will actually stay in North and Central America for the winter.<br />
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Both birds glean insects from tree branches. A great reason to keep a pesticide-free habitat!<br />
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<a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i><br /></i></a>
<a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><i>Check out other neat migration birds and photos from all over the world via Wild Bird Wednesday.</i></a><br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-68404213290860293272013-09-05T09:00:00.000-05:002013-09-05T09:00:10.673-05:00Flamenco: Cooper's StyleEvery year we have Cooper's Hawks nest in our east pine trees. And every year they mercilessly pick off our birds at the bird feeders.<br />
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A juvenile has been hanging out in the yard for nearly a month and the other day I took the opportunity to spend time photographing it.<br />
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What did I learn from this? Apparently Cooper Hawks know how to do the Flamenco. Or at least this one does.<br />
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A little stretching first:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_icTMzh9JzMb2Wu6WfIzJaDyiU-jQ__jToy6sJvjYdJv6gH2zLSE7i7QoxkpgdzOhEnRgdB4aRUisMn1UheP2DF7c_uz8jTCA-uYTi3Uzzk7B1u1JjTPMsgzZwgoq00mN77YLsWCVPp62/s1600/little+to+the+left550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_icTMzh9JzMb2Wu6WfIzJaDyiU-jQ__jToy6sJvjYdJv6gH2zLSE7i7QoxkpgdzOhEnRgdB4aRUisMn1UheP2DF7c_uz8jTCA-uYTi3Uzzk7B1u1JjTPMsgzZwgoq00mN77YLsWCVPp62/s1600/little+to+the+left550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Limber up that neck: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JmBFBt0y0SBJvGanpFB20IVmMFwTiGscBqO3crzzmwXPUHY5vM7VC7LclI_Se1xhtu0OI1xXpD-itnYIgWvgAs3YIK9Vzr8kMLU_HVr_9x3_RLtXTYY7kVyllCOVk4gkQvr6RQdhkTuv/s1600/funny+head+tilt550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JmBFBt0y0SBJvGanpFB20IVmMFwTiGscBqO3crzzmwXPUHY5vM7VC7LclI_Se1xhtu0OI1xXpD-itnYIgWvgAs3YIK9Vzr8kMLU_HVr_9x3_RLtXTYY7kVyllCOVk4gkQvr6RQdhkTuv/s1600/funny+head+tilt550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Warm up those legs:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrc1UbPy9-5YUe-jHfc7NoyrPOzxAjBrJD8GvmsXdYvNpmKjRy-_hU7zF7NC92sTNZGyWduVt5NZbG8IpuKdmimrG-Wmzkv2wa2CsWfshdvbWmBiaHImKdps8O9Bp2PgUaQympT5NZnu_/s1600/all+cleaned+dance+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrrc1UbPy9-5YUe-jHfc7NoyrPOzxAjBrJD8GvmsXdYvNpmKjRy-_hU7zF7NC92sTNZGyWduVt5NZbG8IpuKdmimrG-Wmzkv2wa2CsWfshdvbWmBiaHImKdps8O9Bp2PgUaQympT5NZnu_/s1600/all+cleaned+dance+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Flamenco Right!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxZyfnWmAxjveE-DX9xA9a52Mg9G1ggK2AA4tJytoTSTPppyPGdlYzmcV8yHN_rFYjQmX6V88vLzWLCqUXLdFFC7a4gF1qXdgCOiwBaFZEcFzm7yVkBxEMCEUkw9Ucjp__zbkqdahAzbk/s1600/flamenco+to+right550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxZyfnWmAxjveE-DX9xA9a52Mg9G1ggK2AA4tJytoTSTPppyPGdlYzmcV8yHN_rFYjQmX6V88vLzWLCqUXLdFFC7a4gF1qXdgCOiwBaFZEcFzm7yVkBxEMCEUkw9Ucjp__zbkqdahAzbk/s1600/flamenco+to+right550.jpg" /></a> </div>
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and Flamenco Left!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthW0g06WwhYDi8SRW_NVzo1t01QSkQRSD0JMRkU6CpNqNOlzNB0QU6Mr-W34a92wHinmDqCPvtn3x4SRrH5eQGPzCNlDeRV0C0VXA-8Oi6u_BJENaj_GnhNNiaPeNWJXTPvzpeZzICVhR/s1600/flamenco+left550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthW0g06WwhYDi8SRW_NVzo1t01QSkQRSD0JMRkU6CpNqNOlzNB0QU6Mr-W34a92wHinmDqCPvtn3x4SRrH5eQGPzCNlDeRV0C0VXA-8Oi6u_BJENaj_GnhNNiaPeNWJXTPvzpeZzICVhR/s1600/flamenco+left550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Crouch down<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-1yu1h1KwxowRPKO7QUMa3AIUhCV89m0sJ9gbdUj8gQuLH39Bjf-srkqUd1eaNF71jWjrjsSGy1R-dNp4qppEe5p8ZIrI33D7l5XjnYAqleAEJP1OGe4MvExH1pA2-R_O0JJGDkJp3Fb/s1600/crouched+poof550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-1yu1h1KwxowRPKO7QUMa3AIUhCV89m0sJ9gbdUj8gQuLH39Bjf-srkqUd1eaNF71jWjrjsSGy1R-dNp4qppEe5p8ZIrI33D7l5XjnYAqleAEJP1OGe4MvExH1pA2-R_O0JJGDkJp3Fb/s1600/crouched+poof550.jpg" /></a></div>
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and full leg extension!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeItYpbLHx3hGQ0wo1LkbAM46nM8WoLl70R2Tv1L0Q_ThLDIzuBJbmwvQTJUISy35Td4rMa0VY_QRQr48GaFIGtzcgHAso6fyqSBcm2uiOxXlPALGWPFWVXeiOOzSTkcgGM-H3sMTTl4B/s1600/leg+kick550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeItYpbLHx3hGQ0wo1LkbAM46nM8WoLl70R2Tv1L0Q_ThLDIzuBJbmwvQTJUISy35Td4rMa0VY_QRQr48GaFIGtzcgHAso6fyqSBcm2uiOxXlPALGWPFWVXeiOOzSTkcgGM-H3sMTTl4B/s1600/leg+kick550.jpg" /></a></div>
