Bird Migration and Misc Birding Thread

[BoxsterCy]

Some pics of Long-eared Owls from Christmas walkabout. Four were nestled in a dense spruce tree and it was hard to get an open look at them but was fun to see four all together in a not very big tree. Made sure my visit to this spot was short, don't want to disturb these owls too much.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Was going through 2025 images and didn't have a decent Barred Owl for the year. So I went for a 4 mile snow boot walkabout in the woods late afternoon with an expressed goal of seeing one and finally got a good look in the final hour of 2025 daylight.

 

[MTCyclone43]

 

[MTCyclone43]

I just put out suet and various other seeds and nuts. These two are the sentries calling in the murder.

 

[MTCyclone43]

This is but a few of the Montana Crow Murder- in my front yard. I love these guys- they are quite intelligent birds.

 

[BoxsterCy]

7° out this morning and I did not have Great Blue Heron in Minnesota on my bingo card as first bird of 2026 on January 1st!

 

[NENick]

View attachment 164877

This is but a few of the Montana Crow Murder- in my front yard. I love these guys- they a quite intelligent birds.

I'm with you! Crows are so interesting to observe!

 

[VeloClone]

We have a new regular at our feeders. Daughter tells me it is a red bellied woodpecker, male. Much larger and more intimidating than the little downies. I'll try get a pic. He is camera shy.

 

[mkadl]

I'm with you! Crows are so interesting to observe!

I take meat scraps and put them in an open area I can see out my windows and watch them go after it. It takes less than a half hour for them to find it, They are always scanning. I took a footlong piece of silverskin off a pork loin and watched one fly into a tree with 4 or five others fighting with it for control of the scrap. I trimmed and cut up a whole beef sirloin a couple weeks ago. Big pile and the near and below zero temps really made the birds hungry. I cut the scraps into into small pieces, the ate their fill one by one and flew off. Very little scquabbling that day. They were being cooperative to survive.

 

[BoxsterCy]

7° out this morning and I did not have Great Blue Heron in Minnesota on my bingo card as first bird of 2026 on January 1st!

And here's the frosty heron that decided it was a good idea to over winter in Minnesota. Really fluffed up and had wings pulled around it's body like a parka. You see the light snow that was falling on it's shoulders.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Not an owl but hunting the same food, just in the daytime. Was good to see the ubiquitous Red-tailed Hawk on something other than a freeway light standard. Driving home from seeing this one I must have seen 6 or 8 on highway light poles, one light had two sitting side-by-side.

 

[FallOf81]

We got hit with 10 inches East of St Louis. Our feeders are in turbo mode.

 

[cytor]

@BoxsterCy your pics are truly amazing. Thank you for sharing these gems.

 

[nfrine]

This thread is for the birds...thank you for all the photos.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Saw two robins at our birdbath Tuesday. Next time I looked there was one robin, one chickadee, one downy woodpecker and one junco. No time to get a photo, but was fun to see.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Did get to see a Northern Saw-whet Owl earlier this month, didn't see one all of 2025. Had to leave the metro and the state to see it though.

 

[cymac2408]

Saw two robins at our birdbath Tuesday. Next time I looked there was one robin, one chickadee, one downy woodpecker and one junco. No time to get a photo, but was fun to see.

Iowa? What part?

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Iowa? What part?

Ames. Have seen single robin occasionally. All have been male so far.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Ames. Have seen single robin occasionally. All have been male so far.

Counted over 50 robins in Theo Wirth Park in Mpls last week. They congregate where there is running water. There are springs and seeps at the base of the hill and they were drinking and bathing in the water. Too many buckthorns to get a photo.

 

[nfrine]

For some reason, a lot of doves have been hanging around this year.