Cross Country in an Electric Car

Last summer we put our 2004 Prius out to pasture at 284,000 miles. It was time to leap to an electric vehicle (EV). While the upfront cost of an EV is more than many gas-powered cars, over time it costs much less. It is cheaper to power, and has virtually no...

Protecting Our Birds from Lead Poisoning

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to view a short movie filmed by the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center. The film showed a mature Bald Eagle writhing in the throes of a painful death from lead poisoning. Dr. Pat Redig, the director of the Center at the...

45th Christmas Bird Count is History

Despite the pandemic, Wild River Audubon’s 45th annual Christmas Bird Count went off without a hitch. On December 19, 2020, 38 participants fanned out in our count circle of fifteen-miles diameter, centered at County Roads 12 and 20, or counted at their backyard...

Duck Hunting in Minnesota

A recent column by StarTribune staff writer Dennis Anderson covered the proposed changes to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources waterfowl hunting regulations. See “DNR’s proposed duck rule changes run afoul of reality”. The proposed...

How to Count Birds at a Bird Feeder

1) First of all, find out if you live in our Audubon Count Circle. To give you a rough idea, our circle’s epicenter is at County Roads 20 and 12, and extends for a radius of 7.5 miles in all directions. If you think your feeder is within the count circle, text, call...

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:...