Last Week

I just taught my last class as a Wolf Ridge naturalist. Instead of reflecting on my last two years in my own words, I'm using excerpts of Sigurd Olson in his essay "The Singing Wilderness" and some of my favorite pictures from my time in the North Woods.

The singing wilderness has to do with the calling of the loons...

 and the great silences of a land lying northwest of Lake Superior. 

It is concerned with the simple joys...

the timelessness... 

and perspective found in a way of life that is close to the past. 

I have heard the singing in many places, but I seem to hear it best in the wilderness lake country of the Quetico-Superior. 

I have heard it on misty migration nights when the dark has been alive with the high calling of birds...

 and in rapids when the air has been full of their rushing thunder. 

I have caught it at dawn when the mists were moving out of the bays...

and on cold winter nights when stars seemed close enough to touch. 

But the music can even be heard in the soft guttering of an open fire or in the beat of rain on a tent...

 and sometimes not until long afterward when, like an echo out of the past, you know it was there in some quiet places or when you were doing some simple thing in the out-of-doors. 

I have discovered that I am not alone in my listening...

 that almost everyone is listening for something...

 and that the search for places where the singing may be heard goes on everywhere. 

May Bird Count

Spring has sprung, and with it have arrived warblers and waterfowl galore!

5/1/13
69. Hooded Merganser: Finland, MN, County Road 7, on the Baptism River
70. Ring-necked Duck (L): Finland, MN, County Road 7, on the Baptism River (I've seen a ton of ring-necked ducks this month, which I've become quite fond of. They're called "ring-necked" because of a subtle cinnamon colored ring around their neck; however, many people are calling them "ring-billed" because of the much more obvious pattern on their bills).

71. Belted Kingfisher: Finland, MN, County Road 7

5/2/13
72. Evening Grosbeak: Wolf Ridge, ED Building Bird Feeders (These awesome birds were hanging out for about a week and a half, their distinctive call heard throughout campus. I caught one in a mist net while bird banding, but it flew out before I could get to it. I was very disappointed - I'd love to see one up close. For the rest of the afternoon, they were perched in the tree, taunting me with their call...)

5/6/13
73. Bufflehead: Finland, MN, County Road 7, on the Baptism River
74. Northern Harrier: Finland, MN, County Road 7, circling overhead the Baptism River

5/7/13
75. Pine Siskin: Wolf Ridge, ED Building Bird Feeders (There were hundreds of pine siskins here all winter last year, but for some reason, we didn't see any until migration season).
76. Lesser Yellowlegs: Finland, MN, County Road 7, on the Baptism River ice

5/9/13
77. Red-necked Grebe (L): Illgen City, MN, Birch Bay on Lake Superior
78. Peregrine Falcon: Illgen City, MN, Birch Bay, circling overhead on the point
79. Cooper's Hawk: Highway 1, perched on the side of the road, en route to Finland from Illgen City

Another broad-wing seen a couple days later on County Road 7.

5/10/13
80. American Goldfinch: Wolf Ridge, ED Building bird feeders

And also at the second-year house bird feeders.

81. Winter Wren: Wolf Ridge, wetlands

5/12/13
82. Lesser Scaup: Finland, MN, County Road 7, on the Baptism River

5/14/13
83. Northern Shoveler: Two Harbors, MN, Lighthouse Bay

84. Blue-winged Teal: Two Harbors, MN, Lighthouse Bay

5/15/13: Went on a "second-years and their significant others birding safari" this evening to my favorite birding spot of the month (County Road 7). It was a great memory as we watched lots of my favorite waterfowl, saw beavers, and beautiful colors reflecting off of the water.
85. Pied-billed Grebe (L): Finland, MN, County Road 7 on the Baptism River

86. American Bittern: Finland, MN, County Road 7, reeds behind the Baptism River (and we got to hear its ridiculous call, watching its body convulse as it "gunk-ga-GUNK"ed).

5/16/13
87. Black-throated Green Warbler: Wolf Ridge, Trees and Keys start

5/17/13
88. Common Yellowthroat: Finland, MN, County Road 7

5/22/13
89. Nashville Warbler: Wolf Ridge, Wolf Lake, near Voyageur Campsite
90. Wild Turkey: Highway 53, north of Eau Claire, WI

5/23/13
91. Barn Swallow: Lacon, IL, Augustyn/Sloan Family Barn
92. Eastern Meadowlark (L): Lacon, IL, Prairie patch near Augustyn/Sloan home

5/28/13
93. Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Wolf Ridge, First large platform on North Stairs
94. Chestnut-sided Warbler: Wolf Ridge, fishing bridge
95. Bay-breasted Warbler (L): Finland, MN, Dubbins Pit Road pond
96. Golden-winged Warbler: Wolf Ridge, just uphill of Beavers/Stream Study intersection

5/29/13
97. Ovenbird: Wolf Ridge, Ridgetop Ropes Course

5/31/13
98. Red-eyed Vireo: Wolf Ridge, outside second year office window
99. American Redstart: Tofte, MN, trees above Tofte Cemetary
100! Olive-sided Flycatcher: Tofte, MN, perched across from beaver pond

Exactly 100 birds at the end of May. It will be interesting to see what happens with my lists in the upcoming months with the adventures that lay ahead. I expect to see more (L)'s as I begin to explore uncharted territories.