Birdchick

On cold mornings, one of the pigeons on my ledge likes to press its vent (ornithology term for butt) up against my window for warmth. Is it a good omen to be mooned by a pigeon first thing in the morning?

Birders visiting Sax-Zim this weekend should exercise extreme caution. We had an ice storm today, and all side roads are covered with a slick layer of ice. Travel is possible only at very slow speeds (it took me 15 minutes to drive the 2 miles between hwy 53 and my house in Melrude this evening),  [ Read More ]

I’m so excited! Thanks to Carrol Henderson I’m going to go out with a film crew from NBC Nightly News and look at owls next week. They’re going out on Tuesday with me (to get the birder perspective) and Wednesday with Jim Lind (to get the scientific perspective). I have to give a big thank  [ Read More ]

This is just a friendly reminder for anyone who is planning to look for owls in the Sax-Zim Bog–please be safety conscious while birding! If we get ice on the roads this weekend from possible rain, the area could become dangerous to those who are looking at owls and not paying attention to traffic on  [ Read More ]

This morning as I was getting ready for work I saw on mou net that a varied thrush was in Falcon Heights (not too far from where the St. Paul great gray owl was seen). I had an hour before work and figured since it was after rush hour I could get to Falcon Heights  [ Read More ]

The nest is back in the same spot. Read more at New York Daily News.

I took a group of two non-birding friends and my husband out to Cotton to see a few owls. We were in Duluth looking at used book stores and antique stores (looking for old fountain pens). Around 3pm we headed out and after getting some coffee we made it to Sax Zim at about 4:15.  [ Read More ]

If you listen to radio shows, around the holidays guests hosts start filling in. I always wondered how they pick the hosts and get the poor suckers to work…now I know, I’m guest hosting A Balanced Breakfast with Ian and Margery Punnett. I’m incredibly excited, I love Christmas Eve it’s a fun day (if you  [ Read More ]

Immature goshawk. Note the hawk has a very long tail in relation to the body, suggesting an accipiter. There’s also the white eyebrow and the fact that the bird is about the size of the mallards.