NEWSLETTERS ~ CURRENT PROJECTS ~ BUTTERFLY COUNT ~ CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT ~ NATIVE PLANTS & PRAIRIE ~ VOLUNTEER
Archived News from 2018
Christmas Bird Count, Dec 15, 2018 - It was a great day for birding! Our early morning team of experts started in the dark at 3:30am to search for owls (they found Great Horned, Barred, and Screech). The rest of us waited to start at 7:15. Sunny skies, light winds and temps between 16 - 38 degrees made it easy to get around and no one suffered from frozen fingers. Many of our favorite watering holes where we hoped to find waterfowl were frozen over, but most of the creeks were open.
We gathered at Quarry Hill at 4:30 for the Tally. Eight out of nine teams have reported in(as of this posting) and so far 54 different species were found on count day and 1 additional species during the count week. Crows, Canada Geese and Starlings were numerous - no surprise there. Notable finds included Merlin, Great Blue Heron, Kingfisher, Tufted Titmouse, Swamp Sparrow, Eurasian Collared Dove (1st time seen on the count), Kestrel, Golden Eye Ducks, Rusty Blackbird, Horned Lark, and the Owls, of course. Click here to see the complete list. Our Facebook album with more photos is here.
Many thanks to the team leaders and all of the 30+ volunteers who participated today. This count really helps us figure out how birds are adapting to changes in our area. A special thanks to Clifford Hanson for organizing the count and the pot luck, and to Quarry Hill for hosting us.
We gathered at Quarry Hill at 4:30 for the Tally. Eight out of nine teams have reported in(as of this posting) and so far 54 different species were found on count day and 1 additional species during the count week. Crows, Canada Geese and Starlings were numerous - no surprise there. Notable finds included Merlin, Great Blue Heron, Kingfisher, Tufted Titmouse, Swamp Sparrow, Eurasian Collared Dove (1st time seen on the count), Kestrel, Golden Eye Ducks, Rusty Blackbird, Horned Lark, and the Owls, of course. Click here to see the complete list. Our Facebook album with more photos is here.
Many thanks to the team leaders and all of the 30+ volunteers who participated today. This count really helps us figure out how birds are adapting to changes in our area. A special thanks to Clifford Hanson for organizing the count and the pot luck, and to Quarry Hill for hosting us.
November 27, 2018 - Quarry Hill Nature Center - At our monthly program tonight Tom Will, Senior Nongame Bird Biologist, from the US Fish & Wildlife Service, told us how coffee is grown and farmed. In a nutshell - if you're a coffee drinker - we highly recommend choosing Smithsonian certified shade grown coffee because it preserves forest habitat, supports a much greater diversity of birds, and the farmers make more money (bonus - it also tastes better!). Two lucky people each won a bag of coffee to try. Thank you Tom for a very interesting program!
November 22, 2018 - We'd like to give a shout out to all of our supporters and everyone who donated to ZVAS during the recent "Give To The Max Day". Your generosity provided another $450 for us to continue enriching people's lives through nature. Thank you!
November 19, 2018 - This evening Board Member Patty Trnka presented two plaques for achievement to a local 4H group. Grand Champion Entomology went to Ryan Jirik (pictures) from Creative Clovers. Ryan is an 8th grader and did his project on the life cycle of honeybees. Joshua Zemke was not present to receive his plaque for Grand Champion Exploring the Environment.
November 10, 2018 - Tundra Swan Watch - Our group of 7 were bundled up against the cold on Saturday morning as we traveled to Brownsville on the Mississippi River to witness the annual Tundra Swan migration. We estimated around 3,000 swans were present, along with many pelicans and ducks, including Gadwall, Widgeon, Mallards, Pintails, Hooded Merganzers, and Golden eye. Also seen were a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, Pied Bill Grebe, Ring Billed Gulls, MANY Bald Eagles and couple Red Tailed Hawks.
Most of the birds were further out, requiring a scope to view...(so not many photos here) and the cold was not helping matters... so we decided to continue down to Lansing, IA for lunch and to check the new Visitor Center there. We were all quite impressed with it, and stayed to listen to a talk by Paul Skrade about his research on Cerulean Warblers in NE Iowa. (Now we all want to do a field trip to the Effigy Mounds area next spring!)
http://www.mylansingiowa.com/…/driftless-area-tourist-center
Many thanks to Terry & Joyce for leading out trip, and to Dave Gross for driving. There is still plenty of time to go see the swans as we think the main bulk have not yet arrived - this coming weekend could be even better for viewing.
Most of the birds were further out, requiring a scope to view...(so not many photos here) and the cold was not helping matters... so we decided to continue down to Lansing, IA for lunch and to check the new Visitor Center there. We were all quite impressed with it, and stayed to listen to a talk by Paul Skrade about his research on Cerulean Warblers in NE Iowa. (Now we all want to do a field trip to the Effigy Mounds area next spring!)
http://www.mylansingiowa.com/…/driftless-area-tourist-center
Many thanks to Terry & Joyce for leading out trip, and to Dave Gross for driving. There is still plenty of time to go see the swans as we think the main bulk have not yet arrived - this coming weekend could be even better for viewing.
