Category: Birding

Wintering Raptors around Rainy Lake, Minnesota

2/25/2019

Minnesota Raptors of note:

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

The Mississippi River valley is a migration corridor for waterfowl, raptors and shorebirds. They take route from northern summer homes to warmer southern wintering grounds.

Eagles congregate in early November, and continue through March. Mornings and evenings are the best times to spot an unmated adult or juvenile eagle.

A few years ago, a different kind of family moved onto a quiet street near the Minneapolis airport. For weeks, the parents hustled and bustled to build their home. Sometimes they yelled to each other loudly. They always ate outside but never cleaned up afterward. People in nearby houses welcomed the family anyway. They got used to the family’s strange habits. What else could they expect? The new neighbors were bald eagles.Eagles and other raptors are birds of prey, which means they hunt for fish, mice, smaller birds, or other prey to eat.Raptors have always been symbols of wild places. Native people and early settlers living in the Midwest often saw these powerful birds soaring and swooping over forests, grasslands, and waterways. Today you might expect to see eagles, hawks, falcons, and other raptors when you go camping or ca-noeing or hiking in state parks and forests. Did you know raptors are also at home in urban places—cities, towns, and suburbs? Don’t be surprised if you spot a bald eagle skimming over a city lake to grab a fish. Keep an eye out for a Cooper’s hawk feeding chicks in its nest in a tree alongside a busy street. You might even see a peregrine falcon—the world’s fastest creature—perched atop a church steeple. In this story, you’ll learn more about these three raptors: bald eagle, Cooper’s hawk, and peregrine falcon.

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Rainy Lake Birding Challenge

5/4/2018

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Looking for a challenge? A birding challenge? We invite you spot these birds in the Rainy Lake area. Comment below with the bird(s) you found, and the approximate location of the sighting.

Printable Checklist

DUCKS, GEESE & SWANS
❑ Snow Goose
❑ Canada Goose
❑ Trumpeter Swan
❑ Tundra Swan
❑ Wood Duck
❑ Gadwall
❑ American Wigeon
❑ American Black Duck
❑ Mallard
❑ Blue-winged Teal
❑ Northern Shoveler
❑ Northern Pintail
❑ Green-winged Teal
❑ Canvasback
❑ Redhead
❑ Ring-necked Duck
❑ Greater Scaup
❑ Lesser Scaup
❑ Surf Scoter
❑ White-winged Scoter
❑ Black Scoter
❑ Long-tailed Duck
❑ Bufflehead
❑ Common Goldeneye
❑ Hooded Merganser
❑ Common Merganser
❑ Red-breasted Merganser
❑ Ruddy Duck
GROUSE
❑ Ruffed Grouse
❑ Spruce Grouse
❑ Sharp-tailed Grouse
LOONS
❑ Common Loon
❑ Red-throated Loon
GREBES
❑ Pied-billed Grebe
❑ Horned Grebe
❑ Red-necked Grebe
❑ Western Grebe
PELICANS
❑ American White Pelican
CORMORANTS
❑ Double-crested
Cormorant
HERONS, BITTERNS
❑ American Bittern
❑ Great Blue Heron

❑ American Tree Sparrow
❑ Chipping Sparrow
❑ Clay-colored Sparrow
❑ Vesper Sparrow
❑ Savannah Sparrow
❑ Le Conte's Sparrow
❑ Fox Sparrow
❑ Song Sparrow
❑ Lincoln's Sparrow
❑ Swamp Sparrow
❑ White-throated Sparrow
❑ Harris' Sparrow
❑ White-crowned Sparrow
❑ Dark-eyed Junco
❑ Lapland Longspur
❑ Snow Bunting
CARDINALS & ALLIES
❑ Rose-breasted Grosbeak
❑ Indigo Bunting
BLACKBIRDS
❑ Bobolink
❑ Red-winged Blackbird
❑ Eastern Meadowlark
❑ Western Meadowlark
❑ Yellow-headed Blackbird
❑ Rusty Blackbird
❑ Brewer's Blackbird
❑ Common Grackle
❑ Brown-headed Cowbird
❑ Baltimore Oriole
FINCHES
❑ Pine Grosbeak
❑ Purple Finch
❑ Red Crossbill
❑ White-winged Crossbill
❑ Common Redpoll
❑ Hoary Redpoll
❑ Pine Siskin
❑ American Goldfinch
❑ Evening Grosbeak
OLD WORLD SPARROWS
❑ House Sparrow

