Friday evening I was typing on my computer when I glanced on the deck to see a blue bird eating the left over canary food I set on the railing. The bird didn't look like a bluebird. There was no rosy chest and this bird was larger and a darker blue. The head was deep blue and there was some black on the wings. IT WAS AN INDIGO BUNTING! I had to verify it in my bird book. This is my second spotting of an indigo bunting ever. Today I met my friend from St. Cloud and we drove through the wildlife drive at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. We stopped and saw a killdeer family. There were 4 chicks ahead of us on the path and the parent bird kept faking an illness to protect the chicks. First the parent killdeer faked a broken wing as it squeaked loudly to draw our attention. When the chicks got way ahead it walked normally. When we caught up to the chicks again it faked being dead on the ground. When that didn't work, it faked a broken neck. We were walking on a short paved path back to the parking area so we bothered and were bothered by the killdeer family the entire way. I told my friend there were eagle nests here and I wanted to see one. We came upon a strong telescope and it was 
pointed directly at an eagle nest. "Good job!" I said to my friend, "Next I want to see some hoary puccoon." Hoary puccoon is a wild flower with orange-yellow primrose-like blossoms featured on the information kiosk we were looking at. We drove up the road a few feet and there we saw a bunch of hoary puccoons. "Hoary puccoons!" We yelled out the window. It sounds like a swear word so we repeated it a half dozen times. "Very good Debbie, now show me some wild lupines. Three minutes later we came upon some beautiful blue lupines. I told my friend, "My trip will be complete when you show me some s
and hill cranes." We found some Canadian geese with their goslings. We found an immature bald eagle sitting atop a dead tree. By mile 3 she spotted a pair of sand hill cranes on the edge of a pond. We watched them for a while. Whatever I asked my friend to show me we seemed to be able to see. "Very good!" I said as I punch her in the shoulder, "Now I'd like to see a mammal - a fox, coyote or bear will be fine." We pulled off the side of the road to watch some more geese and goslings when we spotted a big white bird farther back. Through the binoculars we could see it was a Trumpeter swan. Off to the left we saw some more white. We kept watching and eventually saw another trumpeter swan with 2 babies in tow. I think th
ose are called cygnets. I heard a call of a sand hill crane beyond a row of trees. We drove past the row of trees and I did find another pair of sand hill cranes. We finished up our drive without seeing a bear, coyote or fox. We did see a man standing by his truck with his shirt off and my friend thought she should get credit because he was a mammal. We had an amazingly successful wildlife drive and we drove back to Big Lake. When we got into town I noticed a lot of white crab apple blossoms on the road. But no crab apple trees could be seen. Turns out it wasn't crab apple blossoms. It was hail. We saw lots of hail in Big Lake today. We ended our trip with dinner at Russells on the Lake. With all the wonderful birds I've seen on Friday and Saturday, I wonder what I'll see on Sunday? If this trend continues I migh
t just see Big Bird tomorrow.
pointed directly at an eagle nest. "Good job!" I said to my friend, "Next I want to see some hoary puccoon." Hoary puccoon is a wild flower with orange-yellow primrose-like blossoms featured on the information kiosk we were looking at. We drove up the road a few feet and there we saw a bunch of hoary puccoons. "Hoary puccoons!" We yelled out the window. It sounds like a swear word so we repeated it a half dozen times. "Very good Debbie, now show me some wild lupines. Three minutes later we came upon some beautiful blue lupines. I told my friend, "My trip will be complete when you show me some s
and hill cranes." We found some Canadian geese with their goslings. We found an immature bald eagle sitting atop a dead tree. By mile 3 she spotted a pair of sand hill cranes on the edge of a pond. We watched them for a while. Whatever I asked my friend to show me we seemed to be able to see. "Very good!" I said as I punch her in the shoulder, "Now I'd like to see a mammal - a fox, coyote or bear will be fine." We pulled off the side of the road to watch some more geese and goslings when we spotted a big white bird farther back. Through the binoculars we could see it was a Trumpeter swan. Off to the left we saw some more white. We kept watching and eventually saw another trumpeter swan with 2 babies in tow. I think th
ose are called cygnets. I heard a call of a sand hill crane beyond a row of trees. We drove past the row of trees and I did find another pair of sand hill cranes. We finished up our drive without seeing a bear, coyote or fox. We did see a man standing by his truck with his shirt off and my friend thought she should get credit because he was a mammal. We had an amazingly successful wildlife drive and we drove back to Big Lake. When we got into town I noticed a lot of white crab apple blossoms on the road. But no crab apple trees could be seen. Turns out it wasn't crab apple blossoms. It was hail. We saw lots of hail in Big Lake today. We ended our trip with dinner at Russells on the Lake. With all the wonderful birds I've seen on Friday and Saturday, I wonder what I'll see on Sunday? If this trend continues I migh
t just see Big Bird tomorrow.
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