November 3, 2018 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk -A large group of 40 enthusiastic kids and adults attended this morning's walk at Quarry Hill. The weather was overcast, but no wind and temps in the 40s made for a pretty nice day. We broke up into two groups to cover more ground - but ending up seeing most of the same birds - with the best sightings near the feeders and the pond. Our favorite birds of the day were a Red Basted Nuthatch, Great Blue Heron and a Brown Creeper. We saw or heard 21 species total - mostly common birds of the area. Thanks Joyce, Brendan, Cory and Sandy for leading. We'll add more photos as they come in.
Stan Tekiela (left) discussing some of his books with ZVAS member Terry Grier while setting up for the program.
October 23, 2018 -Naturalist Stan Tekiela's presentation about woodpeckers tonight at Quarry Hill was funny, entertaining and educational. It's amazing what we are still learning about these birds which have been around for more than 50 million years! Stan is also a wildlife photographer, writer and the originator of the popular state-specific field guides such as Birds of Minnesota, Wildflowers of Minnesota, etc.. Learn more about Stan at www.NatureSmart.com.
October 6 & 7, 2018 - Cool and cloudy conditions didn't discourage our birders this weekend who together spotted 27 species at Quarry Hill on Saturday and 34 species at Root River County Park on Sunday. We were all pleased to see 11 species of warblers still in the area - they likely won't be here much longer. Other highlights included several Red-breasted Nuthatches, a blue-headed vireo, and a large flock of Cedar Waxwings. Getting photos was a challenge as the birds were moving fast, often obscured, and lighting was poor. Full list and more photos can be see on our Facebook page.
September 25, 2018 - Hawk Ridge. Margie Menzies, Education Manager from Hawk Ridge in Duluth gave a fascinating talk last night at Quarry Hill about the hundreds of thousands of raptors (and other birds) that pass though the Hawk Ridge area each year during migration. Did you know: in the 1930s Hawk Ridge was considered a target shooting area where hunters would shoot as many hawks as they could!
September through early November is the best time to visit this area to watch migration. Find out more here: https://www.hawkridge.org/
September through early November is the best time to visit this area to watch migration. Find out more here: https://www.hawkridge.org/
September 2, 2018 - Peregrines at Whitewater State Park. There was standing room only in the Visitor Center at Whitewater Sate Park on Sunday night as Jackie Fallon of the Midwest Peregrine Society gave a talk about Peregrine Falcons. Titan, her live Peregrine Falcon, was a big hit with the crowd... the kids especially loved watching him have his supper of quail meat. Titan is a young Arctic Peregrine who suffered a permanent wing injury in a car crash... but now has a career as an educational bird.
Whitewater is a beautiful park just 30 minutes from Rochester - and they have a great bird watching area in the Visitor Center for those not able to walk far - be sure to visit!
Whitewater is a beautiful park just 30 minutes from Rochester - and they have a great bird watching area in the Visitor Center for those not able to walk far - be sure to visit!
September 1, 2018 - Quarry Hill Walk It was an overcast, wet morning at Quarry Hill and the birding was slow to start for the first hour ... but then our small group found some great birds, including several fall warblers, during the second half of the walk. I didn't get many clear photos as everything was flitting in and out of the leaves. We also found a tree frog, a couple American Toads and a basking Garter Snake. Pretty good day! Thanks to Joyce Grier for leading the walk.
We saw:
White breasted Nuthatch, Black Capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, Blue Jay, Cardinals, Goldfinch,Downy Woodpecker, Red Bellied woodpecker, Spotted sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, House Wren. Barn Swallow, Catbird, Robin, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Ovenbird, Redstart, Chestnut sided warbler, Bay Breasted Warbler, Magnolia warbler, Golden Winged warbler, Nashville warbler
Yellow warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange Crowned warbler (85% sure)
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Red Eyed Vireo, Olive Sided Flycatcher, Turkey Vultures
Canada Geese, Hawk - N Harrier or Coopers (not sure)
Photos by Sandy Hokanson/ see more on our FB page here:
We saw:
White breasted Nuthatch, Black Capped Chickadee, House Sparrow, Blue Jay, Cardinals, Goldfinch,Downy Woodpecker, Red Bellied woodpecker, Spotted sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, House Wren. Barn Swallow, Catbird, Robin, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Ovenbird, Redstart, Chestnut sided warbler, Bay Breasted Warbler, Magnolia warbler, Golden Winged warbler, Nashville warbler
Yellow warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Orange Crowned warbler (85% sure)
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Red Eyed Vireo, Olive Sided Flycatcher, Turkey Vultures
Canada Geese, Hawk - N Harrier or Coopers (not sure)
Photos by Sandy Hokanson/ see more on our FB page here:
Chimney Swift Sits
Thursday, August 30, 2018 / 7:30 - 9 pm at Kellogg Middle School at 503 17th St NE, Rochester, MN 55906
Megan Betcher the Seasonal Naturalist at Oxbow Park shot a great video of swifts entering the Kelloog Chimney. Our small group counted 700 Chimney Swifts entering the chimney. And another group counted approx 500 swifts at John Marshall. They should be around for another week or so before leaving for the season.
