sandpipers

We see many Sandpipers on the pond each Spring and Autumn.  They are hard to tell apart! I think this is a Solitary Sandpiper, because it has a dark bill.  Solitary Sandpipers nest further north of Minnesota, but Spotted Sandpipers nest all around the state.  

yellow-rumped warbler

 Yellow-rumped Warblers Setophaga coronata arrived here on the pond today on migration to the northern part of Minnesota and Canada, where they will nest and breed young birds.  Also called "Myrtle" Warblers.  On migration they eat fruits and seeds.  Here, they flit along the shoreline hunting insects among the grasses.  These individuals came to the feeders to eat thistle and sunflower chips. When more insects appear and the Warblers arrive on the breeding ground up north, they will eat caterpillars and other larvae, small beetles, weevils, ants, scale insects, aphids, grasshoppers, caddisflies, spiders, and gnats.

Crows gather in massive groups to roost together at night so they can share warmth and safety from predators. It is believed they even exchange information about food and weather fronts.

phoebe

Rainy cold day for flycatchers!  These two Eastern Phoebes Sayornis phoebe rested on the branch and spent several minutes to shake their feathers and preen feathers. Maybe they look bedraggled because they were hunting flying insects in wet weather. 

sandpiper

Spotted Sandpiper has again migrated north to Minnesota. This species spends winter as far south as South America.  Welcome back!

black birds roosting

Flocks of blackbirds gathered to roost for the night in the big cottonwood tree far across the pond.  

Now that birds are finished defending their nesting territories and raising young birds, they begin congregating in really large flocks to feed and protect one another from predators like owls and hawks. The birds gathering may be a mix of Red-winged Blackbirds and Starlings, Cowbirds, and Grackles.

 

fox sparrow

A chunky long tailed Fox Sparrow Passerella iliaca posed for the camera by the pond.  It is probably migrating to breeding grounds north of here, and stopped to snag some seeds or insects here.

spotted sandpipers

A flock of shorebirds stopped today at the pond on their migration trip.  Spotted Sandpipers Actitis macularius, catch food in several different ways.  Like most other sandpipers, they probe into sand or mud with their bills looking for food -- aquatic larvae of insects, beetles, worms, snails or crustaceans.  And like herons, they also lunge at moving small fish in the water, pick insects off plants, or snap at flying prey.

blue-wing teal

Some waterfowl, Blue-winged Teal Anas discors, stopped on the pond today.  They are some of the last ducks to arrive each Spring on breeding grounds because of their long migration from South America or Mexico. Smaller than Mallards, each weighs 9 to 18 ounces. They feed by 'dabbling' for plant matter under the water, or for crustaceans or insect larvae in the water.

crow

This American Crow Corvus brachyrhynchos is hunting near the frozen pond for something to eat. 

It may be preparing to migrate . . .  or not. 

Individual crows are consistent in whether they migrate or stay in the winter. Partial migration (where only some of a species migrate) might give crows enough flexibility to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Some we see in Minnesota now may have come south for the winter from Canada. Others, who breed and nest here, may have gone to Nebraska for the winter. Crows return faithfully to the same breeding territory each year.

temperamental autumn

Autumn and Spring are the transition seasons, temperamental and transformative.

In past years, I’ve watched birds arrive for nesting on their sacrosanct schedule, whether driven by daylight hours or other clues. Some years, they arrive in Spring when weather is fine, start building nests, and then have to endure several days of cold rain or snow. 

So it is with Autumn.  In October this year, we endured a week of early winter with extreme cold air and several inches of snow.  

But then we had this delightful first week in November!  Sunny and warm until today.

Phoebe in September

Phoebe is hunting at the pond today, balanced carefully on a reed bending over the water, with a reflection mirrored in the hazy sunlight.  

Eastern Phoebes Sayornis phoebe are usually lone birds.  Other than nesting season, one will rarely join another phoebe.  They will sit upright and wag their tails from a low perch, looking for flying insects to eat.  

They migrate south starting in September, wintering in the southern states.  And, they are among the first migrants to return to their breeding grounds in spring, sometimes as early as March.