ALWAYS IN SEASON
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Spring brings a profusion of birds 
Writing about birds is not as easy in spring as it is in winter. This seems counterintuitive, of course, but it’s true. In winter, birds are scarce. Even a diligent search such as the one conducted on the Grand Forks Christmas Bird Count can turn up only 50 species or so. Some of those are unusual, and worth writing about. By contrast, any day last week might have produced 50 species, given a bit of effort, and even without effort, every day seems to produce a new species.
By Mike Jacobs , April 28, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Robins are common but mysterious at same time
Swamp sparrows. Marbled godwits. Yellow-rumped warblers. Ruby-crowned kinglets. Sandhill cranes. LeConte’s sparrows. Turkey vultures. This is a short list of the birds reported in Grand Forks this week. Yet, I have been fixated on American robins, perhaps the most familiar species of all birds in our area, and certainly one of the most abundant.
By Mike Jacobs , April 22, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Many birds announce spring season
Probably every bird lover has an idea about what species signals the arrival of spring. The western meadowlark? The American robin? The Canada goose? The tree sparrow? Good choices, all of these. I would add another. Or two. Both are species that my father showed me, and so they are among the first birds that I learned to recognize. One is the killdeer. The other is the lapwing, or kievit as it is known in Dutch.
By Mike Jacobs , March 24, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Let’s act now to be optimistic in the future
It’s hard to be a pessimist in springtime. All of nature seems to be welcoming another year. This week, red-winged blackbirds reappeared in the wetland near our place west of Gilby, N.D. I’m confident that I’ll see these birds every day until late fall.
By Mike Jacobs , March 17, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Behavior of birds varies in spring
A crow settled onto the highest branch of the tallest tree in our shelterbelt Saturday morning, and loudly announced its arrival. Crows are short-distance migrants, and they habitually return to nesting sites they’ve used in the past. Probably, the crow I saw Saturday had spent the winter in Grand Forks, which is a kind of “destination city” for wintering crows.
By Mike Jacobs , March 10, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Eagles, geese provide strong examples of bird success
There is another kind of list, of birds that are increasing in numbers. It’s no surprise that these are birds that have attracted special attention — and special protection.
By Mike Jacobs , March 04, 2012
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MIKE JACOBS/ALWAYS IN SEASON: Meadowlarks are among the grassland birds in trouble
It’s not a good time to be a bird, and especially a grassland bird. Bird lovers across North America have been sounding an alarm about declining grassland birds, and I’m afraid it’s time to toll the bell in North Dakota, too.
By Mike Jacobs , February 26, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Owl mating season arrives in late February
It may seem early for nesting, but nature moves at breakneck speed, and for owls, every moment is precious. It takes several days for the female to fill the nest and another 37 days for the eggs to hatch.
By Mike Jacobs , February 19, 2012
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MIKE JACOBS / ALWAYS IN SEASON: Birds provide early signs of spring
Horned larks show up along rural roads in the Red River Valley just about the time the snow begins to recede and the ground begins to appear. Most years, I notice the first horned larks about the middle of February.
By Mike Jacobs , February 12, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Birds provide early signs of spring
The horned lark is always an early sign of spring, but it is not always a sure one. Horned larks show up along rural roads in the Red River Valley just about the time the snow begins to recede and the ground begins to appear. Most years, I notice the first horned larks about the middle of February.
By Mike Jacobs , February 11, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Longspurs can be abundant — but also elusive
Out walking the other day, I flushed a big flock of small birds — easily the most individual birds I’d seen so far this winter. The birds were feeding along County Road 33, and as I approached, they lifted, wheeled and drifted away, settling in a stubble field, which was almost snow-free in what had been an open winter.
By Mike Jacobs , January 28, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Some bird species are newcomers in the valley
About this time every year, bird lovers fall back on the old reliable species, perhaps especially in a year like this. This could not be described as “a birdy winter.”
By Mike Jacobs , January 14, 2012
ALWAYS IN SEASON: What has happened to the sparrows?
Dave Lambeth took a look at data from 50 years of Christmas bird counts in Grand Forks and concluded that house sparrow numbers are declining.
Not every birder shares this view, and some welcome the news.
By Mike Jacobs , January 07, 2012
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Bird counts surprise and disappoint
Last week’s Christmas bird counts produced some surprises and quite a few disappointments.
Probably both are due to the weather.
By Mike Jacobs , December 24, 2011
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ALWAYS IN SEASON: Another wandering bird shows up in area
Two varied thrush sightings came in last week, both from the same farmyard.
Diane Larson of Calvin, N.D., called to say she’d spotted a varied thrush at her feeder. Moments later, she called to report another thrush.
By Mike Jacobs , December 11, 2011
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