Photo above by Megan Betcher. See the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/megan.betcher.7/videos/10156641219737354/?t=9
Thursday, August 30, 2018 / 7:30 - 9 pm at Kellogg Middle School at 503 17th St NE, Rochester, MN 55906
Megan Betcher the Seasonal Naturalist at Oxbow Park shot a great video of swifts entering the Kelloog Chimney. Our small group counted 700 Chimney Swifts entering the chimney. And another group counted approx 500 swifts at John Marshall. They should be around for another week or so before leaving for the season.
Photo above by Megan Betcher. See the video here:
https://www.facebook.com/megan.betcher.7/videos/10156641219737354/?t=9
August 21, 2018 - All About Monarchs at Quarry Hill Nature Center - We had a busy day today! ZVAS volunteers captured nearly 150 Monarchs over the past couple days - and today we tagged and released them - with a little help from 120 of our friends. Keith Anderson brought a great display of how he raises monarchs from egg, through the caterpillar stages, to the chrysallis and finally the butterfly. We even got to watch two caterpillars create their chrysallis (in an amazingly short amount of time.) Many thanks to Pam Meyer and Joel Dunnette for sharing their knowledge with us, and to the many volunteers who helped the kids with craft projects, assisted at the science tables, recorded tag numbers, and did all the things that it takes to make an event a success!
Photos by Sandy Hokanson
Photos by Sandy Hokanson
August 4, 2018 - Quarry Hill Walk - The skies were overcast and it was quite humid on our walk this morning, but our group of 16 found a good cross section of nature to admire. Our list today included: House sparrow, Song Sparrow, White breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Ruby Throated Hummingbird, Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers, Black capped chickadees, Cardinals, Goldfinch, House finch, Robins, Flicker, Catbird, Red Eyed Vireo, Barn Swallow, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Wood Peewee, Chimney Swift, Blue gray Gnatcatcher Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Chipmunk, Tree Frog, Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails, Dragonflies, and a really cool caterpillar. Thanks to Terry and Joyce Grier for leading today. Photos by Sandy Hokanson.
July 31, 2018 - Eastside Marsh Deck Repairs - This spring we noticed that the observation deck at the Eastside Marsh WMA was in serious need of repairs and in danger of being closed to the public. As an important place for observing migrating waterfowl and other birds we wanted to keep it open. To do that, ZVAS has allocated $700 for materials, and a team of volunteers, led by Jerry Pruett, are now working to repair the entire deck surface so it's safe for bird watching. Many thanks to the Jerry Pruett, Jim Peterson, Lance Vrieze and Dave Nelson for volunteering the time and skills on this project! Thanks also to those who donate to ZVAS - enabling us to do this work which benefits us all.
Update - Sept. 2, 2018 - Today we installed a small plaque commemorating the hard work done by our volunteers that kept the Eastside WMA deck open. Thanks to Keith House for installing the sign and to Sandy Hokanson for the design.
Update - Sept. 2, 2018 - Today we installed a small plaque commemorating the hard work done by our volunteers that kept the Eastside WMA deck open. Thanks to Keith House for installing the sign and to Sandy Hokanson for the design.
July 28, 2018 - Chimney Swift Sit - It was a picture perfect evening with clear skies and no wind for the six folks who came out for our first "Sit" of the year. As expected the count was low with only 12 birds entering the chimney. But we were entertained by some frolicking deer, a few Nighthawks and some Big Brown Bats. Swift migration will be in full swing by mid-August and we expect much higher numbers for our second "Sit" on August 24. Last year in August we counted over 2,000 one night - so don't miss that one!
July 17, 2018 - UPDATE on the Butterfly Count - By Joel Dunnette - The day started cloudy and cool, with some fog. It took an hour or more before the butterflies started becoming evident. Late morning through afternoon was mostly sunny, warm and humid. We saw no new species for the count which is unusual. Observers said numbers were lower than expected, but totals were about average for both number of individual butterflies and number of species. But we do have more observers with experience now. Notable was the high number of Monarchs (313). Total species seen was 29, with 733 individuals.
Review past years’ results here.
Compilation of this year's and past year's counts (Excel file)
View more photos on our FB page here.
Review past years’ results here.
Compilation of this year's and past year's counts (Excel file)
View more photos on our FB page here.
