Dec. 4, 2016 - More fall Photos

I still have a few more fall photos to share with you. These colorful shrubs were growing near a picturesque fence railing in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

FallColorsGrandMarais20161102

At first glance, this might look like a group of live evergreen trees in the background and another group of dead ones in front. But all the golden colored trees are Tamaracks, a species of evergreen tree that loses its needles each fall. So here in Minnesota, in addition to the spectacular fall colors from our deciduous trees, we are also treated to a golden glow from our Tamaracks.

FallColorsTamaracktreesnearCook20161020

As I was driving through the Sax Zim bog, I spotted this Rough-legged Hawk soaring above me. I really like the colorful under-wing pattern of these birds. Late fall is when we start seeing them as they migrate south from their breeding grounds in far northern Canada and Alaska.

HawkRoughleggedSaxZimBog20161116

We have a small pond next to our driveway and a pair of Muskrats look like they are ready to spend the winter there. They built two of their half-dome mud and stick homes in the pond. This one is eating some kind of root from a pond plant.

MuskratDunningLakeItascaCounty20161021

My birding friends will appreciate this photo of a Red Phalarope. It’s a very rare bird here in Minnesota and I had never seen one before (life bird #856). It showed up at the water treatment plant in Cook, Minnesota, and stayed around long enough for many Minnesota birders to see it. This bird is in non-breeding plumage but you can still see a little red on its throat.

PhalaropeRedwinterplumageCookSewagePonds20161020