The Delta

Who are we?

Jim Hanna:

https://ebird.org/profile/MTU4MzE0/US

Chris Skelton:
https://ebird.org/profile/MjI0MjQ5/world

John Patten Moss:

https://ebird.org/profile/MzM3Nzc3/US-GA


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Reflections

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Well it's been a month since we were in Minnesota, and I can't say that I really miss it. But that's not to say that I'm not happy with the trip. I'm so grateful to have experienced a place like that. It's just so different from what I'm accustomed to. Life up there is coping with the stresses of extreme cold (as were we). Diversity is just low. But some species are just so specialized, and it's impossible not to be impressed by their life histories. It was also impossible not to be impressed by the people up there. The birding community was awesome! People were so willing to exchange numbers and provide updates, and we would have been a bit less satisfied without their contributions. I guess weather like that really bands people together. And non-birders were extremely nice, even nicer than I think that people in the South are. I was given free items on two occasions for having to wait for a minuscule amount of time. In a Chick-fil-A, I waited maybe
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Day 1: A Modest Beginning

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What a trip this was: five days in the subarctic frigidness of the Minnesota Taiga. Only a serious birder could hatch a plan like this, especially one from the South. But back in the fall of 2017, my uncle Chris Skelton was already scheming about a birding trip to Minnesota in midwinter. I expressed interest, as did our longtime Georgia birding friend Jim Hanna, and soon enough, it was upon us. Thursday: February 8th 6 a.m.: We meet at the Pre-Flight parking area on the west side of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This is a decision that would fill our Minnesota days with the tune of Rocket Man. After greeting, we hopped onboard the shuttle to head to the thick of it. As we waited in the airport in the early morning hours, we dreamed of Minnesota specialties, spoke of our potential first species/lifer, and said goodbye to the South for a little while. Although Uncle Chris and Jim had both visited the state before, this would be a first to me. My expectations were wide ope
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