This juvenile Great-horned Owl was photographed near the Little Theater in May 2007.
Yellow Warbler is one of 19 warbler species which have been seen on campus since 1978. This individual was found near Lot 6A on June 14, 2020.
This male Black-throated Green Warbler was heard singing into the Valley of Silence on June 20, 2020.
This stunning Barred Owl was seen at dusk near the monastery cemetery on the day after Thanksgiving last year.
This Hermit Thrush was found in the monastery cemetery on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, October 4, 2020.
Seen near drive below Science Building on June 22, 2020.
Winter Wren is one of three wren species which have been seen on campus. This particular individual was seen in the monastery cemetery in October 2020.
Seen in a field of wild lupine near Gethsemane Cemetery on June 13, 2020.
Seen near Cedar Hall on June 19, 2020.
Pictured near Lot 15 on June 13, 2020.
Found near Lot 15 on June 20, 2020.
Black-and-white Warbler near the south entrance to campus in September 2020.
This skirmish between a Northern Flicker and Sharp-shinned Hawk was photographed behind the BHC.
This Black-throated Green Warbler was found singing one of its signature songs into the Valley of Silence last summer: "Trees, trees, whispering trees."
It is one of 19 warbler species which have been found on campus since the late 1970s.
The sighting of the first warbler of spring migration is always momentous. The honor this year goes to this Black-and-white Warbler, which was seen in Gethsemane Cemetery on May 8, 2021.
A more impressionist view of Black-and-white Warbler. This individual was found near the entrance to campus in September 2020. This is the only warbler species known for going "upside down" as it forages the trunks of trees for insects.
This photograph of a Blackburnian Warbler was taken behind Gethsemane Cemetery by author/ornithologist Laura Erickson during a walk she led for us on June 2, 2017.
This juvenile Chestnut-sided Warbler was found snacking near Gethsemane Cemetery before its first fall migration.
Seen near Gethsemane Cemetery in September 2020.
We had our first sighting of a campus Bay-breasted Warbler in fall 2020. This individual was found near the back of Gethsemane Cemetery. The trailhead which leads down towards campus housing can be an outstanding location for finding warblers.
Wilson's Warbler was another addition to our species list in fall 2020. It was found in Gethsemane Cemetery.
On a campus walk in 2016, Kim Eckert--author of the outstanding A Birder's Guide to Minnesota--remarked that Mourning Warbler is often sought out by visiting birders to northern Minnesota. This individual was seen near Lot 15 in June 2020.
We needed some expert help from our friend Laura Erickson to identify this Tennessee Warbler which was seen on campus last fall. This species, which bears a resemblance to Orange-crowned Warbler, can be distinguished by its white undertail coverts. Orange-crowned Warbler has a longer tail, which is yellow underneath.
Seen near drive below Science Building on June 22, 2020.
Seen near Lot 6A on June 14, 2020.
While the Palm Warbler isn't the flashiest of the warblers, it has its own subtle beauty which naturally blends with fall colors. This photo--taken behind the BHC on September 13--is of interest since it provides a good view of the white tail spots which can be seen when the bird fans its tail.
A Common Yellowthroat singing near Chester Creek. May 19, 2021
More often heard than seen, the Ovenbird is known for its emphatic song: "Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher!" Ovenbirds can often be heard singing from the woods surrounding Gethsemane Cemetery where this individual was found on May 13, 2021.
We were impressed by the outstanding posture of this juvenile Yellow-rumped Warbler found in Gethsemane Cemetery last fall. The brilliantly colored adults of this species should return to campus in late May and early June.
Magnolia Warbler is another species which we look forward to seeing in its stunning spring plumage. Even in its less spectacular fall wardrobe--as seen here in a September 2020 photo from Gethsemane--this species remains impressive year-round.
Winter Wren first made its appearance on our campus species list in fall 2019. This individual was found in Gethsemane Cemetery on October 25, 2020.
Northern Shrike, a species noted as "scarce" in the Peterson Guide, was added to our campus list after this sighting behind the BHC on October 24.
We've had a couple of sightings of this new species to our list this fall. This male White-winged Crossbill was found in Gethsemane Cemetery on October 25.
This amiable Black-capped Chickadee was seen behind Tower Hall on October 19. Shortly after this photograph was taken, the bird flew right at our camerman, nearly grazing his zoom lens before heading for a nearby tree.
This Hermit Thrush was photographed in the cemetery on October 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis.
Two Common Ravens--an adult and juvenile--seen on the roof of the monastery on a windy, October Sunday.
Although Eastern Bluebird doesn't nest on campus any more, the species has been seen in migration over the past two falls. This individual was seen in front of Tower Hall on October 10.
The identity of this raptor, seen near the softball field on Kenwood Avenue, remained a mystery for several weeks after it was photographed in late September. We finally had some help from Erik Bruhnke--a local guide and expert on raptors--who identified the individual as a juvenile Northern Goshawk. This was our first record of the species.
Lincoln Sparrow is one of several sparrows we were able to add to our campus list this fall. This particular individual was seen by Chester Creek and the lower parking lots.
This juvenile Chestnut-sided Warbler was found near the entry to Gethsemane Cemetery on September 7.
While the Palm Warbler isn't the flashiest of the warblers, it has its own subtle beauty which naturally blends with fall colors. This photo--taken behind the BHC on September 13--is of interest since it provides a good view of the white tail spots which can be seen when the bird fans its tail.
A Northern Flicker just escaped the pursuit of an aggressive Sharp-shinned Hawk. This photo was taken behind the BHC on September 27. Sharp-shinned Hawk is one of several raptors which we added to our campus list this fall.
After likely spending its summer in the arctic, this Lapland Longspur stopped by campus on its way south on October 18. This was our first record of the species. The longspur was accompanied by a Horned Lark, also a first for us.
This Least Flycatcher was seen in the field adjacent to Gethsemane Cemetery on September 6.
This Brown Thrasher was found behind Tower Hall on September 26.
Pine Grosbeak has been seen twice this fall. The species was added to our list on October 24. This female was found near Lot 2 eight days later on November 1.
A flock of 30+ Common Redpolls was found near Lot 2 in early November. This was a very early appearance for a species typically seen in mid and late winter.
No, it's not a Fox Sparrow or a game of "which of these is not like the others." We just wanted you to see this Red-tailed Fox which showed great interest in our project this fall during a couple of our visits to Gethsemane Cemetery.