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And a final, humble bow: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJhiQw24p8aa3FOZbcSTNFDw-sfEoEP2L2qET3_vaMwNDY_6BIaeuzyMtuKJELjegypLD_QOCTbxmS7P6cZQrKw8ecQnjsEQbFXiu0vN0ktF5eXuv5UlkWRvZnof6KtVfmIhE9-5e_krL/s1600/bowing550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAJhiQw24p8aa3FOZbcSTNFDw-sfEoEP2L2qET3_vaMwNDY_6BIaeuzyMtuKJELjegypLD_QOCTbxmS7P6cZQrKw8ecQnjsEQbFXiu0vN0ktF5eXuv5UlkWRvZnof6KtVfmIhE9-5e_krL/s1600/bowing550.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thank you. Thank you very much.<br />
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<br />
Head over to <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Stewart's page for Wild Bird Wednesday</b></a> to enjoy other fun and beautiful bird posts. (and feel free to kick up your heels on the way over...)<br />
<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-77560687762545200402013-08-26T10:24:00.000-05:002013-08-27T11:11:37.916-05:00A Little of This, A Little of ThatI've been up at the family cabin outside of Nisswa, Minn., for the last few days trying to escape the sweltering temps and humidity.<br />
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While here I've been doing quite a bit of this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwZ1SrCaLVv48hdDfSyRZNmcUH0v8nAUD6ScDgnz2VWwCp3Vmnb49-m67B4uA7PjFSmmIMO2OzYwtOdf4J-j9ozr487ZzD3bi2CvvFjVKXwW5HRtV4ei4hoimvB_OiJ4kuC07nzMYy6Hm/s1600/eve+kayak+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwZ1SrCaLVv48hdDfSyRZNmcUH0v8nAUD6ScDgnz2VWwCp3Vmnb49-m67B4uA7PjFSmmIMO2OzYwtOdf4J-j9ozr487ZzD3bi2CvvFjVKXwW5HRtV4ei4hoimvB_OiJ4kuC07nzMYy6Hm/s1600/eve+kayak+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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which inevitably leads to this...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhv88UMMOdkt2cLI1j1QPnuiT8uSEpi3VAo4kaI3PBurwlLitozQYD74MEiTT4A9szqYWMhv1os5-xpQgjsx0KJ6qeb0s4FSItuD_-RXNVSBFYvXy9nIfUnrFhWGkRjUOKIlbpwehzC6_u/s1600/orange+bluet550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhv88UMMOdkt2cLI1j1QPnuiT8uSEpi3VAo4kaI3PBurwlLitozQYD74MEiTT4A9szqYWMhv1os5-xpQgjsx0KJ6qeb0s4FSItuD_-RXNVSBFYvXy9nIfUnrFhWGkRjUOKIlbpwehzC6_u/s1600/orange+bluet550.jpg" /><i></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>orange bluet</i> (male)</td></tr>
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and then more of this:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjtJEjGL6P-DzRdIRj0XkIAZV2gCl12JnvGpKiLkO3_w3alKcu3wxosYDGfapTfpw5JwhNDl3F5TzgD2zc4L_3UKhPaGc9gIiVssWyHJ3LtysKGz8Ite3ntxQgh0c8Isr4s5RClDsIsUG/s1600/mdhwk+on+twig550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEjtJEjGL6P-DzRdIRj0XkIAZV2gCl12JnvGpKiLkO3_w3alKcu3wxosYDGfapTfpw5JwhNDl3F5TzgD2zc4L_3UKhPaGc9gIiVssWyHJ3LtysKGz8Ite3ntxQgh0c8Isr4s5RClDsIsUG/s1600/mdhwk+on+twig550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>white-faced meadowhawk (male)</i></td></tr>
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and even some of this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWu7tYhfju5DREVm8Waot5X-YIR7OkiipzLEtxPtPwWEbjO8tlf5UTNZTFiT5jZsBJUEnsV3S7p49txeLd6i__hkCUEtEaXoyuKlSj6kugGbXqgw50xe9VAbrMroj_Pn0zFe7BpLUEu8t/s1600/preening+bw550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWu7tYhfju5DREVm8Waot5X-YIR7OkiipzLEtxPtPwWEbjO8tlf5UTNZTFiT5jZsBJUEnsV3S7p49txeLd6i__hkCUEtEaXoyuKlSj6kugGbXqgw50xe9VAbrMroj_Pn0zFe7BpLUEu8t/s1600/preening+bw550.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">preening black and white warbler (female)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hope you're enjoying the last few weeks of summer as well!<br />
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Be sure to check out all the other fun posts for <a href="http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Our World Tuesday</a>. <br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-11075032913229451242013-08-21T10:25:00.001-05:002013-08-21T10:30:49.374-05:00I Know That Sound!There are few birds (other than typical backyard birds) that I'm able to ID by sound. I'm not sure why, but I'm just horrid at remembering and recognizing bird calls. My bird friends are as stymied as I am as to why I simply cannot remember what redstarts sound like from year to year. Or Nashville Warblers, which sing like crazy here in the spring.<br />
