– Arctic Woodpecker [Black-backed Woodpecker], Lake Itasca, June 1902. On a sunny June afternoon in 1902, Thomas Sadler Roberts captured this Black-backed Woodpecker peeking out of it’s nesting place in the hole of this tree near Lake Itasca in…
– Taking photograph of Chipping Sparrow nest in oak tree with reflex camera, Thomas Sadler Roberts in tree. Long Meadow Gun Club, June, 1900. (From the Bell Museum glass plate negative collection)…
Within the past few days, I have seen multiple reports of the demise of the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) – the official State Butterfly of Minnesota. Multiple local media sources have reported recently that extreme weather conditions in the south…
I wonder if birds sometimes get bogged down in the “hump” of the work week as well? (re: the Yellow-headed Blackbird on the far right) – Yellow-headed blackbirds on reeds, Long Meadow Gun Club, June 6, 1900 (From the Bell…
To photograph a Least Flycatcher, you could stand on the ground and point your camera up towards the nest: – Least Flycatcher’s nest from distance, June 11, 1899, Heron Lake, Jackson County Then again, you could also set up an…
One hundred and thirteen years ago at around this time of the year, Thomas Sadler Roberts set out on yet another trip to observe the birds of the state of Minnesota. Roberts kept written records of his ornithological outings in…
At the end of June 1900, Thomas Sadler Roberts traveled to northwestern Minnesota to meet colleague E.L. Brown and photograph birds in and around Warren in Marshall County. To prepare for the trip, in which they would traverse the old…
In addition to carrying out explorations and documenting the unique geologic formations of the state for the Minnesota Geologic and Natural History Survey, State Geologist Newton Horace Winchell (pictured at left) also assumed the responsibility of providing initial instruction in…