July 15, 2018 - Bug Hunt - It was a hot, muggy day for the Bug Hunt out at Chester Woods but the kids that did come out were very enthusiastic and has a lot of fun catching and getting up close looks at the many kinds of insects found in Minnesota. We even found one insect that no one could identify - a real mystery!! Thank you to Joel Dunnette for leading this annual event and Brendan and Kate Lanpher for being very able assistants. Photos by Brandan Lanpher.
July 14, 2018 - Annual Rochester Area Butterfly Count - The day started off cloudy and steamy, making it difficult to locate butterflies which prefer to fly on bright sunny days. The sun did peak out later in the day and we eventually found a fairly good selection of species, especially at Chester Woods, where we spent most of our time. The finally tally will be reported later - but we saw at least a couple dozen different species. Monarchs, Great Spangled Fritillaries and Northern Pearly Eyes seemed to be the most common species seen. Many thanks to our volunteers who braved the wet meadows, woods and gnat swarms in the pursuit of science, and especially to Joel Dunnette for organizing and leading the way. See more photos on our Facebook album here.
July 7, 2018 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - Sunny skies and a nice breeze greeted the nearly 50 people who came out for our monthly walk today. We split into two groups, but at the end of the walk discovered we had nearly identical species counts (nearly 30 species). Highlights were 2 male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Orioles, an Indigo Bunting, and flyovers by a Broad Winged Hawk and Red Tail hawk. Plus we found numerous insects, butterflies and plants and a couple muskrats. Thanks again to Joyce and Terry Grier for leading the way, and to Brendan Lanpher, Dave Gross and Sandy Hokanson for helping spot and identify birds and plants along the way.
June 27, 2018 - Kestrel Chicks banded - Our Kestrel nest box program continues with several chicks hatched and old enough now to band. Our thanks go to Kirk Payne, Naturalist and falconer with Quarry Hill who sent us these photos of some of the 8 chicks he banded. What a great experience to share with the kids. Hopefully these chicks will survive to nest in the future.
June 22, 2018 - Rochesterfest Ecofair - Although Rochesterfest was plagued by rain this year, our day at the event celebrating the environment was sunny and nice. We were happy to chat with the aprox 100 people who stopped by our booth. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped out at this event.
June 14, 2018 - Chester Woods Park - Damsels & Dragonflies - We had a great day at Chester Woods catching and learning about damselflies and dragonflies. The day started cool and windy, but as soon as the sun came out there were plenty of fun critters to catch. Thanks to Joel Dunnette for leading and being so great with all the kids. Photos by Brendan Lanpher.
June 2, 2018 - Quarry Hill Nature Walk - 24 folks enjoyed the cooler weather on our walk around QH this morning. We split into two groups for easier viewing and ended up mostly seeing the same things. Together both groups found at least 27 bird species - not as many as we hoped for - but it's the nesting season and the birds are keeping quiet so as not to draw attention to their nests. We also saw many wildflowers in bloom and several chipmunks... there's always something good to see at Quarry Hill.. get out and enjoy! Thank you to Terry and Joyce for leading the trip! To see more photos and the complete list of species see out FB photo album here.
May 27, 2018 - Peregine Falcons - Jackie Fallon from the Midwest Peregrine Society gave a fascinating presentation about Peregrine Falcons and other raptors today at Whitewater State Park. 80+ people filled the room and got close up looks at her Peregrine and Merlin. Both birds are rescues that were injured and could not survive in the wild. We learned that Peregrines are now in good shape in Minnesota (after almost losing almost the entire species to DDT poisoning in the 1970s-80s. They now nest successfully in the wild and on tall structures in urban areas - with approx. 150 chicks hatched each year (2 chicks have hatched at Whitewater this year). Thanks to Whitewater SP for hosting this event, and to ZVAS contributors who paid for the presentation. We'll be repeating this presentation on Sept. 2.
May 18, 2018 - Your donations are taking root! These new educational signs were recently "planted" in Kutzky Park (Warblers) and at Indian Heights Park (A Walk In The Woods). Sandy Hokanson designed the signs for ZVAS, your donations paid for production, and the frames were made by Rochester Park & Rec (who also put them up). Additional signs will soon go up in Oxbow Park, Chester Woods, and Hok-Si-La Park in Lake City. Many thanks to everyone who helped with this project!
May 13, 2018 - Hok-Si-La & Sand Point Field Trip - Nine birders came along on our all day field trip today. It was cloudy and chilly in the morning followed by a beautiful sunny afternoon. We saw 18 species of warblers (including the elusive Prothonotary at Sand Point) and at least 61 total species - see the complete list and more photos in our Facebook album here.
May 12, 2018 - Plummer House Walk - 5 birders met early this morning to look for migrants at Plummer House. While this location is often great for warblers, it was awfully slow this morning. Oh well.. at least the weather was beautiful. We had fun watching the group of turkey vultures that often roost there wake up as the sun came up. We also had good looks at Tennessee warblers, american redstarts, magnolia warblers, and black-and-white warblers.