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But this LBB is one that I can actually <i><b>locate</b></i> based on hearing its call as I drive by: The Clay-colored Sparrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq8xhsaUgVHqfBfCIgkuUo-9oC57pwyeMeerZDSEtnCTX9NDuwx30X_PKH096AFWTIWN7FfiJJalCdqvQsHh2TOo5yXWGs3n0CxOWUju6gtGECH03u9qXQF3-JP83ezOqyCiwhYVMZKb3/s1600/clay+colored+face+on560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFq8xhsaUgVHqfBfCIgkuUo-9oC57pwyeMeerZDSEtnCTX9NDuwx30X_PKH096AFWTIWN7FfiJJalCdqvQsHh2TOo5yXWGs3n0CxOWUju6gtGECH03u9qXQF3-JP83ezOqyCiwhYVMZKb3/s1600/clay+colored+face+on560.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's sharp, buzzy call is, to me, highly distinctive and seems to carry quite far. <a href="http://www.larkwire.com/library/bird-sounds/1825/Clay-colored-Sparrow-songs-and-calls" target="_blank"><b>Have a listen</b></a>.<br />
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Clay-colored Sparrows are somewhat unique in that they're a mid-continent bird. Found on their breeding territory in open grasslands throughout the northern regions of central North America , they follow almost a due south migration path that funnels to Texas and Mexico. Here's a great <a href="http://sdakotabirds.com/species/maps/clay_colored_sparrow_map.htm" target="_blank"><b>distribution map</b></a>.<br />
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Right now they're dotting the fence posts and clinging to barbed wire along a stretch of roadway I drive daily. <br />
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I have to admit that when I'm driving past the wild grassland fields by my house and hear their "bzzzzt" calls I gleefully think to myself "aha! I know that bird call." (simple pleasures, people... simple pleasures...) ;-)<br />
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Be sure to check out all the other fun birding sights and stories courtesy of <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Wild Bird Wednesday</b></a>! <br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-27868062705120795422013-08-19T21:23:00.001-05:002013-08-19T21:23:57.871-05:00It's Been A Busy Summer!I'm back from a summer hiatus :-)<br />
<br />For those of you who don't know, I'm the communications director at one of our nation's leading wildlife hospitals. And, summer is our busiest time of year. Crazy busy. Like 80-120 new patients every day kind of busy.<br />
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So, linking up with Our World Tuesday, I thought I'd share what's been going on in my world lately. <br />
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I spend the summer working incredibly long hours but learning so much about more than 180 different species of wildlife. Furred, feathered and even scaled, we get everything at WRC (Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota).<br />
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Since I spend my days taking photos (all these are taken by me), blogging, updating our Facebook page and sending out emails to our distribution list, I'm kind of burnt out on the social media thing by the time I get home from work. Plus, I wanted time to unwind and enjoy the outdoors when I wasn't working - therefore I put my personal blog on hold. <b>Thanks for coming back to see what's new - I appreciate it!</b><br />
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I thought you might enjoy seeing some of my favorite critters from this summer:<br />
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These are baby garter snakes. Aren't they beautiful? Did you know they give live birth? And the record for number of babies is 90? Wow! (thanks Chris Smith for that cool stat!) You can read more about them, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151751077824020.1073741829.159721879019&type=1" target="_blank"><b>see add'l photos here</b></a>.<br />
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One of our more beautiful patients at the Center are Grey Fox. They are the only fox to climb trees! It's pretty amazing to see. This poor little kit stuck his head into a discarded container and became stuck. He's fortunate someone saw him and brought him to us. There's <a href="http://www.wrcmn.org/pulse/archives/1166" target="_blank"><b>a blog post about it here</b></a>, including before/after photos.<br />
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I don't know if there's much cuter than a group of fluffy swallows. We have five swallows in Minnesota (Tree, Bank, Northern Rough-winged, Barn and Cliff). These are juvenile Barn Swallows, just about ready to fly.<br />
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This adorable guy is one of only two hares that we have in Minnesota. It's a young (maybe only 3 days old) White-tailed Jackrabbit. Both it, and our Snowshoe Hare, are considered precocial because they're born furred, eyes open and are up hopping around within hours of their birth!<br />
