Warren's Blog

Wings on Wednesday...Monarch Butterfly

2012-02-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

Wings on Wednesday...Barred Owl

2012-02-01T04:25:00.000-08:00

This very cooperative Barred Owl was seen in December at Rocky Ford on the Manhattan Christmas Bird Count

Wings on Wednesday...Bald Eagle

2012-01-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

Seen at Milford Lake on a cloudy January afternoon...

Wings on Wednesday...Snowy Owl in Kansas

2012-01-18T00:40:00.000-08:00

The Winter of 2011-12 has seen a large invasion of Snowy Owls into areas where they haven't been seen in several years, this phenomenon is called an irruption. There have been dozens of reports here in Kansas to the delight of birders and non-birders alike...that is those lucky enough to see them. It's believed the cause for this Winter's irruption was a population boom of the owls this past breeding season due to an abundance of lemmings (Snowy Owl's preferred food). Since the mature owls aggressively chase juveniles from their hunting grounds many of the younger owls have headed south in search of food, far from their normal range in the Arctic regions. The owl in the photos was seen in Dickinson County Kansas, southwest of Abilene, on January 14th. Apparently it's been in the same area since early December, it was very tame and was unfazed by traffic on the road (in the third photo cars were passing by about 10 feet away). While several of the owls have perished, including one here in Washington County, this one seems to be a survivor, hope it makes it back home when Winter passes.

The owl seemed quite comfortable on top of a power pole

The owl sat only a few feet from the road as vehicles passed

As it sat in a milo stubble the owl squinted looking into the sun

Wings on Wednesday...European Magpie

2011-12-28T07:56:00.000-08:00

Seen in Sweden in late August...

Wings on Wednesday...Eurasian Blackbird

2011-12-21T00:38:00.000-08:00

Eurasian or Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a member of the Thrush family, related to the American Robin (Turdus migratorius). I saw these at Skansen on Stockholm's Djurgården Island in August.

Juvenile Eurasian Blackbird

Wings on Wednesday...Common Wood Pigeon

2011-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

Stockholm, Sweden...August 28, 2011

Wings on Wednesday...Mute Swan

2011-12-07T05:52:00.000-08:00

Sweden...August 2011

Wings on Wednesday...Goosander (Mergus Merganser)

2011-11-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

Seen in Sweden on August 30th...

Wings on Wednesday...Chaffinch

2011-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Seen on August 25th at Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki, Finland

Wings on Wednesday...Great Black-backed Gull

2011-11-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

The top photo was taken on Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki and the bottom one on Stockholm's Djurgården Island

Wings on Wednesday...Tufted Duck (Female)

2011-11-09T04:59:00.000-08:00

Seen in Sweden on August 29th...

Wings on Wednesday...Eurasian Nuthatch

2011-11-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Seen in late August at Skansen on Stockholm's Djurgården Island

Wings on Wednesday...Jackdaw

2011-10-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

Seen on August 29th in Stockholm Sweden...

Wings on Wednesday...Blue Tit

2011-10-19T00:02:00.001-07:00

This Blue Tit was feeding on a pear, it was one of several that I saw on Djurgården Island in Stockholm Sweden on August 30th...

Wings on Wednesday...Greenfinch

2011-10-12T01:26:00.000-07:00

Seen on Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki on August 25th...

Wings on Wednesday...Great Tit

2011-10-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

The top photo showing the bird at the feeder was taken at Skansen on Stockholm's Djurgården Island and the other four were from Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki.

Early Fall in Kansas

2011-10-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

Wings on Wednesday...Barnacle Goose

2011-09-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

Seen on Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki on August 25, 2011. Barnacle Geese began nesting in Finland in the 1970s and their Summer population now numbers over 10,000. They're quite small, about the same size as a Cackling Goose.

Wings on Wednesday...Hooded Crow

2011-09-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Hooded Crows were quite common in every country on my trip. The top photo is from the harbor area in Tallinn, Estonia and the other two are from a park in Stockholm.