VULTURES, HAWKS
& EAGLES
❑ Turkey Vulture
❑ Osprey
❑ Bald Eagle
❑ Northern Harrier
❑ Sharp-shinned Hawk
❑ Cooper's Hawk
❑ Northern Goshawk
❑ Broad-winged Hawk
❑ Red-tailed Hawk
❑ Rough-legged Hawk
❑ Golden Eagle
FALCONS
❑ American Kestrel
❑ Merlin
❑ Peregrine Falcon
❑ Gyrfalcon
RAILS & COOTS
❑ Yellow Rail
❑ Virginia Rail
❑ Sora
❑ American Coot
CRANES
❑ Sandhill Crane
PLOVERS
❑ Black-bellied Plover
❑ American Golden-plover
❑ Semipalmated Plover
❑ Piping Plover
❑ Killdeer
SANDPIPERS & ALLIES
❑ Greater Yellowlegs
❑ Lesser Yellowlegs
❑ Solitary Sandpiper
❑ Willet
❑ Spotted Sandpiper
❑ Upland Sanpiper
❑ Whimbrel
❑ Hudsonian Godwit
❑ Marbled Godwit
❑ Ruddy Turnstone
❑ Sanderling
❑Semipalmated Sandpiper
❑ Western Sandpiper
❑ Least Sandpiper
❑ White-rumped Sandpiper
❑ Baird's Sandpiper
❑ Pectoral Sandpiper
❑ Dunlin
❑ Long-billed Dowitcher
❑ Wilson's Snipe

❑ Swainson's Thrush
❑ Hermit Thrush
❑ Wood Thrush
❑ American Robin
❑ Varied Thrush
MOCKINGBIRDS &
THRASHERS
❑ Gray Catbird
❑ Northern Mockingbird
❑ Brown Thrasher
STARLINGS
❑ European Starling
PIPITS
❑ American Pipit
WAXWINGS
❑ Bohemian Waxwing
❑ Cedar Waxwing
WOOD-WARBLERS
❑ Golden-winged Warbler
❑ Tennessee Warbler
❑ Orange-crowned Warbler
❑ Nashville Warbler
❑ Northern Parula
❑ Yellow Warbler
❑ Chestnut-sided Warbler
❑ Magnolia Warbler
❑ Cape May Warbler
❑ Black-throated
Blue Warbler
❑ Yellow-rumped Warbler
❑ Black-throated
Green Warbler
❑ Blackburnian Warbler
❑ Pine Warbler
❑ Palm Warbler
❑ Bay-breasted Warbler
❑ Blackpoll Warbler
❑ Black-and-white Warbler
❑ American Redstart
❑ Ovenbird
❑ Northern Waterthrush
❑ Connecticut Warbler
❑ Mourning Warbler
❑ Common Yellowthroat
❑ Wilson's Warbler
❑ Canada Warbler
TANAGERS
❑ Scarlet Tanager
SPARROWS & ALLIES
❑ Eastern Towhee

❑ American Woodcock
❑ Wilson's Phalarope
GULLS & TERNS
❑ Franklin's Gull
❑ Bonaparte's Gull
❑ Ring-billed Gull
❑ Herring Gull
❑ Caspian Tern
❑ Common Tern
❑ Black Tern
PIGEONS & DOVES
❑ Rock Pigeon
❑ Mourning Dove
CUCKOOS
❑ Black-billed Cuckoo
❑ Yellow-billed Cuckoo
OWLS
❑ Great Horned Owl
❑ Snowy Owl
❑ Northern Hawk Owl
❑ Barred Owl
❑ Great Gray Owl
❑ Long-eared Owl
❑ Short-eared Owl
❑ Boreal Owl
❑ Northern Saw-whet Owl
GOATSUCKERS
❑ Common Nighthawk
❑ Whip-poor-will
SWIFTS
❑ Chimney Swift
HUMMINGBIRDS
❑ Ruby-throated
Hummingbird
❑ Rufous Hummingbird
KINGFISHERS
❑ Belted Kingfisher
WOODPECKERS
❑ Red-headed Woodpecker
❑ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
❑ Downy Woodpecker
❑ Hairy Woodpecker
❑ Three-toed Woodpecker
❑ Black-backed
Woodpecker
❑ Northern Flicker
❑ Pileated Woodpecker
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
❑ Olive-sided Flycatcher
❑ Eastern Wood-pewee