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Saw my first Fisher up close and personal this summer! This young one had been hit by a car and a kind-hearted person stopped to see if it was still alive. Fishers are pretty cool: They're basically pregnant all the time due to embryonic diapause. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151618265294020&set=a.497249919019.273542.159721879019&type=1&theater" target="_blank"><b>More here</b></a>.<br />
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As a medical center, we see some pretty fascinating things come through our doors. Think that's one of the reasons I love my job so much: All the new things I learn each day. This was a pretty interesting case study that I wrote up a few weeks ago. A young Herring Gull traveled from Duluth for surgery to pin a fractured leg. But when we took x-rays we had quite the surprise! <a href="http://www.wrcmn.org/CS_HerrGull.php" target="_blank"><b>This links to the case study</b></a>. Just click through the slides to learn all about it. <br />
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You can join me on my adventures at WRC via <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WRCMN" target="_blank"><b>WRC's Facebook page</b></a> or through <a href="http://www.wrcmn.org/pulse/" target="_blank"><b>The Pulse (WRC blog)</b></a>. And, if you're as fascinated by wildlife medicine as I am, take a look at the <a href="http://www.wrcmn.org/case-studies.php" target="_blank"><b>Case Studies</b></a> I write up.<br />
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Thanks again for coming back to visit and a big thank you to Lady Fi for hosting <a href="http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Our World Tuesday</b></a>. Be sure to check out all the other great bloggers who participate. Hope you all had a great summer!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-44681459079303589082013-05-28T14:36:00.000-05:002013-05-28T14:36:21.230-05:00Warblering MilestonesI've been crazy busy lately at work and with my Mom visiting, and haven't had a whole lot of time to write. So, I thought I'd share some of the more exciting warbler occurrences in my yard along with a reminder that enjoying the outdoors is all about BEING in the outdoors, not just the photos.<br />
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Two weeks ago I was sitting on my East stoop (a favorite morning coffee spot),
watching all the warblers flitting through our trees when all of a
sudden a group way up in the tippy-top of our ash trees caught my eye.
It was a group of four Golden-winged Warblers picking bugs out of the
ash buds.<br />
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After watching them for a bit it dawned on me
that maybe I should grab my camera.These are the best photos I could get, but it's not about the photos, it's about that moment of realization that these besieged birds were actually right there, in my yard.<br />
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Golden-winged Warblers are in serious decline, one of the fastest declining species of birds in North America with an overall decline of 76% (Cornell Lab of Ornithology). And of the surviving Golden-wingeds? More than 95% of them breed in the Upper Great Lakes area of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Manitoba, with Minnesota having the largest population of breeding Golden-wingeds in the world.<br />
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This is what they look like up close and personal:<br />
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Yep. Of all the odd timing, just the day before I saw the group in my yard, we ended our weekly Northfield banding session on a high note with this
"fancy bird," as Professor Dan called it. It is absolutely stunning to see up close. One of the coolest markings? The eyestripe runs so that the top of the bird's feathers around the eye are white - here's a closer look: <br />
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Again, not the greatest photo but the memory of seeing this bird in hand will stay with me forever.<br />
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Getting back to the excitement in Afton, later that same
day, I opened our front door to go out to the garage and saw a bright
glint of blue flash through the air. At first I thought it was one of
the dozens of yellow-rumpeds we've had around.<br />
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Nope. A Cerulean Warbler.