Wings on Wednesday...White Wagtail

2011-09-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

I saw a lot of White Wagtail while I was on my trip, they were very common, especially where there were rock outcroppings. The first and last photos were taken on Suomenlinna Island near Helsinki, Finland and the other two were taken in the harbor area in Tallinn, Estonia.

Green Woodpecker

2011-09-07T03:42:00.000-07:00

While I was birding on Djurgården Island in Stockholm, Sweden on August 30 I saw this Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis).

Eastern Kingbird

2011-08-17T03:30:00.000-07:00

Little Blue Heron

2011-08-10T04:54:00.000-07:00

A Crested Caracara Visits Kansas

2011-08-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

A Crested Caracara perched in a dead tree yesterday morning in Coleman Township, Washington County, Kansas
On Monday evening a friend of mine told me he thought he'd seen a rare bird while working ground that afternoon on my Dad's farm in the western part of the county. He described the bird to me in great detail and immediately I thought it was likely a Crested Caracara. I went looking for it that evening but was unable to locate it. I returned yesterday morning and was successful in finding the bird about a half a mile east of it's location the previous day and I managed to get a few photos. There has never been a record of a Crested Caracara in Kansas so with this sighting the state checklist will likely have a new species added in the near future. This is apparently a very good area for rare birds, in September 2006 I found a Vermilion Flycatcher in the same section.

King Rail

2011-07-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

A King Rail cautiously peers out from behind some weeds at Zach Hudec Wetlands near Clay Center, Kansas

Yellow-headed Blackbird

2011-07-20T01:41:00.000-07:00

White-faced Ibis

2011-07-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

2011-07-10T21:23:00.001-07:00

"Mom Thinks I'm Cute"

Northern Mockingbird

2011-07-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

2011-06-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Black-necked Stilt

2011-06-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

Pectoral, Semipalmated, and White-rumped Sandpipers

2011-06-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

Semipalmated Sandpiper (in front) with White-rumped Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper

Another view of the Pectoral Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Snowy Egret

2011-06-08T05:17:00.000-07:00

Bell's Vireo

2011-06-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

American Avocet

2011-05-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Bobolink

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Curve-billed Thrasher

2011-05-11T04:45:00.000-07:00

On my return home from Elkhart on Sunday I stopped at the cemetery in Hugoton where there had been Curved-billed Thrashers reported earlier in the day. I was able to find the pair and take a few photos.

KOS Spring Meeting...Morton County Kansas

2011-05-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Kansas Ornithological Society held it's Spring Meeting at Elkhart in Morton County which is in the extreme southwest corner of the state bordering Colorado to the west and Oklahoma to the south. To most people in Kansas Morton County is a rather ho-hum place but to birders it's a very special place and many make a point to travel to this birding hot-spot as often as possible. Through the years Morton County has produced numerous rare bird sightings and such was the case again this weekend with birders making the trip to Elkhart being treated to views of a Painted Redstart, far from it's normal range in the Southwest. The Redstart was found in the Picnic area near the Cimarron River and a majority of those attending the meeting got to see it on Friday, it was unfortunately a no-show Saturday and Sunday. The trees along the Cimarron River afford a pathway for western bird species to enter the county and the 108,000 acre Cimarron National Grasslands provide birders with abundant public land to search for rarities as well as birds that are hard to find in the rest of Kansas. There was a choice of several field trips both Saturday and Sunday, I decided to go to Cottonwood Canyon in Baca County Colorado which has long had a reputation as a birding hotspot. The canyon is a very scenic place, some of the highlights included seeing Ash-throated Flycatchers, Cassin's Kingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Mississippi Kite, Canyon and Rock Wrens and hearing at fairly close range a Western Screech-Owl. On Sunday I went on the field trip to the Cimarron National Grasslands where I was able to see a Cassin's Sparrow (a life bird for me) it put on quite a show with it's skylarking. I also saw the only known nesting Common Ravens in Kansas at the Grasslands work station. It was a great weekend of birding and catching up with old friends, many that I hadn't seen since last year's KOS Spring Meeting...and also making new friends.

