Adventures in natural history photography with Sparky Stensaas
February 2023: Wolves are not uncommon in Sax-Zim…but to see one is a very special event! In this episode Sparky runs across a semi-cooperative Timber Wolf. Plus we hike down Gray Jay Way to meet a Snowshoe Hare, find some Red Crossbills, meet volunteer Jim and find THREE signs of spring in early February. And Sparky shares the results of the Tiny Bird Art auction.
January 2023: Join Sparky in Grand Marais on the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog BRRRRdathon-World’s Coldest Birdathon. Long-tailed Ducks, Bohemian Waxwings.
We also answer some of your questions about Sax-Zim Bog including “Why aren’t there more owls this winter?”
Also we cross-country ski on the only ski trails in the Sax-Zim Bog.
On a very cold December 19th day, a dozen intrepid birders go forth and find 35 species of birds in the Sax-Zim Christmas Bird Count 15-mile diameter circle. Winter finches were the heroes of the day, but a late afternoon Great Gray Owl (the third of the day) silently searched for voles as Sparky filmed the hunt.
October 2022: In this episode of Quick Trips with Sparky, he goes to nearby Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge near McGregor, Minnesota. He takes you along to the Observation Tower for ducks and swans at sunrise. And gets distracted by a ruffled Ruffed Grouse, who is in full courtship display…in late fall! (Learn why).
But this episode is titled, “You don’t always get what you want” because in wildlife photography you sometimes don’t get the photo you imagined before you go on your trip, but sometimes end up with other interesting photos.
April 1, 2023
Sparky Stensaas
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Sparky heads out for a short wildlife photography jaunt on a mid October in northern Minnesota.
“Bad weather” can create some unique images.
http://www.thephotonaturalist.com
April 1, 2023
Sparky Stensaas
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It was a blast going through my 19,753 images from 2022 (15,259 on Canon R5 and 4,494 iPhone11) and finding my most memorable wildlife photos. Trips to Churchill, Manitoba, floating blind in the prairie potholes of North Dakota, Crex Meadows in Wisconsin and other parts of wild Minnesota netted some cool outdoor experiences:
Close range Hawk Owls, an adorable Saw-whet Owl, Short-eared Owls, Red Fox dens (in 2 states and 1 province!), Western Grebes performing their courtship “Rush Dance,” hunting Mink, frosty Long-eared Owls, and more.
Top Tens in several categories including “Creative Wildlife Photography,” “Wildlife Behavior,” “Animal in the Landscape,” “High Key,” “Landscape & Vernacular Architecture,” and more.
Plus, Sparky’s overall Top Ten photos from 2022.
Happy New Year and enjoy!
Winter finches have arrived in the Sax-Zim Bog! Evening Grosbeaks are abundant with lesser amounts of Pine Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls. Sparky goes on an early winter jaunt in the snowy Sax-Zim Bog in search of winter birds. A junco is an unexpected find at the Sisu feeders at the Zabin. We also stop by the Welcome Center and find a Pileated Woodpecker feasting on a deer rib cage. A flock of Bohemian Waxwings make a cameo along Nichols Lake Road. A side trip takes us to Mary Lou’s new garage and outdoor “birder lounge.” Sparky also shares details about the upcoming Tiny Bird Art online auction AND the BRRRRdathon-World’s Coldest Birdathon. Come on along!
This truly comprehensive Minnesota birding guide is a must for every birder and bird photographer visiting the state. It is a county-by-county guide to over 1400 birding locations and lavishly illustrated with over 180 color bird photos and nearly 100 detailed maps. An exhaustive annotated list to all 447 of Minnesota’s bird species even contains valuable field identification tips. It is easy to use and just by scanning one of the many QR codes you can access maps of specific birding locations.
—Comprehensive bird-finding guide to all 87 counties
—Completely revised Fifth Edition
—Over 1,400 locations highlighted
—Annotated List of Minnesota’s 447 bird species
—Identification tips for the trickiest field problems
—Color photos of 170 of the state’s most iconic bird species
—QR codes link directly to detailed location maps
—Checklists for Minnesota’s “non-bird” wildlife
—Seasonal maps for the best birding sites by region
—Online database with updates to keep this guide current
Author Bio:
“Kim Eckert’s interest in birding was sparked in the Chicago area during a 10th-grade biology class – the only biology course he would ever take. He became an English major at St. John’s University in Minnesota and then taught English (with some first-year French on the side) during the 1970s. But he turned to a career in birding after moving to Duluth, Minnesota in 1977, where he served as Naturalist at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (for a total of 20 years), taught bird identification classes for a decade, and started leading birding tours (including 30 years with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours). In 1986, he created the Minnesota Birding Weekends & Weeks program of tours throughout Minnesota and elsewhere in the U.S. and Canada, which is now in its 37th season. In addition, Kim has written numerous articles for The Loon and other publications, plus Birding By Hindsight, a compilation of The Loon’s series of 70 bird ID articles, and four previous editions of A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota.
After 45 years, he still lives in Duluth…where he muses about the Great Plains, prefers not to take anything too seriously, finds joy in not knowing where he is going, reminisces about the times with Bob and Panda…and thinks about things.”
A Birder’s Guide to Minnesota
A County-by-County Guide to Over 1400 Birding Locations
5th Edition
978-1-7353499-1-6
wire-O binding
$34.95 Retail
($17.47 wholesale)
8×10 inches
472 pages
full color with photos
Author: Kim Richard Eckert
On a whim, Sparky stops by Crex Meadows in western Wisconsin on his way home from a conference in St. Paul…and despite the initial BLAAH light and heavy overcast, he stays and the light suddenly turns magical…WHAAT!
Sandhill Cranes and Trumpeter Swans are the avian highlights.
Sparky tries shooting through the red fall foliage to create some unique and creative wildlife photos.
All photos taken with Canon R5 and Canon 100-500mm lens
YouTube video and gallery below.
http://www.sparkyphotos.com (My photo galleries)
Blizzard in October: Teddy Roosevelt NP, Badlands in North Dakota, NP in South Dakota & Yellowstone.
What a crazy trip! When I think back on it, I only remember the tough stuff… getting kicked out of Yellowstone (they closed all the roads and rangers had us leave) and the nightmare of white-knuckle driving through a North Dakota blizzard.
But when I look at the photos we got, I realize what an amazing trip it was! Mountain Bluebird flocks in the snow at Teddy, a sow Grizzly eating rose hips only yards from us near Wapiti, Wyoming, a Badger cooperatively hunting with TWO Coyotes, backlit Raven breath, and so much more.
[DISCLAIMER: This was filmed about a year before I got my Canon R5 so cut me some slack on the video quality :)]
October 5-13, 2019
See Sparky’s photo galleries at http://www.sparkyphotos.com
Read Sparky’s photo blog at http://www.thephotonaturalist.com
Contact Sparky at sparkystensaas@hotmail.com
October 23, 2022
Sparky Stensaas
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218.341.3350
Nemadji Valley of northern Minnesota
Join Sparky in the field in these short videos from past wildlife and nature photography adventures.
