What No Ducks

Once again no ducks! where have the all gone or did we just miss them. The weather has been very nice lately, so they could be still hanging up north waiting for that first big blast of cold air to push them south.

This weekends birding was not a waste of time. The first bird taking off is a Black Crowned Night Heron. Second bird is a Green Heron, that was not as shy as the Black Crowned Heron. Next is a juvenile Great Blue Heron enjoying the sun coming up. The last photo kind of sums up the weekend.

Gold Finches

Lately I have been wondering where have all the Gold Finches gone? Well this week we found them in rainy finch heaven. A field of wild flowers and thistles. There must have been hundreds of them, everywhere you turned you saw a finch just gorging themselves on seeds. If you look closely at the third photo you can see it raining and moments later it was pouring on us to the point even gortex was wet.

This years bird count to date is 95 different kinds of birds and over half have come from our back yard. Our goal is to make 100 and we should make that this year.

Next weekend is the hunt for ducks.

Smallest Largest Rarest

With fair season behind us, it is time to get back outside and do some birding. This is just some of what we found this past weekend. The smallest bird in Minnesota, the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (length 3.75" wingspan 4.5" weight .11oz) To the largest bird in Minnesota, the American White Pelican (length 62" wingspan 108" weight 16.4 lb). Some might say that the Sora Rail is rare, but you just need to know were to look.

Other then birding, football season has started and in thirty days HOCKEY starts. Did someone say "drop the puck !!"

Harley Davidson 105th Birthday

Can you believe that it has been five years since the Harley Davidson 100th party? Time does fly when you are having fun and that is what we had this past week in Milwaukee. The trip to Milwaukee starting in a cold rain for the first part of the trip. Since God loves Harley's, the sun came out west of Milwaukee and stayed out the rest of the week.
This year marked the 25th anniversary or HOG (Harley Owners Group) and 105th Birthday of Harley Davidson. It is hard to describe the feeling of going to the 95th then the 100th party but let me try for the 105th.
You know it is going to be big, but how big is hard to say. As we left home, we started seeing more bikes going east and none going west. When you pull into the gas station and rest stops, you are not the only one on a bike. You start seeing people on over passes, taking photos of you and the group you are riding with. The closer you get to Milwaukee, the group you are traveling with is joined by others with the same mission. To get to Milwaukee and have a good time!
There is a song on the radio now called "I can sleep when I am dead" and how true was that. Kim and I didn't want to miss a thing and as I am writing this I almost feel half dead.
No matter were we went we met people from all over the world and that had the same mission as we did this week.
To see more photo's of the week, follow the link on the left side of the page.