May 8, 2018 - Kestrel Box Update - Great news! We have kestrel activity at the nest boxes we put up this spring near Silver Creek Farms on the road between QHNC and the Silver Creek reservoir, and in the SE corner of Chester Woods. Thank you John Ryder for monitoring the nest boxes and getting these great photos.
First Annual BIG Birding Day - May 5, 2018
We held our very first Big Birding Day on Saturday May 5, 2018 with an ambitious schedule to visit 5 local parks and tally as many species as we could find. The weather was sunny and warm with temps in the 60s in the morning and 80 in the afternoon. Approximately 60 people came and went during the day - with many participating at all 5 locations. Altogether we found at least 87 different species. See more here:
We held our very first Big Birding Day on Saturday May 5, 2018 with an ambitious schedule to visit 5 local parks and tally as many species as we could find. The weather was sunny and warm with temps in the 60s in the morning and 80 in the afternoon. Approximately 60 people came and went during the day - with many participating at all 5 locations. Altogether we found at least 87 different species. See more here:
April 27, 2018 - Arbor Day - We interacted with and entertained hundreds of kids today. The two bird wheels were spinning non-stop for most of the two hours of the event. Thanks to Joan, Greg, Joyce and Lance who manned the wheels and handed out the stickers and bookmarks we gave as prizes. New this year were wood disc necklaces. Thanks to Sandy B. and her neighbor for cutting and drilling all the discs. They came in 7 kinds - birch, buckthorn, cedar, cherry, maple, oak, and poplar. It is interesting to see the contrast between the different kinds of wood. Thanks to Carmen and Jenny for helping at the last minute, getting the yarn cords threaded on - in less than 24 hours notice! We gave out around 400 in about 1 hour, and could have given out many more. Thanks to Cindy and Samantha for managing the crowds of kids.
Submitted by Joel Dunnette / Photos by Joel Dunnette
Submitted by Joel Dunnette / Photos by Joel Dunnette
April 24, 2018 - Monthly Program - About 50 people came out to Quarry Hill last night to hear Misi Stine talk about wolves. She gave a fascinating talk about the relationships between wolves, deer and moose. Did you know we have approx 8500 wolves in MN? But no worries for hunters. .. our hunters kill 4x as many deer as wolves (and cars kill nearly as many deer as the wolves do each year)... and the deer herd is still expanding!
Earthfest Expo - April 21, 2018 - We visited with many people at the Expo today and had a great time sharing stories and information about birds, plants, pollinators and more. Many thanks to the organizers of this annual event, the volunteer who worked at the booth and to all the folks who came out to learn more about the environment.
April 12, 2018 Woodcock Field Trip - our Woodcock Field Trip to Chester Woods was well attended with 31 people coming out to try and catch a glimpse of these incredible birds. Leader Jim Peterson gave a great introduction about the sights and sounds we could expect. The main prairie area where the woodcocks are usually seen, had recently been burned with just a few small patches of grass still showing. We did hear one bird somewhere out there, but could not locate it and never heard it fly. We were lucky that the birds started calling and displaying earlier than on previous field trips from the fen area toward the maintenance buildings. Participants were able to hear the "peent" call from at least four different birds. We did get reasonably good looks at several birds flying up and coming down making their unique chirping sound with their feathers before it got too dark to see them at all. People went home pleased with their glimpse of this rather odd bird and it's unusual mating dance. Photos by Jerry Pruett.
Reservoir Field Trip - April 21, 2018
Thirty plus people came out for our field trip today and we saw lots of birds. At least 46 species were spotted and identified by the many experts in the group. Several people brought spotting scopes so most people had the opportunity to get close up views. We visited the East Side Marsh (which was mostly open water) - where we got the best views. Then on to the Silver Creek, Willow Creek, the South Landfill and Kalmar Reservoirs (which still had a lot of ice, but enough open water to host a nice selection of ducks and geese at each location.
Many thanks to Lance Vrieze for leading the trip and also to John Hockema, who spotted several birds the rest of us missed, and to all the experts who helped the beginning birders with ID tips - I know I learn something new every time I go on these trips.
I tried to write down everything people were calling out ... may have missed a few. Here is the species list: Canada Geese, Greater White Fronted Geese, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Green Wing Teal, Gadwall, Ring Neck Ducks, Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, Goldeneye, Coots, Blue Wing Teal, Hooded Merganzers, Common Merganzers, Red Breasted Merganzers, Shoveler Ducks, Pintail, Widgeon, Pied Bill Grebe, Ring bill Gulls, Bonaparte Gulls, Forster Tern, Pelicans, Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Northern Harriers, Red Tail hawk, Rough Legged Hawk, Kestrel, Red Winged Blackbird, Grackles, Kingfisher, Killdeer, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Crow, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal, Chickadee, Yellow Rumped Warbler.
Submitted by Sandy Hokanson.
