Unheralded

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — The Eagles Have Landed

    With the arrival of spring, there are a lot of birds beginning to start their migration north, including bald eagles, which also happen to live year-round in parts of the Northland, including the Red River Valley. Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons was fortunate on a couple of occasions recently to come across a few of these majestic birds …


DAVE VORLAND: It Occurs To Me — My Favorite Bird

I’ve been hearing northern Cardinals but had not seen one close up until Saturday. They don’t migrate — one of the handful of species that live in Minnesota all year. I photographed this female (above) under one of our feeders in Bloomington. We’ll soon be hearing more of them. Both the males and females sing in earnest in March and …

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Paul Bunyan Animal Land

Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert recently spent some time at Paul Bunyan Animal Land, which is located on U.S. Highway 2 between Bemidji and Cass Lake, Minn. Animal Land is home to nearly 100 animals representing every continent on earth. Some of the animals you can see at Animal Land include lions, tigers, camels, lemurs, kangaroos, raccoons, three species of …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — A Medora Weekend

A visit to Medora, N.D., can be memorable. Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons was there this past weekend, taking in the Medora Musical, a Tigirlily concert and the awesome sights of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Here are just a few of the images that caught his eye. (Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.)

DAVE BRUNER: Photo Gallery — Custer State Park

Custer State Park in South Dakota was on the agenda for Grand Forks photographer Dave Bruner and his wife, Sheila, while on a recent eight-day road trip. Beside viewing some of the park’s wonderful wildlife, they took in Sylvan Lake. Known as the “crown jewel” of Custer State Park, Sylvan Lake offers picnic places, rock climbing, small rental boats, swimming and hiking trails. In Dave’s …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Peregrine Posturing

Raptor expert Tim Driscoll and his crew were busy at work Monday, banding new peregrine chicks born on the University of North Dakota water tower, and Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons was there. The chicks, named Chan, Julie and Carl, were carefully placed in a small dog kennel and lowered to the ground for the banding. The parents, Marv and Terminator, were not happy, …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Badlands Weekend

Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons and his wife, Paulette, took a trip to Medora, N.D., over the weekend. While there, they spent much of the time checking out the wildlife and the scenery in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  According to Russ, “I love this place!” What’s not to love? (Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.)

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Urban Merlins

Merlins, also called pigeon hawks, breed in the northern Holarctic, with some migrating to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. In recent decades, merlin populations in North America have been significantly increasing, with some merlins becoming so well adapted to city life that they forgo migration. Swift fliers and skilled hunters, merlins specialize in preying on small birds. If you have seen them in your neighborhood, it …

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Signs Of Spring

A good indicator that spring has arrived is the appearance of animals that have either gone south in the fall or the emergency of those that have made themselves scarce during the long winter. Canada geese are among the former and moose the latter. Bald eagles, however, can be counted in both groups. Some winter along the Red River of the North, while …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Raptor Roundup

Raptors are birds of prey that common in the Red River Valley of the North. On his travels in the area, Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons often comes across raptors, sometimes perched in trees, sometimes feasting on carrion and sometimes just soaring in the sky. Here’s what caught his eye in recent weeks. (Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.)

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Late Winter Snapshots

Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert took advantage of the above-average temperatures in February and early this month to capture these upper Red River Valley scenes. From old farmsteads, long-since-used automobiles and farm equipment, beautiful sunsets and wildlife, Bogert’s snapshots will make viewers yearn for a ride in the country, too.

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Winter In The Wild

  For one reason or another, not everyone gets to enjoy the beauty of nature in the wintertime. All some people have left is their imagination. Grand Forks photographer Michael Bogert isn’t one of them, as evidenced by these images he caught during some recent outings in northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Red River State Recreation Area

The Red River State Recreation Area, located in East Grand Forks, is part of the Greater Grand Forks Greenway and is located on the banks of the Red River of the North and the Red Lake River. The area, owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, came about as the result of a grass-roots effort after the Flood of 1997 that devastated …

RUSS HONS: Photo Gallery — Predator And Prey

Wild turkeys have to keep their eyes open for predators, including hawks. Grand Forks photographer Russ Hons encountered both species on a recent road trip in northwestern Minnesota. While encounters between the two are generally random, it’s likely this turkey was well aware any hawks in the area. Check out more photos from Russ Hons here.

MICHAEL BOGERT: Photo Gallery — Just Ducky

Most people are suckers for baby ducks. The sight of ducklings can lift hearts and put smiles on faces. Grand Forks photographer Mike Bogert will do just that with this collection of images taken on the English Coulee near the University of North Dakota. Some of these ducklings may have been the ones rescued from a drain sewer recently by UND police.