❑ Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
❑ Alder Flycatcher
❑ Least Flycatcher
❑ Eastern Phoebe
❑ Great Crested Flycatcher
❑ Eastern Kingbird
SHRIKES
❑ Northern Shrike
VIREOS
❑ Blue-headed Vireo
❑ Warbling Vireo
❑ Philadelphia Vireo
❑ Red-eyed Vireo
JAYS & CROWS
❑ Gray Jay
❑ Blue Jay
❑ Black-billed Magpie
❑ American Crow
❑ Common Raven
LARKS
❑ Horned Lark
SWALLOWS
❑ Purple Martin
❑ Tree Swallow
❑ Northern Rough-winged
Swallow
❑ Bank Swallow
❑ Cliff Swallow
❑ Barn Swallow
CHICKADEES
❑ Black-capped Chickadee
❑ Boreal Chickadee
NUTHATCHES
❑ Red-breasted Nuthatch
❑ White-breasted Nuthatch
CREEPERS
❑ Brown Creeper
WRENS
❑ House Wren
❑ Winter Wren
❑ Sedge Wren
❑ Marsh Wren
KINGLETS
❑ Golden-crowned Kinglet
❑ Ruby-crowned Kinglet
THRUSHES
❑ Eastern Bluebird
❑ Townsend's Solitaire
❑ Veery
❑ Gray-cheeked Thrush

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Rainy Lake, MN - A Birder's Paradise

2/26/2018

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As the monochromatic landscape of snow and ice begins to transform into color with delicate tree buds and determined flowers, Northern Minnesota welcomes back its feathered residents. Spring is a prime time for viewing – and hearing – the state’s large variety of birds, from waterfowl to raptors. Whether you are a seasoned birder, or curious naturalist, spring on Rainy Lake hums with possibility, as dozens of species of migratory birds return to nest and raise their young. The following is month-by-month guide to the season’s variety of spectacular color and song.

March: While snowstorms are still likely, Northern Minnesota also experiences melting during this time. As pussywillows begin to open and hepatica blooms, butterflies emerge from hibernation. Waterfowl, including swans, begin returning. Canada geese are common, and it’s possible to see a Ross’s goose within flocks of snow geese. American kestrels appear, as do Eastern bluebirds, American robins, killdeer, great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, American woodcock, and common grackles.
During this time, bald eagles follow the progress of melting lakes. And, because their population has grown over the years, there are now unparalleled opportunities to see the majestic birds on Rainy Lake throughout nesting periods and while raising their young.
Another returning resident during this time is the wood duck. Males are covered in iridescent chestnut and green feathers with accents of purple, blue and red, as well as striking black and white patterns. A distinctive ornate crest flips off the back of their heads, and their eyes are ringed in bright red.

April: As trees begin to fill with leaves, migrants and nesting birds make their return, filling the forests with a riot of color. Some of the most anticipated sightings are the spectacularly hued warblers, which include yellow-rumped, common yellowthroat, Tennessee, yellow, American redstart, palm, orange-crowned, black-and-white, Nashville and chestnut-sided.
Adding to the kaleidoscope of color during this time is the Scarlet Tanager, a famously gorgeous bird with a blood-red body set off by jet-black wings and tail. When trying to spot the elusive bird, listen for its unique chick-burr call it makes. Also visible now is the Northern Cardinal, rare worldwide, but thriving in Northern Minnesota. The male’s song can be heard throughout the spring as a cheer, cheer, cheer or birdie, birdie, birdie. Their rich, red-hued bodies are set off by a crest on their heads and black on their faces.

May: The color continues as the season progresses, with the inclusion of ruby-throated hummingbirds, red-eyed vireo, northern parula, rose-breasted grosbeaks and Baltimore orioles. Bright orange with black and white on head and back, the Oriole winters in Central America, but is a common Minnesota favorite.

In April and May, Minnesota’s most iconic bird, the common loon, returns to Rainy Lake to nest and raise their young. Minnesota has more common loons than any other state except Alaska, and their distinctive, haunting calls can be heard across the lake throughout the spring and summer.

Whether you’re hoping to add to your sighting list, or are content simply seeing a variety of color, the area around Rainy Lake during the spring is a bounty of bird-viewing opportunities.

What is your favorite Rainy Lake birding memory? Let us know in the comments down below!

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Wintering Raptors around Rainy Lake, Minnesota

Rainy Lake Birding Challenge

Rainy Lake, MN - A Birder's Paradise

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