Photos by Sandy Hokanon, Marcella Chester, Lance Vrieze
Thirty plus people came out for our field trip today and we saw lots of birds. At least 46 species were spotted and identified by the many experts in the group. Several people brought spotting scopes so most people had the opportunity to get close up views. We visited the East Side Marsh (which was mostly open water) - where we got the best views. Then on to the Silver Creek, Willow Creek, the South Landfill and Kalmar Reservoirs (which still had a lot of ice, but enough open water to host a nice selection of ducks and geese at each location.
Many thanks to Lance Vrieze for leading the trip and also to John Hockema, who spotted several birds the rest of us missed, and to all the experts who helped the beginning birders with ID tips - I know I learn something new every time I go on these trips.
I tried to write down everything people were calling out ... may have missed a few. Here is the species list: Canada Geese, Greater White Fronted Geese, Mallards, Wood Ducks, Green Wing Teal, Gadwall, Ring Neck Ducks, Scaup, Bufflehead, Ruddy Ducks, Goldeneye, Coots, Blue Wing Teal, Hooded Merganzers, Common Merganzers, Red Breasted Merganzers, Shoveler Ducks, Pintail, Widgeon, Pied Bill Grebe, Ring bill Gulls, Bonaparte Gulls, Forster Tern, Pelicans, Cormorants, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, Northern Harriers, Red Tail hawk, Rough Legged Hawk, Kestrel, Red Winged Blackbird, Grackles, Kingfisher, Killdeer, Yellow Bellied Sapsucker, Crow, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal, Chickadee, Yellow Rumped Warbler.
Submitted by Sandy Hokanson.
Photos by Sandy Hokanon, Marcella Chester, Lance Vrieze
April 7, 2018 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - The conditions were cold, crisp and sunny for our walk this morning with crusty snow covering the trails and on the ground - but 20 people still came out to search for birds. We saw some good birds, including Great Horned Owls (2 adults being harassed by crows) and 3 owlets (barely visible in their nest), Pileated, Hairy, Downy, and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, scores of Robins and Juncos, White Breasted Nuthatches, Red Winged Blackbirds, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Mourning Dove, House Sparrows, Canada Geese, Red tailed Hawk (also a smaller hawk - probably a Coopers), a Turkey Vulture, a Brown Creeper and 2 Fox Sparrows. Surprisingly we did not see or hear any White-Throated Sparrows which should be here by now.
All in all, not a bad morning. And there's surely more to come as the weather warms up. Photos by Sandy Hokanson and Brendan Lanpher.
All in all, not a bad morning. And there's surely more to come as the weather warms up. Photos by Sandy Hokanson and Brendan Lanpher.
Dave Gross with his Bluebird nest boxes
|
 Storyteller and birder, Al Batt
March 28, 2018 - Monthly Program - Thank you Al Batt, for entertaining us at our March ZVAS meeting. Al's stories about growing up on the farm and rural life kept everybody smiling!
Thanks also to Dave Gross who made and donated 3 Bluebird nest boxes to ZVAS. The bird houses were offered to the crowd for a donation of $25 each, and all 3 were purchased! Those funds will help us pay for more educational signs and other outreach projects. |
March 22, 2018 - Kestrel Nesting Box Project Report
Several new nesting boxes are now up in Chester Woods, Oxbow Park, Root River Park, and the Haverhill WMA thanks in part to a pile of lumber at Joel Dunnette's house that needed to be gone. Joel, current president of ZVAS, asked Jim Peterson (expert birder and ZVAS volunteer) and Kirk Payne (Naturalist at Quarry Hill) to assist him in starting a Kestrel Nesting Box program this spring. Jim made the boxes to spec and Kirk suggested suitable locations and then they all went out on March 22, 2018 for the first round of installations.
These boxes will need to be monitored regularly to see if Kestrels eventually nest in them. If you are interested in being a monitor please conatct Joel Dunnette at 507-269-7064 or jdunnette@gmail.com.
Learn more about Kestrels here.
More information about Kestrel monitoring can be found at https://kestrel.peregrinefund.org
Several new nesting boxes are now up in Chester Woods, Oxbow Park, Root River Park, and the Haverhill WMA thanks in part to a pile of lumber at Joel Dunnette's house that needed to be gone. Joel, current president of ZVAS, asked Jim Peterson (expert birder and ZVAS volunteer) and Kirk Payne (Naturalist at Quarry Hill) to assist him in starting a Kestrel Nesting Box program this spring. Jim made the boxes to spec and Kirk suggested suitable locations and then they all went out on March 22, 2018 for the first round of installations.
These boxes will need to be monitored regularly to see if Kestrels eventually nest in them. If you are interested in being a monitor please conatct Joel Dunnette at 507-269-7064 or jdunnette@gmail.com.
Learn more about Kestrels here.
