Decorated and Lost Duck

As you can see, the house is decorated and the color this year is, Red and White. For the last several years, Kim and I have change, the color we use for decorating the house. Last year was White and the year before was Red. So it was easy to do have a Red and White Christmas this year. The month of December, I will post photos of the house, for everyone to see.
Now for the lost Duck. Driving around lake Calhoun, on Sunday I spotted something that just didn't look like your everyday Mallard. If you look in the photo of the lake, in the center about 3/4 of the way up, you will see what I found. This lost duck, if a female, Long Tail Duck. So what's the big deal. It's not, if we lived on the on the mid atlantic cost. Some how, she made here way to Minnesota. The Long Tail Duck, spend the summer in the Artic Circle and then heads for the Mid Atlantic cost, to spend the winter. I guess, she wanted to get away from the family for the winter. Must be a teenager.

Just a dusting

It had to happen, the snow final made a appearance. But with a forecast of 50 degrees, by the end of the week. The snow will have to go. Maybe this year, I can get that day after Thanksgiving ride in, it's been five years, since that has happened. Let's see.

Each year, we have a different color theme at Christmas. This is a hint.

 A couple of birds in the backyard, from this weekend.

Gold Finch

White Breasted Nut Hatch

Found Them

This Sunday, the hunt was on to find the Tundra Swans. Out to the backwaters of the Minnesota River Valley, and after going through brush and marsh grass, we found the Swans. Look in the middle of the photo and you will see two white objects.  Not a lot of them, but a couple.  And after hearing them fly over the house the other night, there are sure to be more.

What a Beak

Now there's a Beak! This beak belongs to a Northern Shoveler. We don't see many of them in our area for some reason. But that's makes finding one, that more special. Now the search is on for the Tundra Swans.

Northern Shoveler