IN MY DRIVEWAY.<br />
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Always, always have wanted to see one
of these beautiful little birds and never have. Watched it flitting into
the air to catch bugs, using our Thule carrier rack as its launching
base.<br />
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After several minutes of stunned silence
absorbing this sight, I ran and grabbed the camera. It's really,
really hard to take good photos when you're jumping up and down in
excitement (as evidenced here):<br />
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Again, while none of these photos are really great, they all remind me of an incredible day in my yard, and the opportunity to see a warbler that may not be around much longer up close and personal.<br />
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Capture the moment in your heart and mind first, then grab a camera. What's the point of enjoying the outdoors if all you're doing is using a viewfinder, right?<br />
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Oh, and remember to jump and soar with joy to celebrate those special moments.<br />
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<i>Linking up with other bird lovers through Wild Bird Wednesday. <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Check them out!</a></i>CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-7601560467316294262013-05-14T20:31:00.001-05:002013-05-14T21:42:16.297-05:00A Curious, and Hungry, Chestnut-sided WarblerOur spring in Minnesota has been brutal for insectivores. Dozens of Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows have been found dead in nestboxes, having starved (or frozen?) to death during our cold, wet spring. Phoebes, which showed up more than a month ago, have been completely absent since our late snows and freezing temps. It's hard to survive when your primary food source isn't available.<br />
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In the last two weeks there have been days on end of "warbler fallouts" where they're basically littering the ground, searching for any morsel to eat. And any hint of sunshine brings the warblers out in full force, hunting for any bugs they can find. While it makes for great birding, it's sad to know that it's because they're struggling to survive.<br />
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On Sunday, we had this very curious Chestnut-sided Warbler follow us through the gardens. Can you ask for a more beautiful bird to stalk you? I think not.<br />
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He started flitting down to us as we were poking around in the wood chips searching for signs of emerging ferns and lupines. I imagine we were uncovering tasty morsels for him.<br />
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From there, he followed us to our "East Garden." As Dean looked over the plants that have emerged in that bed, the warbler flitted down right next to his feet and hopped from the garden up to a rock and back down again. It was amazing to have this gorgeous bird so close for so long.<br />
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It's been here for several days now, enjoying suet with the dozens of Yellow-rumpeds. As a special treat I picked up 1,000 mealworms on Monday for everyone. They were gone in a matter of hours much to the delight of the birds (and me who enjoyed watching them eagerly slurp them down like spaghetti noodles).<br />
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I included this photo because it shows the beautiful markings on the Chestnut-sided's back. I never realized how much yellow they have on their backs until this weekend:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmxdZZDDNgbGzhsuDztIJ2RgeAuKtQc0KUBhr2vRphBuJoiNzGfMQUXMUNPd_MbHszvUaCkTK9uVV-qIkf4dQA6WJEqmRVTe1YJgx8rYHSr39hWGFyst3YrVN9emSw4JTXfv9mVx1qAPB/s1600/chestnut+back+550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmxdZZDDNgbGzhsuDztIJ2RgeAuKtQc0KUBhr2vRphBuJoiNzGfMQUXMUNPd_MbHszvUaCkTK9uVV-qIkf4dQA6WJEqmRVTe1YJgx8rYHSr39hWGFyst3YrVN9emSw4JTXfv9mVx1qAPB/s1600/chestnut+back+550.jpg" /></a></div>
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After all our cold weather (there was frost on Sunday night) we hit a whopping 96 degrees today. Many of the warblers in our yard took advantage of the warm weather and moved on. I didn't see the Chestnut-sided at all today and there are only a couple dozen Yellow-rumpeds still hanging around.<br />
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Can't wait to see what the warm weather and high winds blows in overnight! Stay tuned...<br />
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<i>Posted in conjunction with other bird aficionados through <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Wednesday</a>. Be sure to check them all out!</i><br />
<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-61039394415226449232013-05-11T13:34:00.000-05:002013-05-11T13:34:54.609-05:00Surprise Visitor: Western TanagerAs I peered out my front window Wednesday morning, all bleary-eyed and not yet awake, I was surprised to see an overly large goldfinch. Since my brain wasn't fully awake yet, this is the conversation that I had with myself:<br />
