Category Archives: Year 4

20 Minutes on the Old Stella Jones Pier

Year 4

Novmber 2017 Update: This industrial area / pier has now been fenced off by the City of Duluth.

After spending hours in the field, some days one gets stumped when birding, but then there are days like this morning. Given I only had 20 minutes to spend at active birding I drove over to the Old Stella Jones Pier in West Duluth. Jackpot! This location can be real good during the spring and fall migrations, particularly for Arctic shorebirds.

My visit started with an immature Bald Eagle which did not seem to mind my presence. It allowed me to be within 50 yards my entire time out on the pier (I was in my car). Next, I had fun watching a Merlin buzz the shorebirds … but the shorebirds kept coming back.

Here are some of the fruits of my labor. To find Old Stella Jones Pier, exit off of I-35 at Central Ave and drive to Waseca Industrial Blvd. Use the map at the bottom of this post. One warning, drive very slowly as you go out onto the pier. There are some HUGE potholes.

Immature Bald Eagle (short hops and checking for crows)

Baird’s Sandpipers

Lesser Yellowlegs

Old Stella Jones Pier

Nine Hours in the Northland!

Year 4,

Last night I sat on the shores of Lake Superior between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning waiting for the Northern Lights to dance, but Lady Aurora never performed. However, it was a beautiful rare warm night and I enjoyed sitting under the stars. Twas truly peaceful.

At 7:00 am I went birding with my friend Greg. We decided to focus on finding some Arctic shorebirds which are now starting to migrate through the area. While we did not find numbers, we enjoyed “quality”.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Buff-Breasted Sandpiper

Buff-Breasted Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

After doing some yard work after my birding expedition it was time for a bicycle ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Two miles shy of the Sucker River “I heard that whistle blowing” and I then redoubled my efforts and biked hard to the railroad trestle arriving a few minutes before the North Shore Scenic Railroad steam engine. The time was now high noon … yes, it was  a good nine hours in the Northland. It is good to be home with my camera.

Homecoming Yellowlegs!

Year 4

After five weeks away from Duluth, and a beautiful but strenuous bike tour through the coastal mountains of British Columbia, I am home! Last night I slept in my own bed (heavenly), but had the unique experience to waking up in the middle of the night and NOT knowing where I was. When one sleeps in a new location for a month straight, the brain gets confused.

This morning I was up before dawn, and enjoyed some local birding. The ball fields at the end of Park Point were drenched from the recent rains. I thought I would find more shorebirds working their way south, but the numbers were low. A quick trip over to the Roy Johnson wetlands in NW Wisconsin was equally unimpressive in terms of grassland birds found. Oh well, it’s nice to be home and birding on my home turf.

A Lesser Yellowlegs and Friend Photographed this Morning.