There have been very strong winds out of the Northwest the past two days which sets up the Lake Superior Migration Highway (see post Northern Minnesota Tundra). Thus McQuade Harbor (a large public boat launch area, not a real harbor) has been full of birds. I have seen flocks of Juncos, Sparrows (many kinds), Lapland Longspurs, Horned Larks, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Northern Flickers and other individual birds. In addition, Merlins have been very much in evidence. These Boreal forest falcons follow the migration and consider these migration flocks “take-out” dining for Merlins!
One of my favorite birds at this time of year are Horned Larks, and it is the only time of the year I get to see them. This bird loves open spaces, not my northern Minnesota forest. Horned Larks nest to my north, east, south and west. Inspect this range map from the Cornell School of Ornithology.
And my Horned Lark Photographs
This American Golden Plover is late … it belongs much further south at this point in the year.
Finally … a Lapland Longspur and Northern Flicker
It is worth noting the songbird migration except for my Arctic and northern tundra friends is now essentially over. My big question over the next month as the Snow Buntings and Slate Colored Juncos start to appear, will we have Redpolls and Pine Grosbreaks this winter? Will the northern owls pay us a visit in large numbers, particularly Snowies. Stay tuned over the next two months as I answer those questions. The migrants I am seeing now do not winter in northern Minnesota. However, the Arctic and Tundra birds (and a few northern Boreal birds) consider my region warm and inviting in the winter … worthy of a December through February “southern” vacation!
On the personal front, I am slowly recovering. Pavement diving off a bicycle is not a good idea. Last night I finally managed to sleep most of the night. Even with pain medication, fractured ribs make sleep difficult, My thanks to everyone who has reached out and expressed concern.
Hi Rich. That is a Harris’s Sparrow, not a Lapland Longspur.
Wow … Thanks, Steve. I thought it looked a bit different.
Holly … really depends upon weather both before and the days you are up here in the shore. Hard to know. After many days of winds out of the South, we finally got successive days of strong winds out of the NW.
I hope to be up by McQuade next weekend. Tho l it will be too late?
I meant WILL it be too late to see the Horned Lark
I wish I could answer your question. By next weekend I assume you mean October 10th and 11th. In terms of migration that is a long time in the future. Normally I might expect most Horned Larks to be south of northern Minnesota by that date, but you never know. During Fall migration birds will linger if they find good food sources, and then wait for favorable winds. During the Spring birds press on to get back to breeding grounds as soon as possiblde.