Point of Rocks in Cimarron National Grasslands north of Elkhart...this was a landmark on the Santa Fe Trail

Birders gather early Saturday Morning at the Picnic Area in hopes of seeing the Painted Redstart.

Painted Redstart

Another view of the Redstart

On the road to Cottonwood Canyon in Baca County Colorado

Pronghorn (often called Antelope) along the road

Burrowing Owl
(I was surprised I got a fair photo...the bird was so far away I could barely see it in my binoculars looking into the morning sun)

A Scene in Cottonwood Canyon Colorado

Ash-throated Flycatcher

The next several photos are in Cottonwood Canyon

Canyon Wren in Cottonwood Canyon

Searching for birds in the rugged terrain atop Point of Rocks on the Sunday Morning field trip.

Another view at Point of Rocks

Eurasian Collared Dove on a fence post in Stevens County, Kansas

White-crowned Sparrow

2011-05-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

Blue-winged Teal

2011-04-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

More Lesser Yellowlegs

2011-04-22T06:28:00.001-07:00

Lesser Yellowlegs

2011-04-20T04:03:00.000-07:00

Wood Duck

2011-04-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

Canvasback

2011-03-30T04:58:00.001-07:00

Ring-necked Ducks

2011-03-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

Super "Perigee" Moon...March 20, 2011

2011-03-20T00:57:00.000-07:00

The clouds finally cleared away enough around 3:00 A.M. so I could get a few shots of the so called "Supermoon" ...Last night was the closest the moon has been to the earth in 18 years.

Cedar Waxwing

2011-03-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

Killdeer (FOS)

2011-03-09T05:54:00.000-08:00

Scenes of Late Winter in Kansas

2011-02-17T21:21:00.000-08:00

American Robin...A Harbinger of Spring in Marysville's City Park

Three Gadwall stand on the ice in a cove at Milford Lake

A pair of Canada Geese take off from a partially unfrozen pond near Linn

Canada Geese at Milford Lake

Geese in Flight

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk in Flight

A Few of the Thousands of Red-winged Blackbirds in a Milo field south of Clay Center

Kansas Sesquicentennial 1861-2011

2011-01-29T01:39:00.000-08:00

Today is the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood. On January 29, 1861 President James Buchanan signed the bill that made Kansas the 34th state. In honor of this very special Kansas Day here are a few of my photos of the state. Happy Birthday Kansas!

The Great Seal of the State of Kansas in the Governor's office in Topeka. Ad Astra per Aspera on the seal is a Latin phrase that means "To the stars through difficulties" and is the Kansas state motto.

The sunflower is the state flower of Kansas and the state is known as The Sunflower State

The Western Meadowlark is the State Bird of Kansas...it was chosen by the state's schoolchildren on Kansas Day in 1925 and approved as the official state bird by the State Legislature in 1937.

A field of Sunflowers in Washington County

The Kansas State Capitol in Topeka...
Construction began in 1866 only 5 years after Kansas statehood and one year after the end of the Civil War, it was completed in 1903.

Detail of the east front of the Kansas Capitol building

A mural in the Kansas Statehouse of a larger than life John Brown flanked by contending free soil and pro-slavery forces entitled Tragic Prelude, the mural is one of several in the capitol done by Kansas artist John Steuart Curry.

The Kansas State Senate Chamber

Looking up into the Capitol Dome

Inside the upper portion of the dome showing the top of the interior dome that is seen in the center of the last photo and also a small part of the stairway to the top of the dome is seen on the left.

Another view in the upper unfinished part of the dome.

The Kansa Warrior "Ad Astra" keeps watch over Kansas from atop the Capitol Dome. Ad Astra is 22 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 4,420 pounds. Kansas was named for the Kansa Tribe who lived along the Kansas River.