More information about Kestrel monitoring can be found at https://kestrel.peregrinefund.org
March 3, 2018 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk
17 people enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day looking for birds at Quarry Hill Park on March 3rd. Highlights included three Trumpeter Swans flying overhead, an adult Bald Eagle, a dark morph Rough legged Hawk and a Red Tail Hawk. Other birds seen or heard were: Hairy, Downy and Red bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, White breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jay, Gold Finch, Black Capped Chickadees, House Finch, Crow, Pigeons, Canada Geese, and a Robin. No photos were taken during this walk (our regular photographer was working at the Owl Fest) so this pics of a Robin is from last spring ... be on the lookout ... they'll be in your backyard soon
17 people enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day looking for birds at Quarry Hill Park on March 3rd. Highlights included three Trumpeter Swans flying overhead, an adult Bald Eagle, a dark morph Rough legged Hawk and a Red Tail Hawk. Other birds seen or heard were: Hairy, Downy and Red bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, White breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jay, Gold Finch, Black Capped Chickadees, House Finch, Crow, Pigeons, Canada Geese, and a Robin. No photos were taken during this walk (our regular photographer was working at the Owl Fest) so this pics of a Robin is from last spring ... be on the lookout ... they'll be in your backyard soon
March 3, 2018 - Owl Festival
Owls, owls and more owls. We had fun talking about birds with folks from all over the region during the International Owl Festival in Houston, MN. Kudos to all the volunteers and sponsors who make this fun and educational event possible!
February 27, 2018
Forty people came out to Quarry Hill tonight to hear Mike Henry talk about his trip to Ecuador to photograph Hummingbirds. He explained his technique of using high speed synchronized flash photography to create stunning portraits of the birds and also clued us in to where the best hummingbird viewing areas are located. Thank you Mike for a fascinating presentation!
Forty people came out to Quarry Hill tonight to hear Mike Henry talk about his trip to Ecuador to photograph Hummingbirds. He explained his technique of using high speed synchronized flash photography to create stunning portraits of the birds and also clued us in to where the best hummingbird viewing areas are located. Thank you Mike for a fascinating presentation!
February 3, 2018
Local birding experts (and ZVAS members) Joyce and Terry Grier gave a great talk on Saturday at Sargents on Second in Rochester. First up was which plants make your backyard attractive to birds. That was followed with an in-depth discussion of bird food, feeders, and which kinds attract which birds. Lastly an open Q&A session. The crowd really enjoyed the many photos and tips they shared. A big thank you to the Griers and to Sargents for hosting this free "Year of the Bird" event.
Local birding experts (and ZVAS members) Joyce and Terry Grier gave a great talk on Saturday at Sargents on Second in Rochester. First up was which plants make your backyard attractive to birds. That was followed with an in-depth discussion of bird food, feeders, and which kinds attract which birds. Lastly an open Q&A session. The crowd really enjoyed the many photos and tips they shared. A big thank you to the Griers and to Sargents for hosting this free "Year of the Bird" event.
February 3, 2018 - Bird Walk at Quarry Hill
The snow fell gently throughout our walk at Quarry Hill today and temps were near 20 ... a perfect winter day. Most of the bird activity was near the feeders where we found Chickadees, Mourning Doves, Juncos, Nuthatches, Downy, Hairy, and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, a Crow and House Sparrows. Before the walk started a pair of Red Tail Hawks flew by overhead and briefly perched for a quick photo. Eight people participated along with leaders Terry and Joyce Grier. Click to see more photo on our Facebook page.
The snow fell gently throughout our walk at Quarry Hill today and temps were near 20 ... a perfect winter day. Most of the bird activity was near the feeders where we found Chickadees, Mourning Doves, Juncos, Nuthatches, Downy, Hairy, and Red Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, a Crow and House Sparrows. Before the walk started a pair of Red Tail Hawks flew by overhead and briefly perched for a quick photo. Eight people participated along with leaders Terry and Joyce Grier. Click to see more photo on our Facebook page.
January 23, 2018
Many thanks to Sara Holger from Whitewater State Park for her lively and entertaining presentation about Minnesota Owls last night at our monthly program at Quarry Hill. Sara's talk was fun, informative and when she performed her expert level owl calls she had the entire room "hooting" right along with her!
Many thanks to Sara Holger from Whitewater State Park for her lively and entertaining presentation about Minnesota Owls last night at our monthly program at Quarry Hill. Sara's talk was fun, informative and when she performed her expert level owl calls she had the entire room "hooting" right along with her!
January 11, 2018
Here are some pics that ZVAS member Terry Grier took at his recently. The Cooper's Hawk shows an unusual pattern of white spots on the wings. Sibley says "all perched accipiters can show bright white spots on back when feathers are fluffed" as this Coopers was during a snowfall. The Northern Flicker should have migrated south but a few do stay most winters. The Tufted Titmouse is becoming more common in our area.