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"That's not a goldfinch, too big... female oriole? Huh, what's wrong with it's head? No, not an oriole... Good grief, did someone's parakeet escape? What the heck? Oh my gosh: It's a Western Tanager."<br />
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Long silent pause as I soaked in the joy of seeing one of these birds. IN MY YARD. <br />
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Springing things like this on me first thing in the morning before my synapses are all firing isn't the best idea, but let me tell you. It sure woke me up!<br />
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I'd left my camera in the car overnight and all I had was the truly crappy camera on my Droid (why, oh why, can't we get good cameras on Droids?). So I snapped a few pictures just for documentation while I quietly swore to myself to never, ever leave the camera in the car again.<br />
<br />Thankfully, the bird hung around and I was able to scamper to the car, get my camera and snap photos of it before I left for work:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-OxKF4qF1lZcVRbCKojN1zKRVFIbInP9ZQ3Q2vE_lwHMOZi5HWm7U4V4rlzZgK2aX2Ekw1e7Xxz-ovDOHN11II1ntAVozrZfYdP2miaDcE7ab4NwGgOXVN5tGuf9eOLYSC06NfdiJE4R/s1600/W+Tanager+profile550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ-OxKF4qF1lZcVRbCKojN1zKRVFIbInP9ZQ3Q2vE_lwHMOZi5HWm7U4V4rlzZgK2aX2Ekw1e7Xxz-ovDOHN11II1ntAVozrZfYdP2miaDcE7ab4NwGgOXVN5tGuf9eOLYSC06NfdiJE4R/s1600/W+Tanager+profile550.jpg" /></a></div>
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And no. We don't have Western Tanagers in Minnesota. Although we do get enough of them through periodically - especially in the spring - that they're an infrequent visitor. The only other sighting of a W. Tanager in my county was in 1984 in Stillwater, Minn. Pretty exciting! <br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-48357220954469087092013-05-02T11:52:00.002-05:002013-05-02T11:52:41.235-05:00Could it be... it is!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NwTnMTZLWQcuKhCmYUs_e4ZtPaydcARdEZGOxEZ63S9iJH69niH10tjivPrPx_9tqQXnmZ4LZLqgAS5J8wX3_dZfqDWJ64EdQQeCn9AEx8_dOQRqvu_a5HjUOgffgiYoC9ZE82QrLEr5/s1600/wtsp+forysthiawww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NwTnMTZLWQcuKhCmYUs_e4ZtPaydcARdEZGOxEZ63S9iJH69niH10tjivPrPx_9tqQXnmZ4LZLqgAS5J8wX3_dZfqDWJ64EdQQeCn9AEx8_dOQRqvu_a5HjUOgffgiYoC9ZE82QrLEr5/s1600/wtsp+forysthiawww.jpg" /></a></div>
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Awoke to a heavy wet spring snow covering everything and figured it'd be a good opportunity to capture images of birds that I don't normally see in snow. Our towhees have returned, along with all sorts of other sparrows, and of course the Yellow-rumped Warblers who seem to have camped out in our yard.<br />
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I was photographing the beautiful White-throated Sparrows in the snowy forsythia when I saw this:<br />
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Black and white... orange legs, looks like a black head... and is that a hint of yellow on its wings? Could it be...<br />
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YES! A male Blackpoll Warbler!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HAjvRCdE7EKjJJSU_2BcxODhoB1L8x-KCDB_WkkE7LrC2Wrx5xGO4kglVX6XcyALCGtMRNMUUF-gzLFmIKElFVFuELpp-sW0kdNtaaDqSBD_-KNPRAX2dKNm_a7VaAFodLh0kmfLBHvw/s1600/blackpoll+fullwww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HAjvRCdE7EKjJJSU_2BcxODhoB1L8x-KCDB_WkkE7LrC2Wrx5xGO4kglVX6XcyALCGtMRNMUUF-gzLFmIKElFVFuELpp-sW0kdNtaaDqSBD_-KNPRAX2dKNm_a7VaAFodLh0kmfLBHvw/s1600/blackpoll+fullwww.jpg" /></a></div>
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I've never seen one of these before. Couldn't believe my luck. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! While these birds are widely spread throughout Canada, the only time to catch them here in the States is during their fall migration to South America. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuJEBCp4PtoUj5kMqzhtBb4iz6E0LLEV1Zpt959fMYIpDij7E6gbooSEGRq00RwT_Zx8YBPqnZcM_V5-1d-Bmc_Z1cgNZvI0leSzJsVNxHqlQRdfduUfyr5sCY4pKPJOrMz02hyphenhyphen4taRFQ/s1600/blackpoll+nectarwww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxuJEBCp4PtoUj5kMqzhtBb4iz6E0LLEV1Zpt959fMYIpDij7E6gbooSEGRq00RwT_Zx8YBPqnZcM_V5-1d-Bmc_Z1cgNZvI0leSzJsVNxHqlQRdfduUfyr5sCY4pKPJOrMz02hyphenhyphen4taRFQ/s1600/blackpoll+nectarwww.jpg" /></a></div>
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It moved from bloom to bloom and I wasn't sure if it was finding tiny bugs that had crawled into the flowers to escape the snow, or if it was drinking nectar.<br />
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The bird was kind enough to show me what it was after: It's pulling out the interior of the flowers and eating them:<br />
