Earth Day Ride!

After a long time thinking about it, I finally decided to ride my bike into work this week - and what better day to do that than Earth Day! The weather forecast was really nice so I locked myself in mentally and set the alarm for 04:30. I wanted to start early to 1) Try to get displaying American Woodcock and 2) Get into work at a reasonable hour - it was going to be at least a 2-hour ride, each way. 

I managed to leave the house the next day just after 05:00. It rained a little bit in the evening previously, but not much. The wind was mostly calm, which was good. It was a pleasant ride to start. Not much traffic at all along the roads. Singing American Robins were all over, as were the calling Western Chorus Frogs in every little puddle, ditch, or pond. Always enjoyable to be out and about as the natural world wakes up.

 It quickly became apparent however that I had left too late. Sunrise is much earlier now - around 06:14, and I grossly underestimated how long it would take to get the area where there would likely be American Woodcock, which display in the few hours before dawn. I was kicking myself, wondering "what if" the whole way along the Minnesota River through the Wilkie Unit of Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Singing Brown Thrashers and the first Northern House Wren of the year were little consolation. 

Brown Thrasher

I made it through the refuge and scaled the steep hill up to the road for the second half of my ride into work. I needed a water break. While I was taking a drink, I heard a distinctive "kip-kip-kip" from some tall pines nearby - Red Crossbill! This was a very unexpected surprise, even though there have been more around this year than normal. I never got to see them but was thrilled and re-energized from the find. A great pickup for my green year list, getting both species of crossbills was not something I was counting on this year!

The rest of the ride in was quiet but good. It took me just over two hours to go about 18.5 miles. Not bad considering all of the hills. I got into work and had breakfast while cooling down and going through my usual pile of emails, then took a quick shower before starting my day for real. I scanned the lake at the office from the window from time to time, hoping for a Canvasback, Eared Grebe, or maybe one of the Peregrine Falcons that are around sometimes. Not much there. A few Lesser Scaup and Common Mergansers - and Mallards. Oh well. 

Chippies are back! 

The day went by quickly as it usually does and I had a decision to make - go back the same way through the Minnesota River bottoms and the refuge again, or try another slightly longer way and stop at a park and try for Winter Wren, maybe? I decided to go back the way I came. The trails and shoulders were good for sure that way and it was rush hour after all. 

It was much warmer now, around 70 degrees. Those hills were harder than they were this morning, and the wind had picked up - and was blowing right in my face from the south this time. It was going to be a longer ride. But it was really nice so I decided to just enjoy it. Lots of people were out on bikes. Everyone seemed thrilled to be outside.

A quick break along the Bush Lake trail

I scanned Bush Lake along the road - a really nice clear, fairly deep lake south of my office. Not much going on there, but a Great Egret was hunting along the shore, and Wood Ducks were checking out a nest box. I began to wonder when I'd see the first goslings of the year - would today be the day? After a little bit it was obvious that nothing new would reveal itself. Time to keep going. 

I rode back across the river and through the refuge. I noticed a short spur trail overlooking a large wetland that I didn't notice on the way in. Seemed like a nice place to scan for that pesky Canvasback. There lots of diving ducks there, and good variety! Sadly, no Canvasback - again. While I was looking through the flock though, a distinctive "rusty hinge" sounding call caught my year - Rusty Blackbird! There was a single bird calling from the bottomland forest there. I was now glad that I chose this way. Good to check that species off of the list. 

No Canvasbacks here. As usual. 

The rest of the ride was SLOW. The wind picked up even more and was right in my face for what seemed like the whole way back - and through some of the hilliest part of the ride overall. I powered through it bit by bit. By the time I got home almost three hours from leaving the office, I was wiped out - but happy! I'd added four green birds that day. Not bad, and there is still time for American Woodcock this year. Maybe I'll try going at dusk next time, which tends to be better for them anyhow. 

My four new species plus the Bonaparte's Gulls that I just picked up off the back deck just now brings me up to 114 species for my green list. Plus, another 37 miles of bike miles. Pretty good. Up next I'm thinking about heading back to either Spring Lake or Louisville Swamp again. Shorebird numbers seem to be picking up more, time to start shifting my focus to them - although there are still lots of early landbird migrants to get. Thanks for reading! 

P.S. Watch out for nasty potholes when birding by bike along gravel trails in the bottoms...they come up fast.