Birthday Butter-Butts in the Bike Lane

The snowy Minnesota Capital Grounds scene along my commute.

A major perk of my early May birthday is its concurrence with the migration of warblers and other songbirds from their tropical wintering grounds to their northern breeding grounds. I try to make the most of this timing and get out for a little birthday birding.  This year it turned out to be by bike the day before my birthday.

Despite a morning commute snowstorm, I chose to bike to work today and take the 12 mile route home along the Mississippi River. There were a few dedicated bike commuters in St. Paul's Summit Avenue bike lane this morning. By the looks we were giving each other, we all seemed surprised that our commute included a full-fledged, cheek-biting snowstorm.  But along my Mississippi River route home, I had the bike trails and bike lanes to myself...and the "butter-butts", the colloquial name for the Yellow-rumped Warbler.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, aka "Butter-butt" (credit: www.science.smith.edu)

I was mostly excited to do my favorite Mississippi River route home for the first time since late fall. I actually didn't prepare for birding in that I didn't bring my binoculars. But in St. Paul's Lilydale Regional Park I spotted the first "butter-butt",  It was hopping and foraging on the ground along the bike trail.  Then I spotted a Palm Warbler on the ground a few feet from me.  With these birds, no binoculars were necessary. 

"Butter-butt Bike Lane" - the birds were too quick to catch in a pic!

But these sitings in Lilydale Park paled in comparison to the profusion of butter-butts I flushed from the bike lane along Minnehaha Avenue.  It was really incredible as I flushed 5-8 at a time. In fact I was surprised that I didn't run one over. I really wanted to get a picture to show you, but like any warbler, they move fast. 

I wasn't the only one noting the profusion of Yellow-rumped Warblers in the neighborhood.  I got home and Henry said, "Dad, we saw this really cool bird right next to the Roo near my school".  Theo had also spotted them and had looked them up with Hillary to identify them.  But they had not heard the nickname "butter-butts". For two young boys, that nickname produced giggles and made these birds all the more cool, and memorable. 

Morning Commute: No Eagle Today, Maybe Tomorrow

Ride Magic - My River Commute in 3 minutes of Video

There are some bike rides that you live for. There is one I live for every week, especially when it is a gorgeous Friday afternoon after a long week at work. After a week of riding (or busing) the direct 8.5 mile route from my home to work near downtown St. Paul, I crave the 15 mile route back home along the Mississippi River. It is the perfect way to decompress after a work week and bring in the weekend. Two weeks ago I shot some video and added Tom Paxton's "Ride my Bike" as the sound track. I hope you enjoy it!

The first 12 miles of my river route in video:

My river ride in words:
From the rush of cruising through downtown St. Paul and its mini-rush hour,
To the beginning of quiet as I pass through Harriet Island,
I pass under St. Paul's High Bridge,
Through the Mississippi River floodplain forest.
River sediment, once deep, now laces the trail,
Leading to a surprise - residual floodwater.
I wind through the cottonwoods of Lilydale and,
Gently climb back in time as I ascend the side of the river gorge.
I tunnel to emerge at the cacophony of Mendota Bridge traffic,
Passing over the center of the earth and under the center of the heavens,
And pausing for deer at Fort Snelling, I make a quick descent.
Whoa, the bloodroot is blooming, and Dutchman's breeches too,
Lingering for Minnehaha Falls Park scenes,
I wish I could have stopped for a beer and dinner at Sea Salt.
Thanks to my bike, the "Italian Stallion".




















A view down the Mississippi River with downtown St. Paul in the background. This is very near the Mississippi's confluence with the Minnesota River. I take this photo about a dozen times each year in an attempt to capture the changing seasons along the River. This one is from last October.