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<b><a href="http://payingreadyattention.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Stewart Monckton</a></b> from Australia, who writes a couple fabulous blogs, wrote something a few weeks ago that I really identified with as a bird lover: It's finding the unexpected in a frequented spot that really makes observing nature interesting. Finding this beautiful bird right outside our bedroom window is such an unexpected treat. For me this is what enjoying the outdoors is all about.<br />
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Wonder what else this odd spring weather will bring to our yard. Suppose that's the one good thing about having such cold, wet weather: Interesting birds!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-38507293300592920432013-04-24T10:54:00.000-05:002013-04-24T10:54:28.794-05:00Spring Air Brings First Warblers!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8Bw-nGakbxRi723pRWUpP-k3gi5gXmXdfrN1DGhsuwU0zPoG3nD-Gi66QGxXAF85grUGxD9AQM_soi2zF8F9fWhyphenhyphenn3whX8sJsrY3NLvAbY09sxhyphenhyphenc3gok1g0TxUHgY2rPkc4eOOJb11Y/s1600/male+YR+fdr+topwww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8Bw-nGakbxRi723pRWUpP-k3gi5gXmXdfrN1DGhsuwU0zPoG3nD-Gi66QGxXAF85grUGxD9AQM_soi2zF8F9fWhyphenhyphenn3whX8sJsrY3NLvAbY09sxhyphenhyphenc3gok1g0TxUHgY2rPkc4eOOJb11Y/s1600/male+YR+fdr+topwww.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, amidst the 6" of freshly fallen spring snow, a dozen or so Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblers flitted around our yard from suet feeder to suet feeder. The males are in their gorgeous breeding plumage: Deep blues and greys with bright yellow splashes on their heads, chest and on their butts (hence the casual term "butterbutt").<br />
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The females (below) are more drab, but still a beautifully-marked bird. And,
perhaps more importantly: A very welcome reminder that warbler migration
is actually underway and we'll be seeing more species over the next few
weeks. It's been a long, long winter!<br />
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At first glance, the females might appear brown or grey, but they have bluish streaks throughout the feathers (visible in the above photo). They're really a beautiful mix of colors.<br />
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In addition to our suet feeders, they're feasting on peanuts. Both Yellow-rumped Warblers and Pine Warblers have a wider diet than many other warblers, allowing them to be some of the earliest returning migrants.<br />
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And, for my international viewers joining in on <b><a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Wednesday</a></b>, the Amer. Ornithologists' Union (AOU) has not followed the IOC (International Ornithological Congress) in re-splitting the four "yellow-rumped" warblers into individual species. Here in The States, we still have the "Myrtle" in the eastern half and the "Audubon" west of the Rockies. <br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-47620098216976545112013-04-17T09:30:00.000-05:002013-04-17T09:30:00.734-05:00Snowy Fox Sparrows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73mhpMad-La3og_O2nBROkq2Ya_E7fqKSH5qyUDmdEaCDErZxsLZB2QsPgxToEXefHFBJYwTjsbSazNAUuyR_Bou4akgzcsB4FnOVykEM5O5tVsaZxjfK5TSO6Fbn1RdLUW1EUEBZKoSp/s1600/fsp+on+branchwww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73mhpMad-La3og_O2nBROkq2Ya_E7fqKSH5qyUDmdEaCDErZxsLZB2QsPgxToEXefHFBJYwTjsbSazNAUuyR_Bou4akgzcsB4FnOVykEM5O5tVsaZxjfK5TSO6Fbn1RdLUW1EUEBZKoSp/s1600/fsp+on+branchwww.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yes, I said "snowy." For most of the Midwest it's been a really LONG winter. I've been watching fellow bloggers post images of butterflies and moths, blooming flowers and migrating warblers. Keep it up, please - you're helping me keep the winter blues away!<br />
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Another thing that helps with long winters like this, is the opportunity to observe migratory birds a bit longer as they hunker down to wait out the weather.<br />
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In addition to the hordes of juncos currently mobbing our feeders, we've had a large flock (20+ birds) of Fox Sparrows hanging around.<br />
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Fox Sparrows are "scratchers." They scratch back on the ground, giving a short hop as they do it, to uncover and loosen seeds. It's been really fun to watch them do this in 4-5" of snow. They scratch. Look down at the snow. Scratch again. Nope, still snow. Keep scratching!<br />
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We've been distributing bird seed all around the yard under our spruces and pines, giving the birds some cover while they forage. Two days ago there were hundreds of robins hanging out under the trees, escaping the icy rain.<br />
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But getting back to the beautifully-marked Fox Sparrow... I think they look like a cross between a thrush and a sparrow. The russet tail and the large splotchy neck and chest remind me of a Hermit Thrush. And the way the splotchy pattern runs down their sides reminds me of Ovenbirds. Size-wise, they're one of the largest sparrows, half again as big as a House Sparrow but not quite as large as the Harris's Sparrow.<br />
