It is easy to stay in your safe zone. You know where you are and what to expect. If you run into someone who needs help you can be of great use, and that is a great feeling. But sometimes, it is a great adventure to step out somewhere that is new to you.
That is what we did this last week, we ventured into areas unknown to us. Recently I had to make a trip down to the Mayo Clinic. This gave the Hubby and I an excuse to do some exploring. We headed down through Wisconsin until we came to the Crex Wildlife Area. We had never been there before and were unsure of what we would see. We were excited to spot a Brown Thrasher within minutes, especially since this was a new bird for our "Lifer" list. We stopped for a bit at the Ranger Station and spoke to the people there getting as much information as we could before setting out.
What we did not expect was for the temperature to hit 97 degrees. This made for a rather hot drive. We were worried that the birds and animals would be rather quiet in the heat, but they surprised us and a good handful were out and about.
One of the first birds we spotted when we hit the loop were the Black Terns. They were swooping and flying over the road with little care that we were there. I was able to stand at the side of the road and watch as they flew over us with their catch of minnows in their mouths. The best show was when one dropped it's minnow and then caught it in mid-air. I was worried I would not be able to capture this fast moving bird in the air, but was happy to see I was able to get some good shots of this amazing bird.
One of the more interesting things we spotted on that drive was a Killdeer that had decided to
lay her eggs in the road. Workers had put up logs around the nest so people would not drive over it. We thought she was hurt until we drove by and spotted the eggs. We quickly moved on so not to bother the mother, but it is a moment that I will remember as it was amazing to see.
After Crex, we headed to Rochester. I am in love with the Rochester area and love to visit Quarry Hill when we are there. They have been doing some remodeling and building of different things in the year since we had been there, so it was interesting to explore. I did not get to see as many Cardinals as I wanted to, but the Blue Indigos were out in full force singing away. But the sweetest thing there were the families of little ones that were gathered around the lake.
There was a rather large family of Geese making their way through the tall grass as we walked the path along the pond. The parents watched us as we walked by, but while they were cautious, they are well used to people, and just watched us. The little ones ignored us and continued their search through the grass. Such small balls of fluff they were with no cares at all.
The time at Quarry Hill was rainy and cool, and many of the normal birds were hidden from us both times that we were there. On the second visit, I was sad to find a female Indigo Bunting that thad hit a window and died. Such small beautiful creatures, it breaks the heart to see one perish.
When our visit was done we headed home with a side trip to Sherburne Wildlife Area. We had gone there previously in the Spring, but the roads were not open at that time and we were unable to take advantage of area. This time, everything was open, except for the nesting areas. This gave us a rather large 7 mile loop to drive. It was an amazing drive and we spent a good handful of hours driving and walking the trails.
A pair of Eastern Kingbirds were out and not afraid to come and sit right out side of the window. They flew right towards us and sat on a branch almost to close to take a picture of. I most excited to find a Woodcock sneaking through the brush under a deck I was sitting at. Once it saw that I had spotted it, it stayed still. It was not the best way to take a picture, but I was excited to see one of these secretive birds. They are almost comical in the shape of their heads and how their eyes sit, but their rich color and pattern of their feathers are beautiful in their own way. They tie in my book for how striking they are with the Barn Swallows that were nesting in the bathroom area at the start of the Wildlife Loop.
This trip, while one of medical need, was one of the best birding trips we have taken.
In total, we spotted ten new birds to our "Lifer" list, and were able to get good photos of some that had always eluded my camera lens. And while it was nice to get back home to our normal stomping grounds, it was a fun adventure to have.