Here are some pics that ZVAS member Terry Grier took at his recently. The Cooper's Hawk shows an unusual pattern of white spots on the wings. Sibley says "all perched accipiters can show bright white spots on back when feathers are fluffed" as this Coopers was during a snowfall. The Northern Flicker should have migrated south but a few do stay most winters. The Tufted Titmouse is becoming more common in our area.
Christmas Bird Count - Rochester - Dec. 16, 2017 - Our birders were out in force today ... and a much nicer day it was compared to the minus 20 temps we had to deal with in 2016. Initial bird species count seemed low at our tally tonight and individual numbers seemed low as well ... but not all groups have reported in yet so there may be more to come.
Click here for the preliminary species count.
This file will be updated as additional reports come in.
Many thanks to Clifford Hanson for organizing the count and to all the participants who helped out during the day.
Click here for the preliminary species count.
This file will be updated as additional reports come in.
Many thanks to Clifford Hanson for organizing the count and to all the participants who helped out during the day.
December 2, 2017 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk
26 people came out on unseasonably warm, wonderful day to look for birds at Quarry Hill. Birds seen included a very accommodating Red Tailed Hawk by the nature center, a Brown Creeper, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, a Flicker, a White-throated Sparrow, and a scruffy-looking yellow-bellied sapsucker. Also seen were the normal Cardinals, Goldfinches, Chickadees, WB Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and House Sparrows. Heard only birds included Crows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a Pileated Woodpecker. Thanks to Joyce Grier for leading our group and to Brendan Lanpher for taking the photos..
26 people came out on unseasonably warm, wonderful day to look for birds at Quarry Hill. Birds seen included a very accommodating Red Tailed Hawk by the nature center, a Brown Creeper, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, a Flicker, a White-throated Sparrow, and a scruffy-looking yellow-bellied sapsucker. Also seen were the normal Cardinals, Goldfinches, Chickadees, WB Nuthatches, Blue Jays, and House Sparrows. Heard only birds included Crows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a Pileated Woodpecker. Thanks to Joyce Grier for leading our group and to Brendan Lanpher for taking the photos..
November 28, 2017 - Monthly Program at Quarry Hill
"Bird Chick" Sharon Stiteler was a big hit at tonight's program. Sharon discussed birding tech, compared various apps for identifying and recording your finds, showed us how to "digiscope" (take photos with a smart phone and a spotting scope), and shared stories and photos from some of her birding adventures. With a smart phone and a few birding apps you're all set to do some serious citizen science. If you'd like to know more about Sharon and the various projects she is working on, visit her site at http://www.birdchick.com/
"Bird Chick" Sharon Stiteler was a big hit at tonight's program. Sharon discussed birding tech, compared various apps for identifying and recording your finds, showed us how to "digiscope" (take photos with a smart phone and a spotting scope), and shared stories and photos from some of her birding adventures. With a smart phone and a few birding apps you're all set to do some serious citizen science. If you'd like to know more about Sharon and the various projects she is working on, visit her site at http://www.birdchick.com/
November 18, 2017 - Tundra Swan Field Trip
Eleven people made the trip to Brownsville today to see the migrating swans and other waterfowl. The day started out gray,windy and cold, but we were all properly bundled up. Thousands of swans were still present as well as many other birds including Mallards, Pintails, Greenwing Teal, Hooded Merganzers, Goldeneye, Canada Geese, Widgeon, Ringnecks, Gadwall, Shovelers, Canvasbacks, Scaup, Coot. Ring billed Gulls, Pelicans, Crows, Blue Jays, and dozens of Bald Eagles.
On the way back to Rochester we drove through the Whitewater WMA and added Trumpeter Swans, Kingfisher, Redwing Blackbirds, Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White Breasted Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Red Tail Hawk, and Chickadees to our list. But the find of the day was yet to come. On the final leg of the trip home, driver Terry Grier suddenly pulled off the road - he'd spotted a Snowy Owl. We had a fantastic time on this trip. Our thanks to Terry & Joyce Grier for leading!
Photos by Sandy Hokanson unless otherwise noted.
Eleven people made the trip to Brownsville today to see the migrating swans and other waterfowl. The day started out gray,windy and cold, but we were all properly bundled up. Thousands of swans were still present as well as many other birds including Mallards, Pintails, Greenwing Teal, Hooded Merganzers, Goldeneye, Canada Geese, Widgeon, Ringnecks, Gadwall, Shovelers, Canvasbacks, Scaup, Coot. Ring billed Gulls, Pelicans, Crows, Blue Jays, and dozens of Bald Eagles.
On the way back to Rochester we drove through the Whitewater WMA and added Trumpeter Swans, Kingfisher, Redwing Blackbirds, Flicker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White Breasted Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Red Tail Hawk, and Chickadees to our list. But the find of the day was yet to come. On the final leg of the trip home, driver Terry Grier suddenly pulled off the road - he'd spotted a Snowy Owl. We had a fantastic time on this trip. Our thanks to Terry & Joyce Grier for leading!
Photos by Sandy Hokanson unless otherwise noted.