The Mississippi River has been flooding a bit in downtown St. Paul, MN. It’s an exciting time for us park rangers at Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. I’ve been out taking photos for the park’s Facebook Page of the progessing river levels and can’t help but get in some spring birding when I’m out [ Read More ]
For the second time in my life, I have questioned how much I love birds and wondered if I need an intervention. The first time with the Horned Guan Death March , especially in Part 2 of that epic hike up a volcano to see one of the rarest birds in the Americas. But the [ Read More ]
Monday was our first flight out for our annual fall waterfowl surveys on the upper Mississippi. This is our initial flight to get back into the swing of things, make sure our maps are correct and to get a refresher course on identifying and counting waterfowl while flying over them. Last year my route went [ Read More ]
As part of my duties as a park ranger, we go out and rove in the park. Basically, we tote around a back pack with park info and you’re on hand to answer questions–it’s fun, it’s a bit like improv. I like to take my scope for birding of course, but it gives me a [ Read More ]
Just a heads up that right now is an excellent time for peregrine falcon viewing at Lock and Dam 1 in Minneapolis near Minnehaha Creek. I took the above photo of one of the chicks Saturday. Look at that baby peregrine–doesn’t it look like quite the thug? Here’s a screen capture of the dam from [ Read More ]
One of the things we get to do at my park as a ranger is “roving.” Essentially, we pick a part of the park and rove around to answer questions or interpret wildlife. It reminds me a bit of doing improv work– you rely on the audience to guide where the sketch will go. In [ Read More ]
I had to take a local film crew to North Mississippi Regional Park again to see the heron rookerly. Since leaf out is so early (this is the first time since I’ve lived in Minnesota that I have seen lilacs blooming in April) I was curious how much of the rookery was still visible. Here’s [ Read More ]
This is the week to check out the great blue heron rookery at North Mississippi Regional Park (or the one at Coon Rapids Dam too). I headed out to the North Mississippi rookery yesterday to take a look, right now the nests are very visible–even without binoculars. You can get a great view [ Read More ]
Tuesday morning I’m heading over to the Burnsville Civic Center as a judge for the Junior Duck Stamp Contest. I had grand schemes of Twittering during the event, but I was reading over my rules as a judge and there will be no Twittering! Check them out: Must have cell phones off throughout the judging [ Read More ]
It’s an oddly exciting day at the National Park I work for (Mississippi National River and Recreation Area)–the river is flooding and it’s odd to be excited by the flood and watch what the water will do. Since our visitor center is based in the Science Museum lobbby, we’re right on the Mississippi River in [ Read More ]
