2-4-0!

Albino squirrel at my feeders. The dogs HATE it.

The weather has continued to stay mild here since my last post. Last weekend on November 16th, I headed over to Spring Lake with hopes of finding something different. I got there and scanned it thoroughly, but there wasn't very much going on. Most of the ducks that were there were all huddled into a cove out of the wind, which was a little stiff from the southwest. A Greater Scaup was the highlight. It was a relatively pleasant ride though, and you can't get something every time. However, I later saw with great interest a report of a Townsend's Solitaire at Richard T. Anderson - which is on my way to work. Biking into work is a long ride - about 38 miles round trip and lots of hills, but I figured I'd wait for a day with minimal wind and give it a go. They are regular, but rare - and getting one by bike would be really cool. 

Wednesday was that day. The ride in was great. I got up bright and early and rode through the pre-dawn light. It was quiet once you got away from the highway, no sounds but rabbits scurrying away through the brush unseen. Really relaxing. I was hoping to luck into a Long-eared or Short-eared Owl flying across my path while I biked through Minnesota Valley Refuge, but it didn't happen. It was still fun. I got to work without even breaking a sweat, really. I still took a shower though. :)

Fun on the way to work, not fun on the way back

I didn't leave quite as early as I wanted to, but I still managed to let to Anderson around 3PM. The forecast had deceived me. Yes, it was still relatively mild, but the wind had picked up - from the south. That's the direction of the final stretch heading home. That wouldn't be fun. However, I kept focused on the possibility of tying Gregg Severson's MN green birding record and didn't let a wrong turn (and extra 0.5 miles) deter me. I got there after around 45 minutes or so of riding and walked in along the hillside. 

Up the hill for a solitaire?

It was very, very, quiet - and the breeze was pretty steady. Hearing a quiet solitaire call note was going to be tough. I got all the way up to the spot and was encouraged, though. Perfect habitat. Steep slope, lots of conifers (and berries) but also some open habitat with a grassy ground layer, and some scattered oaks. I stopped, sat down, and waited. 

Great habitat for a Townsend's Solitaire on the bluff overlooking the Minnesota River.

After a nervy several minutes, I heard it. It was SO QUIET. You could barely hear it over the rustling trees and road noise. Just enough to confirm it. I also got a very unsatisfying, very distant look at a bird perched in a treetop that was a match for the upright, long-tailed, thin, maybe even elegant look of a solitaire. That was species #238 - I tied the record! It was a weird feeling though. Kind of anticlimactic with such a crummy listen, and maybe a distant look. It was getting later than I wanted, and I couldn't stay any longer. No photo or even a good listen for me. Thankfully, others later heard two and maybe even three(!) birds there later in the week, which made me feel a little better. No talking myself out of this one.

The ride home the rest of the way was awful. It got dark fast and the wind picked up just in time for some hills. I don't like riding home in the dark when traffic is heavier, even with my reflective vest, flashers, and other safety gear. It was a real grind getting up the hills, with headlights shining in my eyes. I made it home though - tired and sore, but happy that I got it. Not getting it would have really been a tough pill to swallow.

No congratulatory notes from the dogs, although they did use me as a prop during their evening playtime.

The rest of the week went by and my sore legs and back recovered, mostly. The weather stayed mild, and this weekend was beautiful...however, there is a big winter storm and very cold temperatures forecasted for the Thanksgiving holiday next week. I figured I'd better take advantage of the nice weather for a ride on Sunday (today). Unfortunately, there weren't any good reports from Saturday around the area. I decided to give Spring Lake a shot in the afternoon. Little did I know that there was indeed a good bird found on Saturday afternoon - and at Spring Lake! 

I got up and had breakfast, then went to the gym to get a workout in. While between exercises, I opened up eBird and was immediately brought to attention by a White-winged Scoter report from Saturday afternoon. I was about halfway through my workout and decided I'd pick up the pace and maybe cut it short. My friend Scott who I texted agreed, so I skipped doing much of an abdominal workout. Oh darn, they are so fun. 

This was the last scoter species that I needed - and I've been eagerly awaiting a report of one. I rushed home, brimming over with excitement. I couldn't get on my bike fast enough. 

It was a quick ride over, and I arrived to find someone that I knew looking out at the lake. He had just got there and hadn't found the scoter yet. I got my stuff set up and started scanning the lake. All the ducks were on the far, southern side of the water body. Distant, but there were good numbers of them. A good sign. The scoter was reported hanging around with a group of Common Goldeneyes, so I looked for those. I found them fairly quickly, a pretty big group of around 50 birds. 

As I scanned through the flock, something else caught my eye. It wasn't a scoter. It was a smallish, white duck with a rounded head. I couldn't believe my eyes. Long-tailed Duck! That was an unexpected find, and what a way to break the record (I'd later find out that someone else had seen it about an hour before I did - but I didn't know at the time, and it doesn't diminish any of my joy in finding the bird). Then the scoter swam into view - in the same scope view even. Unreal. 240 species. Having those two birds in the same scope view doesn't happen much in Minnesota, much less on the same lake at the same time. 

Distant duck photo #1, for your enjoyment - Long-tailed Duck for #239

 

Distant duck photo #2 - White-winged Scoter, #240

I was so happy, and incredulous. While riding over, I gave myself a 50/50 chance of even finding the scoter. Getting that AND the Long-tailed was insane. I never imagined that I'd get all three scoter species and Long-tailed Duck at Spring Lake this year. That place really came through for me. I stared at the Long-tailed Duck through the scope for several minutes. A Bald Eagle swooped down at the flock several times to no avail, which made realize that I still needed to both count everything else in the flock and also scan the rest of the lake! I didn't find anything else, but that was just fine. Time to head home after 45 minutes or so of fun duck watching. 

This is what 240 green species looks like! 

So, what's next? I'm not really sure! I'm done with sea ducks now, barring something crazy like a Barrow's Goldeneye or Harlequin Duck. I do still need Long-eared Owl, and Snowy Owls have already been starting to show up which is interesting. I could still get a flyover American Goshawk at some point - and maybe this finch invasion will bring something to the feeders, like an Evening Grosbeak. There are two more gull species that I could get too...but...I don't really enjoy sifting through gulls sitting on the ice while my fingers go numb. 

The biggest question is whether I'll be able to ride at all anymore after this snowstorm hits. Ice, snow, and narrow shoulders on the road don't mix. This could have been my last ride of the year (I can still walk, however, even if we get snowed in). I guess we'll see what happens. For now, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy this milestone. Thanks for reading!