goodbye to Big Stone's Pelicans

Lake Superior boat trip

Mike Hendrickson has announced a Lake Superior boat trip for September 20 -- during the Hawk Ridge Weekend. The cost is $30 per birder for a 4 hr. trip. You can read more about Mike's boat trips here and get in touch with him at mlhendrickson@yahoo.com 

Pelican up close

more Big Stone Pelicans

Did you get a good lens?

This may help you decide.

hey Alex!

Check out this interesting info re turtles on Ecobirder's blog!

New Nikon D90

here

more on the Canon 50D

here

The Three Baritones have landed

more Pelicans to come

more photos

If you're interested in seeing non-bird photos of the Big Stone area in Minnesota & South Dakota, take a look at my other blog.

2 more Big Stone flying Pelicans

next: Pelicans in the water

The Three [Baritones?]

Big Stone's Pelicans

This dam is located on the East side of Big Stone's Refuge, just off Hwy. 75 --
it was there I came upon numbers of American White Pelicans -- in the air & in the water.

more pelicans to follow

Canon 50D

No wonder the price of the 40D was lowered with rebates, etc. Here is its successor, the 50D.

it ain't just birds

Just North of Ortonville & the Big Stone refuge I came upon this pair of fawns.

Leedra

Check out Photography by Leedra, a blog that was recommended by Ecobirder -- lots of butterflies & flowers -- a genre that Ecobirder has been exploring, along with his shots and perceptive observations of birds.

a few other birds at Big Stone

a wind-blown Red-tailed Hawk
more to come

the latest & greatest + tips

The world's largest photo show, Photokina, started today; to keep up with the newest & greatest, click on this link. Then, for 100 tips to improve your photos, click here beginning Sept. 1st for 100 in 100 Part III.

"mystery bird"

The second picture in my August 9th post appeared to be of a very strange bird -- some of you wrote asking what it was.
It all started when I was photographing White Pelicans near the dam at the south end of Big Stone Refuge.

There among the rocks was this "ratty" looking Great Blue Heron. It stood motionless for about an hour as I was busy taking photos of the Pelicans. I was wondering whether it was ill? -- its feathers were in such disarray -- could it have been in some oil slick?

When I returned about a half-hour later, there it was peering at me from the other side of the dam. It must have been physically able to fly over a distance of some 100 feet.

After gazing at me while I was taking pictures of Pelicans & Cormorants, it crouched down, laying almost flat on the rocks.

I certainly wasn't going to approach it or bother it -- yet I was concerned about its welfare. Another hour or so passed and I had to leave the site. Looking at the pictures, does anyone have an idea what may have been the matter with it?

Big Stone & South Dakota Cormorants

Grenville, near Waubay, SD

more to come

Big Stone's Egrets

down low

up high

together

alone

even mingling with Pelicans

more to follow

upon entering Big Stone -- 2

"Missed!"

more to follow

upon entering Big Stone

Double-crested Cormorant

more to follow

Big Stone

I spent most of August 1st & 2nd at the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge -- just South of Ortonville, MN.
If you have never been there, the following shots are of the automobile trail and will give you an idea of the layout.

Some of the damage from 100+ mph straight-line winds that passed through early July 31st.