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And, while this isn't a very good photo, I'm going to include it simply because it's an opportunity to see its crest. Most people don't realize that Fox Sparrows have a small crest similar to Tree Sparrows:<br />
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It's also a chance to see the slate gray coloration on the sparrow's nape and sides of its head. Western Fox Sparrows have more gray with very little russet color.<br />
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Most of these beautiful birds will be gone in the next week or so, continuing their migration from the southern U.S. to upper parts of Canada and Alaska. Flocks of the western Fox Sparrow breed throughout the Rocky Mountains as well.<br />
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One of the best parts of having these large sparrows around? They have a beautiful song! I've been cracking my kitchen window open just to enjoy their songs. Larkwire has a nice <a href="http://www.larkwire.com/library/bird-sounds/1845/Fox-Sparrow-songs-and-calls" target="_blank"><b>recording</b></a>.<br />
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Well, I'm off to enjoy other more tropical bird posts, all part of <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank"><b>Wild Bird Wednesday</b></a>. Be sure to visit the other bloggers to see what they've been up to!<br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-39066804475162227612013-04-10T07:36:00.000-05:002013-04-10T07:36:09.360-05:00Ruddy Turnstones on The Cape<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thought I'd share some more photos from our East Coast trip this past fall as part of <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Wild Bird Wednesday</a>. One of the birds that we saw daily on the beach at our Cape Cod rental was the Ruddy Turnstone. There was a small flock of a dozen birds that combed the beach and the rocky breakwall throughout the day.<br />
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They were in their non-breeding plumage, which is a soft mottled brownish grey. I love how soft they look and the contrast with their bright orange legs.<br />
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The color patterns on their backs are beautiful and when in flock they make a stunning image. Well, they do if you can capture the image (goal for 2013: practice inflight photography!). There's a lovely photo <a href="http://www.howardsview.com/BombayHookAug11_10/BombayHookAug11_10.html" target="_blank"><b>on this blog</b></a>, 6th image down.<br />
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As coastal birds, Ruddy Turnstones nest FAR into the Arctic Circle and migrate along the coasts down to their wintering grounds in California, Central America, the Caribbean and South America.<br />
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And, they live up to their name. Constantly flipping rocks, shells and seaweed clumps to find tasty morsels:<br />
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While this image isn't the best quality due to the light angle, it's one of my favorite images from the Cape Cod portion of our trip. I snapped it one evening while sitting on the breakwall. The turnstone was curious and stayed in that spot for quite awhile studying me. I love the sparkly quality of the photo and whenever I look at it I can smell the briny sea air...<br />
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<a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>(be sure to check out all the other great posts for WBW!)</b></a><br />
<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7037765480945116633.post-78214689656269693352013-03-26T14:22:00.002-05:002013-03-27T09:59:03.596-05:00Love the Eye Shadow, Dahling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our Mourning Doves love to sit on top of a feeder right outside our kitchen window. It gives me a wonderful opportunity to study their detailed markings up close.<br />
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My favorite marking? The bright blue ring around their eyes. It reminds me of the weird giant Barbie head I had when I was younger. She came with this hideous blue eye shadow that my sister and I used to cake on her eyes (and ours). <br />
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The Mourning Dove is much better at applying her, or his, eye shadow. It's this beautiful bright blue, almost turquoise, circle that brings out the rosiness of the bird's head and neck feathers. The bird has obviously gone to cosmetology school...<br />
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Linking up with Stewart and a group of other awesome bird bloggers for Wild Bird Wednesday. <a href="http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b>Check them out.</b></a><br />
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<br />CabinGirlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00177611746948925236noreply@blogger.com36