Category Archives: Year 4

Swamp Ducks and Wildflowers!

Year 4

Friday morning I took a sunrise bicycle ride in the Suomi Hills region of northern Minnesota. Boy am I glad I convinced myself to get out of bed early (sunrise is 5:15 am). The wildflowers are blooming like crazy, and the birds added a nice touch! If you have the opportunity to drive Mn Hwy #48 in the next week, make certain you slow way down and look deep into the roadside ditches about 8 miles from Mn Hwy #38. You will see thousands on Showy Ladyslippers. These flowers were just starting to bloom on Friday. Every one of these flowers was photographed within a two mile stretch on Hwy #48 (and the ducks).

Showy Ladyslippers

Suomi Hills Lutheran Church (and my bike)

Red Columbine

Wild Roses

Lupine

Tiger Swallowtail

Ring-Necked Duck and Wood Duck

Ring-Necked Duck and Blue-Winged Teal (a favorite perch, perhaps?!)

Thursday evening, a thunderstorm rocked our cabin on Northstar Lake, which cleared the skies for my sunrise bike ride the next morning.

Red-Throated Loon Reprise

Year 4

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I really wanted to see a red-throated loon either here in Duluth this northward migration season on Lake Superior, or during my trip to Lake Michigan in mid April. I failed on all counts to find this bird, but I have another chance this year … my Yellowhead Bicycle Tour! In a little over one month Molly and I will spend a bit over three weeks bike touring from Prince George through the Canadian Rockies down to the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert. Upon arriving at the coast, we will ferry out to the islands formerly know as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Our entire route, and Graham Island are all within the loon’s summer range. Stay tuned!

Here is a map of our route, which Molly made (see her blog with our “ride” announcement), and a few “friends” I saw during yesterday’s training bike ride!

Herring Gull … waiting for fish to get washed down to it … Talmedge River

Eastern Wood Phoebe

Red Fox

Signs of Summer: Steam Engines and Lupine!

Year 4

The frozen Northland is frozen no more. In fact, summer is now just around the corner. In addition to birds, tourists are returning to the area! The NorthShore Scenic Railroad finished the restoration of Historic Steam Engine #28 (Duluth and Northeastern Railroad). While on a bike ride this afternoon up the NorthShore I chanced upon the steam engine out for a Sunday drive. While my ride was a workout, I always carry a camera with me. I adjusted my route and mileage and enjoyed a few miles of biking along #28! In a sure sign of Summer, I found some early blooming lupine … truly a Kodak Photo Moment when combined with the steam engine!

I also took a three videos. In the first video you get to hear the whistle. In the second one gets a close-up of the drive wheels, and in the final video the lupine appear. Ah … summer!