Wants and Needs

Getting up today I wanted to go to the MOU paper sessions. This once a year event brings birders and ornithologists together for awards and most importantly scientific presentations on research efforts, studies, and more.

Backing up to a week of work I was constantly pounded all week due to being the only team member on my team. We are at below skeleton crew now and my last day was spent on the phone for 6 hours working on high priority efforts that forced me to work through my entire lunch hour. I finished the week mentally exhausted and just not feeling I could take an entire day at the paper sessions trying to focus on educational materials.

I opted out by sleeping in by a whole hour (up at 7AM) grabbing Starbucks for the wife and I and then running a county birding circuit. My December birding is historically weak so I thought I'd take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and complete lack of wind.

I hit White Bear Lake finding some open water mixed with plenty of ice. Of note were some Common Goldeneye and just some standard neighborhood birds. I contemplated Forest Lake, but didn't want to climb that far north and instead opted for Big Marine Park. I arrived figuring on a wide open lake, but was actually met with just fingers of open water with thin ice flows. At first it appeared no birds were on the water, but I eventually spotted both Common Merganser and Common Goldeneye. About ready to take a hike I scanned with my bins another section of water and found my first ever December Common Loon. What a great tic for bird many believe is just a summer fixture. I've now seen Loon in 10 of 12 months, missing just January and February. Moments later 4 chattering birds flew over the parking lot and landed right in some cattails. I was hopeful for something exciting, but they turned out to be House Sparrows. Though I quickly realized that was my 12th tic for House Sparrow giving me all months in the year. I can't explain why I hadn't seen them in December up to this point other than I really don't bird much in December I guess. (They are my 29th species seen in all 12 months of the year, which will be number 30? Not sure, but I have several close with just a single month missing. Though some easy birds like Common Raven await in my big year next year in the State Parks.)

I checked in at Pine Point Park looking for Crossbills, but left with Red-breasted Nuthatch. I drove by the lake that had 64 Trumpeter Swan only a week or so prior, but the water was all ice this time. I eventually made my way down to Stillwater (nothing exciting) then to Bayport looking at river access and stopped at the poorly named Lakeside Park (it is on the river) only finding Ring-billed Gulls and Canada Geese. I eventually got to the Afton Marina looking for a Pied-billed Grebe I saw a day or so back, but was not able to find the bird. I hiked a couple spots at Afton State Park, but crashed out missing most of my target birds and being woefully out of position to see what a murder of 50+ crows was harassing. Great weather though so the hiking was the reward and a great mental recharge after that week of work.

I stopped in at Carpenter Nature Center looking for day adds and found Cedar Waxwing cooperative, but little else. Again hoping for a Red-winged Blackbird that Pete Nichols and I had the other day. Point Douglas actually produced a female Hooded Merganser snoozing by some ice for a quality day bird and also some really need water covered ice sheets. I recorded a video and posted to my Instagram @hj70ft for those interested. The metallic wave action was pretty neat.

I then checked the sandbar also hoping the November Cormorants would be around, but they seem to have gone south now. The gulls lounging were all Ring-billed and I quickly moved on to Hazen Mooers open space near Grey Cloud Island after making lunch plans with the wife. Hazen was promising with ice and open water with plenty of gulls hanging around. My hopes for a Bufflehead hanging around were dashed as well, but at least some Herring Gulls made sure it was not a wash for a spot check.

After lunch I made sure to check Lake Elmo Park and found nothing on the water and little else in the park on a short hike. I eventually was able to add American Tree Sparrow on the day while driving near the group camp. A location I call sparrow corner for the quality sparrow species that enjoy this location at the right times of the year.

All total I picked up 29 species on the day and 2 month tics. Most of all I took care of a need. I had to get out and breath the fresh air, hike a bit, and recharge after a grinding week on the phone working on complex technology solutions.

No doubt MOU paper sessions were probably the best thing happening today, but I really needed the out doors.