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Thinner-necked and smaller-billed, while even showing a purplish sheen, these lesser scaup drakes seem more alert than greaters due to their high-headed look. Inset photo: Greater scaups appears more thick-necked and larger-billed, with a broader, more rounded head than lessers. The broad black "nail" is even evident on this drake's bill tip. Keith Corliss / Pioneer

Flight lines: Look-alike ducks present difficult, though not impossible, challenge.

There are groups of birds that stubbornly defy easy identification for beginners and experts alike. To some it's part of the appeal of the hobby. A dare, a challenge, from...

outdoors / flight lines Mon, May 13, 2013 - 1:31pm

An American robin feasts on crabapples in a West Fargo yard. This individual shows more white facial feathering than most and is likely a female. Keith Corliss / Pioneer

Will it stay or will it go? The curious migration of robins

It seems I go through this mental exercise every spring, wondering where all the robins are going. Just outside the room where our home computer rests, stands a mature crabapple...

outdoors / flight lines Tue, Apr 30, 2013 - 7:51am

Barred owl

Author finds species at heart of controversy

Last Saturday was such a beautiful day the urge to get out and walk around was overwhelming. Given all the early migratory birds being spotted across the state, it was...

outdoors Tue, Apr 02, 2013 - 2:05pm

Black-and-white warblers, such as this one, are common neotropical migrants in our area. Typical feeding behavior includes edging along tree bark in search of insects. In desperate times, however, earthworms are apparently not off limits. Keith Corliss

Savor being outdoors even when the weather is sour

It was almost a month ago when, upon suffering a bad case of cabin fever, I ventured out for a walk in and around Armour Park in West Fargo. The...

outdoors / flight lines Tue, Mar 12, 2013 - 2:44pm

Northern visitors spice up an otherwise bland season

In the winter, 2013 edition of Living Bird News there appears an article titled, “Superflight,” by Hugh Powell. Truth is I had never heard the word, much less knew of...

outdoors / flight lines Tue, Feb 26, 2013 - 2:26pm

Storms temporarily rearrange bird life

Following Sunday’s snow-and-wind wallop I had plenty of time for coffee and breakfast. Despite having spent the better part of Monday morning clearing my driveway and sidewalks, the street in...

outdoors / flight lines Tue, Feb 12, 2013 - 11:44am

The idyllic winter scene at the Audubon Center of the Red River Valley near Warren, Minn. where a rare owl appeared last week. Keith Corliss

A swing and a miss in northwestern Minnesota

I would sincerely love to relay how fellow West Fargo birder, Dean Riemer and I drove two hours to a wooded tract in northwestern Minnesota last Sunday and relocated a...

outdoors / flight lines Tue, Jan 29, 2013 - 12:06pm

A screen capture from the ABA.org website showing a recent blog entry describing the extremely rare appearance of a red-flanked bluetail in British Columbia over the weekend.

Birds on the Internet: Sifting the best websites for bird information

If we were to conduct a poll asking people what their favorite literary genre is, we'd get answers all over the chart from science fiction to European history. There's a...

outdoors Wed, Jan 16, 2013 - 12:00am

This winter might very well be remembered for the irruption of two northern species, red crossbills and pine grosbeaks (pictured). Keith Corliss

Birding year in review: A look back at the notable sightings of 2012

Everyone seems to relish in the annual practice of reviewing the previous 12 months when late December rolls around. It's a nearly sacred rite in some media circles. In the...

outdoors Wed, Jan 02, 2013 - 12:00am

Twelve red-breasted nuthatches were counted during last Saturday's Christmas Bird Count; one of 68 species observed throughout the day. Keith Corliss

Local bird group sets North Dakota record

The potluck dinner was finished, most had already exited into the frosty still air last Saturday when I, too, thanked our hostess and made my way to the car, still...

outdoors Wed, Dec 19, 2012 - 12:00am

A clay-colored sparrow, without the hype and flash of a tropical bird, mirrors the sober prairie landscape. Keith Corliss

Understated birds reflect nature of prairie landscape

Not surprisingly, the most recent issue of Living Bird News features a bird photograph on its cover, two birds actually. Captured by photographer Tim Laman, the stunning shot depicts a...

outdoors Wed, Dec 05, 2012 - 12:00am

White-winged crossbills will infrequently feed on the ground. In this case a female (left) and male are "drinking" water by eating snow. Keith Corliss

Odd bill keeps bird searching for food

Every once in a while, a keen observer will spot an obvious flaw in the seemingly error-free world of bird morphology. Maybe it's a missing toe or eye. Sometimes it's...

outdoors Wed, Nov 21, 2012 - 12:00am

Several species of hard-to-find northern birds have already made an appearance this season such as these bohemian waxwings, close relatives of our more common cedar waxwings. Keith Corliss

Northern birds being seen with regularity

Early November, the time of year when things in the world of birding are waning considerably. Nothing is nesting, very few birds are singing, and the diversity of species has...

outdoors Wed, Nov 07, 2012 - 12:00am

Nearly without fail, rusty blackbirds are found with water nearby. Here one forages along a local shoreline. Keith Corliss

Rusty blackbird, water-loving migrant

Certain groups of birds seem to invite a degree of lumping by the public when it comes to their descriptions. It's not to fault observers necessarily; the birds themselves can...

outdoors Wed, Oct 24, 2012 - 12:00am

Bird watchers gather along the shore of Arrowwood Lake for the annual Big Sit! Keith Corliss

A slower approach to bird-watching

I'm typically not a person to sit still when it comes to being in the out-of-doors. Fly-fishing was a sport which occupied a significant portion of my personal time earlier...

outdoors Wed, Oct 17, 2012 - 12:00am

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