Category: Afternoon birding

We took a quick trip to Idaho to see a swim meet, but during the gaps between sessions, what were we to do? Bird, of course. We birded four locations in three days for about an hour each:

Blacks Creek Bird Reserve, 13 Feb

A Western Meadowlark on the lookout
A Western Meadowlark on the lookout, Blacks Creek Bird Reserve, Idaho, 13 Feb 2026

Boise River Greenbelt, 13 Feb

Three Common Goldeneye swim on a small pond
Three common goldeneye swim on a small pond, Boise River Greenbelt, Idaho, 13 Feb 2026
Red-Tailed Hawk perches atop a tree
Red-Tailed Hawk perches atop a tree, Boise River Greenbelt, Idaho, 13 Feb 2026

Kathryn Albertson Park, 14 Feb

A Wood Duck among the reeds by a lake
A Wood Duck among the reeds by a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Two Wood Ducks swim in a lake
Two Wood Ducks swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Two Northern Shovelers swim in a lake
Two Northern Shovelers swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Two Northern Shovelers swim in a lake
Two Northern Shovelers swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Three Northern Shovelers swim in a lake,
Three Northern Shovelers swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Two Gadwalls swim in a lake
Two Gadwalls swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
A Gadwall swims in a lake
A Gadwall swims in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Two Gadwall swim in a lake
Two Gadwall swim in a lake, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
Hooded Merganser drifts in the middle of a pond
Hooded Merganser drifts in the middle of a pond, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026
A canada goose dives for food while another watches
A canada goose dives for food while another watches, Kathryn Albertson Park, Idaho, 14 Feb 2026

Foothills Learning Center, 15 Feb 2026

A Common Magpie among the trees
A Common Magpie among the trees, Foothills Learning Center, Idaho, 15 Feb 2026

We had a delightful 24 hours visiting Sax-Zim Bog in Northern Minnesota. We didn’t see any owls, alas, but we did get two new lifers, and some fun pics of other friends. Enjoy!

Canada Jay on a carcass
Canada Jay on a carcass, Sax-Zim Bog, 22 Dec 2025
Downy Woodpecker on a tree trunk
Downy Woodpecker on a tree trunk, Sax-Zim Bog, 22 Dec 2025
Northern Shrike on a tree
Northern Shrike on a tree, Sax-Zim Bog, 22 Dec 2025
Northern Shrike in flight
Northern Shrike in flight, Sax-Zim Bog, 22 Dec 2025
Pine Grosbeaks in a tree
Pine Grosbeaks in a tree, Sax-Zim Bog, 22 Dec 2025
Black-Capped Chickadee in Sax-Zim Bog
Black-Capped Chickadee in Sax-Zim Bog, 23 Dec 2025
Evening Grosbeaks in a tree
Evening Grosbeaks in a tree in Sax-Zim Bog, 23 Dec 2025
Evening Grosbeaks at a feeder
Evening Grosbeaks at a feeder in Sax-Zim Bog, 23 Dec 2025
Mouse under a feeder
Mouse under a feeder at Sax-Zim Bog, 23 Dec 2025
Pine Grosbeak
Pine Grosbeak at Sax-Zim Bog, 23 Dec 2025
The Sax-Zim Bog sign
The Sax-Zim Bog sign

During a bookstore outing downtown, we took a break from our bibliophilia to peep some birds. We didn’t see the birds we hoped we would, but it was a fun outing nonetheless.

New Lifer:

  • Hermit Thrush
Black-capped Chickadee on the lookout
Black-capped Chickadee on the lookout; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
Three Double-crested Cormorants fly by
Three Double-crested Cormorants fly by; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Flock of Double-crested Cormorants fly by
A Flock of Double-crested Cormorants fly by; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Red-breasted Merganser enjoys Lake Michigan
A Red-breasted Merganser enjoys Lake Michigan; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Mallard enjoys Lake Michigan
A Mallard enjoys Lake Michigan; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Goldfinch chills on a branch
A Goldfinch chills on a branch; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Hermit Thrush takes a break
A Hermit Thrush takes a break; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
A Hermit Thrush glowers at the camera
A Hermit Thrush glowers at the camera; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
Red-winged Blackbird on alert
Red-winged Blackbird on alert; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
Red-winged Blackbird calls a warning
Red-winged Blackbird calls a warning; 12 April 2025
Caspian Terns on the beach
Caspian Terns on the beach; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025
An American Kestrel on the lookout
An American Kestrel on the lookout; Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary; 12 April 2025

 

 

We found ourselves downtown on the very pleasant early-Spring afternoon of March 8th, so we walked by Lake Michigan for 45 minutes or so. There weren’t many birds in the trees, but we saw a bunch of cuties in the water.

New Lifer:

  • Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye swimming to the left
Common Goldeneye, Lake Michigan near Grant Park, 8 March 2025
Common Goldeneye duck swimming to the right
Common Goldeneye, Lake Michigan near Grant Park, 8 March 2025
A collage of six images in sequence showing a common goldeneye duck diving underwater
Common Goldeneye dives for food, Lake Michigan near Grant Park, Chicago, IL; 8 March 2025
Three female Lesser Scaup ducks and one male Lesser Scaup duck swim in the lake.
Three female Lesser Scaup ducks and one male Lesser Scaup duck swim in the lake, Lake Michigan near Grant Park, Chicago, IL; 8 March 2025
Male Red-Breasted Merganser close up, spiky feathers stick up off its head
A Male Red-Breasted Merganser swims in Lake Michigan near Grant Park, Chicago, IL; 8 March 2025
Female Red-Breasted Merganser swims right
A Female Red-Breasted Merganser swims in Lake Michigan near Grant Park, Chicago, IL; 8 March 2025
Five Redhead ducks from a distance in a lake
Five Redheads swim in Lake Michigan, shot at distance near Grant Park, Chicago, IL; 8 March 2025
Ring billed gull stands on concrete
Ring Billed Gull stands on concrete, Lake Michigan shore near Grant Park, 8 March 2025