A Kansas Soybean Field in Strawberry Township, Washington County

My hometown of Linn, Kansas in the background with a field of ripening wheat in the foreground

A beautiful Kansas Sunset

Horned Lark

2011-01-26T04:18:00.000-08:00

Fox Sparrow

2011-01-19T04:33:00.000-08:00

Lunar Eclipse - December 21, 2010

2010-12-21T01:19:00.000-08:00

Canada Goose

2010-11-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

Mourning Dove

2010-11-10T06:24:00.001-08:00

Black-billed Magpie

2010-11-03T00:58:00.001-07:00

Harris's Sparrow

2010-10-27T06:06:00.000-07:00

Savannah Sparrow

2010-10-20T04:33:00.001-07:00

Butterfly on Red Salvia

2010-10-13T05:56:00.001-07:00

Monarch Butterfly

2010-09-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

Loggerhead Shrike

2010-09-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

2010-09-15T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

2010-09-08T06:04:00.000-07:00

Minnesota River Valley....August 2010

2010-09-01T09:51:00.001-07:00

After a nice stay in Sibley State Park I headed south to the Minnesota River Valley camping at Fort Ridgely State Park. This is a very scenic part of southern Minnesota, it has a wide valley with steep tree covered bluffs on both sides. The town of New Ulm on the Minnesota River was settled by Germans and has several celebrations each year to celebrate that heritage. High on the hill south of downtown New Ulm stands the 102 foot tall Hermann Monument which was dedicated in 1897, it has a viewing platform near the top providing great views. Near Mankato is Minneopa State Park which has two beautiful waterfalls and several buildings built by the WPA in the late 1930s, it was Minnesota's third state park, established in 1905. Fort Ridgely State Park, where I camped, became a state park in 1911 as a memorial to the old fort that was built in 1853, the fort was the site of a seige in the U.S.-Dakota Conflict in August 1862. The CCC built several buildings at the park in the 1930s, all of them are still standing. Fort Ridgely was one of the few state parks in southern Minnesota I had never visited, I was pleasantly surprised by it's beauty and the thickly wooded campground offered great birding with many Warbler species and a Pileated Woodpecker.

Minnesota River

Lower Falls and Footbridge at Minneopa State Park near Mankato

Upper Falls Minneopa State Park

Building constructed by the WPA in 1939....Minneopa State Park

New Ulm

Hermann Monument In New Ulm's Hermann Heights Park is 102 foot tall

Stairway to the Dome

Brickwork inside the Monument's Dome

Spire at Martin Luther College from the Monument

Lion on the Monument overlooks New Ulm

The Hermann Statue is 32 foot tall

New Ulm and the heavily wooded bluffs along the Minnesota River

The Shelter House/Beach House at Flandrau State Park on the south side of New Ulm was built by the WPA in 1938

The Schell Brewery is a New Ulm landmark that's celebrating it's 150th Anniversary in 2010

Black-eyed Susan in the Schell Brewery Gardens

Begonias at the Schell Brewery

My campsite at Fort Ridgely State Park was a great place for Birding

Arched Footbridge at the Campground

Water Tower and Maintenance Building....Fort Ridgely State Park

The Commissary Building, restored in the 1930s by the Veterans Conservation Corps is the only remaining building of Old Fort Ridgely

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel on the lawn near the Commissary Building

Scene along the highway in the beautiful Minnesota River Valley

Minnesota's Sibley State Park....August 2010

2010-08-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a short vacation to Minnesota, a place I've traveled to in August eighteen of the last twenty-one Summers. I camped in state parks with my first stop being Sibley where I spent two nights. Sibley State Park was established in 1919, it was named for Minnesota's first governor, Henry Sibley, who enjoyed spending time in the area. The Civilian Conservation Corps known as the CCC did extensive work in the park beginning in 1935, they constructed roads and trails and also built several stone and log "rustic style" buildings. The area of the park is on the Alexandria Moraine which runs in a fairly narrow band through west-central Minnesota and is characterized by lakes, high hills, and forest. It's a beautiful place to spend time in late August.

Lake Andrew...swimming beach and boat dock

West end of Lake Andrew

Bee on a Wild Aster

The next three photos are of buildings erected by the CCC in the 1930s. Note the stone drinking fountain, there are many throughout the park.

