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#BirdOfTheDay #BrownBirds #Brown Lark Sparrow - an unsuccessful nesting Turkey Vulture Brown Headed Cowbird Bay Winged Hawk (Harris's Hawk) that I'm fortunate to be able to work with for raptor education programs #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Juveniles Got my hashtag right this time. Three juvenile Bald eagles practice their skills above the bluffs surrounding Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area in southeast #Minnesota

A perfect afternoon for a drive around the Mississippi valley. Views from Frontenac State Park, southeast Minnesota. Drought has muted some autumnal colour, but it's still beautiful. Sony A7RM4A with Sony FE200-600G and Tamron 25-200 VXD G2

#BirdOfTheDay #Reflection I don't get many good reflection shots as the wind is usually whipping across the Mississippi valley, but here goes. Great Blue Heron Trumpeter Swan family Greater Yellowlegs #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Larus The most common Gull we see here in southeast Minnesota is the Ring Billed Gull. The Mississippi valley is an ideal place for them to spend most of the year. They're extremely entertaining and they don't try to steal your fish n chips like the seaside gulls back in the UK. 😁

#BirdOfTheDay #Dawn Bald Eagle watches over a mostly frozen Mississippi River near Lock & Dam 4. Great Blue Heron getting an early start as the sun rises over the Wisconsin bluffs on the Mississippi River #Minnesota

I was given a heads-up on a possible eagle nest on a nearby communication tower. Sure enough, there was one. I'll be back next season to see if it's eagle or, more likely, Osprey. Hopped over into Wisconsin and crept up on a feeding Double Crested Cormorant. I kinda like the wider shot. #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Paridae Black Capped Chickadees are a winter delight for us. As well as having plenty of native plants that could provide food, this is the only time we put out food. Seed and mealworms. I enjoy their two footed kicks at the snow to uncover food. #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Brown I love the brown on the wings of the Bay Winged Hawk (Harris's Hawk) A fledgling Peregrine falcon A juvenile Bald Eagle Immature Red Tailed Hawk #Minnesota

#WorldMigratoryBirdDay Celebrating the wonderful and diverse species that migrate, in this case up and down the Mississippi Flyway. I moved from Nottingham, England to southeast Minnesota almost 15 yrs ago and have been amazed at the wonderful sights I've been treated to. American White Pelicans

#BirdOfTheDay #Green - subject or background Ruby Throated Hummingbird Ring Billed Gulls Palm Warbler Brown Headed Cowbird #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Eating Great Blue Heron American Goldfinch Immature Bald Eagle Bald Eagle #Minnesota

Saw my first ever Osprey take tonight. Hadn't even got the camera set (only 1/2000s) before I heard a scream and saw it descending. Taking the fish, it flew left of me to the trees. Seeing a bigger Bald eagle, did a quick U-turn and flew off. Eagle gave up. Heavy crop and clean in PSP. #Minnesota

Late for my dental appointment last Monday because my road was blocked by a rather nice snake. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Gopher/Bull snake. #minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #WingsOpenNotFlying Turkey Vulture catching some rays. Sunning helps control exoparasites that can damage feathers Same vulture, just video.

#BirdOfTheDay #WingsOpenNotFlying Turkey Vulture catching some rays. Sunning helps control exoparasites that can damage feathers Trumpeter Swan stretching #Minnesota

Trumpeter Swans definitely live up to their name. A short clip from last season's migration. Whitewater State Wildlife Management Area, #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BestBeaks Ruby Throated Hummingbird, a beak to hold that long tongue Lesser Yellowlegs, a sifting underwater beak American White Pelican, a beak with attached shopping bag Great Blue Heron, aerodynamic beak, also good for catching prey #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #EFG Great Egret on the wide flood plains of the Whitewater River, southeast #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BokehBirds Eastern Bluebird American Goldfinch in winter plumage House Sparrow Cooper's Hawk - juvenile #Minnesota

