Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

There is an elfin quality to the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Minnesota’s smallest bird. Their nests have been compared to large thimbles, their eggs are the size of peas, they use strands of spider silk to hold the nest together and thistle down to line it. It sounds...

A Blue Bird Day in Chisago County

Wild River Audubon member Gloria Peterson has monitored bluebird trails in Chisago County for 17 years. She recently dropped by for an interview, dressed for the occasion in a peach colored t-shirt sporting a bluebird pair. We took the opportunity to ask questions. Q:...

Cooper’s Hawk

A Cooper’s Hawk had been hanging around our yard all spring. We’d see the bird glide across the driveway as we pulled in, or startle from a tree. But I felt a little thrill of terror when this past weekend my son-in-law pointed out a hawk’s nest high in an adjacent...

Horned Larks

By the time you read this, there are certain to be Horned Larks somewhere in Chisago or Isanti County. Horned Larks are considered the earliest migrator, frequently appearing in the snow-covered fields just in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count, the third weekend...

Red-headed Woodpeckers

A strikingly beautiful bird, the Red-headed Woodpecker is difficult to misidentify, with its brilliant scarlet head, black back and a flash of white as it wings. Immatures look much different. They have a similar profile, but are dark on head, throat and upper breast....