Live in Northland (or visiting the Duluth area)? Folks need to bird a hidden gem not known to most people named the Canosia State Wildlife Management Area. My favorite entry point is at the end of the public part of West Lismore Road (parking area and DNR trail gate). With a short round trip hike (1 mile) I can visit an active osprey nest, a huge Great Blue Heron rookery, and enjoy a large beaver dam which attracts all kinds of other birds and mammals (rookery involves some bushwacking). Keep your eyes open while driving along the Lismore Road (off Lavaque Road). The pond and surrounding woods often yield other sightings. Most years, early in the morning I find Sandhill Cranes.

Here are a few Sandhill Crane images I took at sunrise three days ago. My goal was to see if the Osprey chicks were yet making an appearance, but given they were still too tiny to really show above the edge of the nest, I spent time with the Sandhills. One photography note for these cranes. You need to take your photographs soon after sunrise. Their plumage is pretty but the light colors get blown out by bright sun later in the morning.