Aug. 14, 2011 - Summer Photos

In summer, Dickcissels are found in grassy areas of the central and eastern United States. Their main wintering area is central Venezuela, but some go to Central America and northern parts of South America. They are only 6 – 7 inches long, and with their black bib and yellow chest, they look like a miniature Meadowlark. This one was photographed west of Hastings, Minnesota, in an area known locally as the 140th Street Marsh.

Dickcisselmale140thDakotaCounty20110712

Deptford Pink is one of my favorite wildflowers. The flower is tiny, only about 1/3 inch across. I like the intense pink color and the tiny white dots on the petals. The stalk is very thin, from 1-2½ feet tall, and difficult to distinguish from other grasses until the flower starts blooming. I took this photo in a wildflower area at our home in northern Minnesota.

DeptfordPinkDunningLake20110715

I enjoy photographing dragonflies that I haven’t seen before, like this Dusky Clubtail. Someday I hope to be as familiar with the insects of our area as I am with the birds. This was also taken at our home in northern Minnesota.

DragonflyClubtailDuskyDunningLake20110624

This is not a wild flower; it’s a cultivated form of Day Lily. It’s from the landscaped area around our office in New Brighton, Minnesota.

LilyDayNewBrighton20110705

I’ve heard Spring Peepers calling at our lake, but this was the first time I had seen one. I was picking blueberries when this tiny frog (about 1 inch long) hopped onto a leaf near me. I took several photos and was able to identify it by the brown X on its back. You can see part of the X in this photo.

FrogSpringPeeperDunningLake20110728

This Clay-colored Sparrow was in the same area as the Dickcissel (above). Its distinctive, buzzy call could easily be mistaken for the sound of an insect. Like the Dickcissel, it prefers grassy prairie areas for nesting. In summer it can be found in the northern United States from Montana to New York and in central Canada. During the winter it migrates to the highlands of central Mexico.

SparrowClaycolored140thDakotaCounty20110712