American Woodcock (Scolopax minor)

The last sloppy snowstorm of the past winter fell in late March and brought with it an unusual visitor to our yard: an American Woodcock. Woodcocks are the oddest-looking birds, with a rather dumpy body, a long dagger of a bill, and big, dark eyes set far back in it...

Lindstrom Farm Goes Solar

When dairyman Al Abrahamson of rural Lindstrom first read about grant funding available to rural communities to ease their transition to renewable energy, his interest was piqued. He went on-line to learn more. It turns out, the grant money was part of the Rural...

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

As the non-Winter closes, we should take a moment to ponder how it might have affected and continues to affect our native birds. This winter I noticed  many eagles, both adults and immature, were still seen locally in January and February, 2024 when, in past years,...

The Lethality of Lead

Indoor plumbing was introduced into the United States in the 1830s, initially in wealthy homes, and later, middle-class houses. Many did not have water taps and toilets until at least the 1880s—nonetheless, lead pipes were already identified as a source of lead...

Seeds for Change

Fifty people turned out on a dark January evening to listen to retired middle school teacher Pat Collins speak on the importance of native plants as food sources in the food web. With humans occupying so much of the earth’s surface and modifying it for their own...

Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis

The first bird Tom and I saw for the Christmas Bird Count this year was a bedraggled Red-tailed Hawk, hunched over at the top of a large tree off County 9. It looked miserable in the rain. Its head feathers were wet and ruffled. The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most...