Steve Foss

[buzzsaw]

I heard a rumor that there is a huge migration of Cardinals headed towards Ely, seen any?

[Steve Foss]

Buzz, I saw a female cardinal on my feeder on the 25th for about 15 minutes, and got some pics through the window. It's the first cardinal I've seen up here in the three years I've lived in Ely. There are nesting records as far north as Winnipeg, and I know cardinals have been slowly expanding their range north. I don't know how common or uncommon they are up here in the boreal forest. Rather, I know they are uncommon, but not just how uncommon or rare. The cardinal hasn't been back to the feeder since then that I've seen, and I haven't seen a male or heard its song, either, so I can't assume there's a breeding pair around. I'm on the Minnesota Ornithologists Union e-mail group where people post unusual sightings, and I haven't seen another sighting from the Ely area.

We have a very cardinal-friendly yard, however, with heavy tall lilac hedge on two sides, thick elderberry, honeysuckle and other shrubs in the back hard leadng to unbroken woods, so if there are cardinals around, we stand a good chance of getting them.

[buzzsaw]

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I'm on the Minnesota Ornithologists Union e-mail group where people post unusual sightings

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I'm just playin' with ya buddy, I'm on the MOU list as well and I saw your post when the daily e-mail came out this morning so I thought I'd get you going.

[Steve Foss]

Dirty bugger.

[buzzsaw]

I'll send a dozen Cardinals up there if you can send some of those Evening Grosebeaks down here and toss in a painted Bunting for good measure.

[Steve Foss]

Done!

[buzzsaw]

A Painted Bunting, really? Do you guys get those as well? It's funny, we look at Cardinals as a dime a dozen and you probably feel the same about the Evening Grosebeaks... wierd.

[Steve Foss]

Well, as long as we were talking the improbable I thought I'd promise the impossible.

[buzzsaw]

So I was out in my new favorite "bird paradise" tonight and I got a picture of a bird that I have never seen before, I took this picture from a long ways away... I'm too lazy to look it up... what is it?

I saw and took pics of "Batman birds" (Cedar Waxwings) as my 3 year old son calls them as well, Kingbirds, many Hummingbirds, common Yellowthroat, yellow Warblers, brown thrashers, orioles, cardinals, bluebirds, ruby crowned kinglets etc.

Here's the "Batman bird"

[MARINERMAGNUM]

top picture looks like a great crested fly catcher. possibly a yellow bellied chimney sniffer?

[jonny_redhorse]

think it's a triple crested ,3 toed, swamp ouzle

[Dbl]

Or possibly the rare, amped up double yellow belly mullet hugger. I am pretty sure that it's a male. Oh, that is a nice "Batman bird".

[MARINERMAGNUM]

this bird was really singing,didn't know flycatchers would do that? unless it's something else. i was WAY far away.sorry. i think it's a least,but do they have a longer song??

[buzzsaw]

Funny guys, good stuff. Heres a quadruple pigeon toed lapdancer flygirl.

[buzzsaw]

This is for Steve... where's my Painted Bunting?

[floating minnow]

Bravo Buzz! Maybe your best yet?

[Steve Foss]

Be patient, buzz, I'm still painting it.

[buzzsaw]

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Bravo Buzz! Maybe your best yet?

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Thanks Floating minnow, but I'm actually "for the most part" saving what I perceive to be my better shots for two upcoming projects. I usually upload middle of the road shots here and other places.

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Be patient, buzz, I'm still painting it.

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I'm sure it will be beee U ta Full Steve!

[buzzsaw]

Stevo,

I'd guess Lincolns.