So many Ring Billed Gulls along my Mississippi River commute this week. The Mississippi Flyway is a major migration route, guiding multiple species of birds on their north/south migrations. Sneaky juvenile Bald Eagle in one of the shots too. Sony A7RM4A Sony FE200-600G #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Pairs A mating pair of Bald Eagles watch over their territory. American White Pelicans on the Mississippi River Bald eagle pair on Mississippi ice Sandhill Cranes on the backwaters #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay Alt theme #Brown Coincidentally for the alt theme, I shot these yesterday on the way home from work. Minnesota has the highest resident nesting population of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 states. Plenty of this season's juveniles can be seen along the Mississippi River. #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Raptors Immature Bald Eagle over a part frozen Mississippi River Female Peregrine keeping us in our place during banding Fledgling Peregrine at an urban site Adult Bald Eagle #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #Elegant A leggy bird is usually an elegant bird. Great Egret, feeding in flooded fields by Mississippi backwaters. #Minnesota

Today I am wearing ArtOfIanJones A great artist from my old home city. Clothing, coasters, mugs, prints and original art works. Check him out at artofianjones.com

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdyLongLegs Lesser Yellowlegs Sandhill Cranes Great Blue Heron Great Egret All on the Mississippi River and backwaters in southeast #Minnesota

Hostas and Goldenrod are blooming well. Insects are busy collecting pollen. Sony a6400 Sony E70-350G Meike 16mm auto tube.

#BirdOfTheDay Alt theme #MyBestSide Killdeer foraging in the shallows Bald Eagle looking over the Mississippi River Lesser Yellowlegs on the backwaters Trumpeter Swan foraging in the recently harvested corn fields #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #AngryBirds A pissed off Red Tailed Hawk looking for prey it just lost on the ground Juvenile Green Heron Ring Billed Gull screaming into the void With a very pronounced supraorbital ridge, a Bald Eagle never fails to look angry #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdsInAbstract Migrating American White Pelicans on the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota

I like big butts and I cannot lie.... This 7.5lb beauty is brined, scored, rubbed and now in its nice smokey bed for 8 hours. Hickory and cherry wood. Lots of pulled pork on the way. Plenty of time for me to now go out finding birds. Nerdsville here I come!

#BirdOfTheDay #Mouthful Female American Goldfinch with seed American Bald Eagle with a still flapping fish Great Blue Heron with a little snack Crop of the feeding eagle to show the adapted papillae on the tongue that help pull food down to the crop #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdBuddies Very similar but different species, Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs Great Blue Heron with Mallards & Ring Billed Gulls American White Pelicans & Ring Billed Gulls All on the Mississippi River in southeast Minnesota.

#BirdOfTheDay #SittingOnWater Wood Duck - becoming a more common sight for me Two of a group of American White Pelicans, had to add the shot with bigmouth 😁 Trumpeter Swan #Minnesota.

#BirdOfTheDay #InFlight Ring Billed Gulls Ruby Throated Hummingbird Turkey Vulture (happy International Vulture Awareness Day) Urban Peregrine Falcon #Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdNaps Two different shots of a female fledgling Peregrine. One of 4 that we banded in May, all four fledged. They're now occasionally visiting the site, but are becoming the wanderers their name suggests. A 600mm close-up and a 70mm wider shot showing location & reflection

#BirdOfTheDay #Contrast Sunlight hits a small group of Sandhill Cranes foraging in recently harvested corn fields An immature Bald Eagle catches some rays A female Peregrine Falcon keeps watch Another immature Bald Eagle sunning. This one had a malformed beak and struggled to feed. Minnesota

#BirdOfTheDay #BirdsOfAFeather American White Pelicans gather on their southward migration Greater & Lesser Yellow legs Ring Billed Gulls Bald Eagles congregate, sometimes in their hundreds, by open water in southeast Minnesota to over-winter All on the Mississippi River, Minnesota