Water tower

Beautiful workmanship which has stood the test of time.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird near the Visitor Center

A stand of Paper Birch near the Campground

Interpretive Center

Goldenrod

A small lake behind the Interpretive Center

Observation Deck on Mount Tom...highest point in the park

White-tailed Deer along the trail

A view from the top of the Mount Tom Observation Deck

Lily Pads

Water Lily bloom

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T06:19:00.001-07:00

Kansas Sunsets and Storm Clouds

2010-08-04T01:07:00.001-07:00

Common Wood Nymph Butterfly on a Thistle

2010-07-28T06:03:00.001-07:00

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

2010-07-21T05:32:00.001-07:00

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on a Purple Coneflower

2010-07-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Eastern Bluebird

2010-07-07T01:33:00.000-07:00

Western Meadowlark

2010-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Grasshopper Sparrow

2010-06-23T04:50:00.001-07:00

Red-headed Woodpecker

2010-06-16T06:40:00.001-07:00

Upland Sandpiper

2010-06-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

2010-06-02T06:21:00.001-07:00

Dickcissel (male in the top photo, female in the bottom photo)

2010-05-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

House Wren

2010-05-19T09:46:00.001-07:00

KOS Spring Meeting

2010-05-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

The Kansas Ornithological Society held it's annual Spring meeting this past weekend at Tipton in Mitchell County. There were many field trips available on Saturday and Sunday, I decided to take the one going to Lovewell Reservoir which is near the Nebraska border in Jewell County. During the weekend 173 species were observed by the several groups, best birds were probably Snowy Plover and Dunlin seen by most of the birders attending. We enjoyed a banquet on Saturday evening; overall it was a very pleasant weekend of birding, catching up with old friends and also making new ones.

Gray Catbird singing
Tree Swallow
Binoculars are up searching for warblers.
A Yellow Warbler hiding among the green leaves
Our group gathering on a bridge east of the Lovewell Dam hoping for a Barred Owl to appear and we were not disappointed.
Barred Owl

Great-tailed Grackle

2010-05-12T06:22:00.001-07:00

Eastern Kingbird

2010-05-05T05:17:00.001-07:00

Red-bellied Woodpecker

2010-04-28T04:51:00.000-07:00

White Pelican

2010-04-21T01:34:00.001-07:00

Springtime in Kansas

2010-04-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Yellow-headed Blackbirds

2010-04-14T05:35:00.001-07:00

Ring-necked Ducks

2010-04-06T23:27:00.001-07:00

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

2010-03-31T04:51:00.000-07:00

Greater White-fronted Geese

2010-03-23T20:31:00.001-07:00

Saint Michael's Catholic Church at Kimeo, Washington County, Kansas

2010-03-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

On Saint Patrick's Day here are photos of the Catholic Church at Kimeo in southeast Washington County, Kansas. The Kimeo community was settled by Irish pioneers beginning in the 1870s. The Church was constructed in 1904 of local Kansas limestone and is a landmark that can be seen for miles around with the green roof helping to make it even more striking. Though the Church has been closed for several years it is maintained by a nonprofit association and is still used on special occasions.

Whooping Cranes

2010-03-10T08:26:00.001-08:00

Whooping Cranes migrate through Kansas each Spring and Fall, this was a group of six seen in April 2009 near Zeandale in Riley County.

Wood Duck (right) with a Ring-necked Duck (female)

2010-03-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Grasshopper Sparrow

2010-02-24T04:38:00.000-08:00

Mourning Doves

2010-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Painted Bunting

2010-02-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

Fancy Creek State Park, Tuttle Creek Lake, Kansas

Cooper's Hawk

2010-02-03T16:16:00.001-08:00

Eurasian Collared Dove

2010-01-27T03:44:00.001-08:00

Wild Turkey Strutting

2010-01-20T05:40:00.001-08:00

Swamp Sparrow

2010-01-13T04:13:00.000-08:00

Upland Sandpiper

2010-01-06T14:01:00.000-08:00