Keeping up with the
new bird developments in the neighborhood

BY JOHN KARRIGAN

Stop the presses! Wait! I have not even started yet and we need to stop the presses! I was just sitting in the back yard reviewing past September columns in preparation for starting this one, when I noticed a small bird in the cherry tree, 15 feet from me. It checked out the other two backyard trees including the Pagoda Dogwood, 5 feet behind me, the rest of the backyard vegetation, and then spent some time in the neighbors’ large pine tree, 5 feet into their yard. The bird gave me time to get my binoculars (just inside the door), and then time to get my Sibley Guide to Birds (at the other end of the house), and more time to call a friend and neighbor to view the bird. My first guess at identification was correct. It was a female American Redstart. Not an unusual bird for northern Minnesota in summer, but very unusual in Powderhorn and the first fall-migrating warbler I have seen this year.

Earlier today (August 29), as I went out the back door, a Mourning Dove was standing on the patio, 10 feet away. Usually all the birds near the house (except Chickadees) fly away when the door opens. The dove did not, but slowly walked down the sidewalk where I was going to go. I followed quietly, assuming the dove would fly or walk away. It did not. After it reached the gate, it turned around and walked back past me as I stood quietly on the narrow sidewalk. I don’t know if this has any significance. It could mean I am destined for sainthood because of my quiet, peaceful nature or it could have been a young bird without the fear it should have of humans.

Other slightly unusual backyard birds include a White-breasted Nuthatch, which often makes one August appearance, and (overhead, not in the yard) migrating Nighthawks, which I saw on August 20, and saw and heard at dusk today.
The variety of butterfly species in the yard is down from nine last month to four this month. But on any sunny day, there are always several Monarchs in the yard, alternating between getting nectar from either of the two butterfly garden areas, and fluttering all around. From what I have read, I can confirm that fewer butterflies is not unusual because their life span is shorter than birds and their survival is more dependent on conditions like temperature and wind.
Nothing too unusual or migrating in the park that I have seen. The Canada Geese are gone for now. The Mallards and Wood Ducks are there and the Great Blue Heron is often there, but sometimes hiding. Chimney Swifts are over the park and lake on most evenings.

The mystery Sparrows that I mentioned last month are still there and still a mystery, at least to me. They are very hard to see in the heavy lakeside vegetation.

A tip to the lowlifes who walk around the lake spouting loud streams of obscenities. You would see, hear and enjoy nature much more if you did not do that. Oh, wait—maybe you are not birders but just selfish bozos with no concern for other humans or anything else. That’s most of my ranting for this month.
An observant east Powderhorn Park neighbor saw an Opossum sitting on top of the chain link fence at the South High athletic field at 8 a.m. one morning in mid-August. It slowly crawled down the fence and onto the athletic field. When she went home, she found a condom in her driveway. She opined, “Hey, there’s wildlife all over the neighborhood. And I’d rather live next to a family of Opossums.”

Hawk Weekend at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve in Duluth is Sept. 22-24. I have not been able to participate the last few years but it has always been a great weekend of birding and learning, with various programs, demonstrations and displays.

Road birding

On an early August road trip, while driving in south central Wisconsin, we were startled by some moving objects on the left side of the two-lane road. My first thought was that they were tall weeds blowing in the wind, but no! They were Sandhill Cranes. We turned around and went back and saw that there were several groups on either side of the road, and they were very noisy, making deep rattling sounds, calling to each other. We could not get close to them. They seemed quite wary of humans, not at all like the Mourning Dove in the back yard.
Two weeks later, while driving to St. Peter (Minnesota), being the omni-observant person that I am, I pointed out a Falcon to my passenger. I often mention bird sightings as I drive along. She looked all around, only to realize that the Falcon I saw was a baby blue 1960 two-door Ford Falcon, not one sitting on a utility pole. I do often point out special cars as I drive along also.
Comments and observations are always welcome. Send them to me, in care of the Southside Pride. Thank you.