Category Archives: Year 5

Boats and Birds!

Year 5,

It’s been a while since my last “Boats and Birds” post. However, last night while studying my marine shipping app I realized the Michipicoten (one of my favorite lakers) would be arriving just off the Superior entrance to the harbor shortly before sunrise. Thus, I got up at 5 am and drive to Wisconsin in time to walk the beach and welcome my favorite ore boat. These photographs resulted.

The birds portion of the post comes from our trip down to Madison this past weekend for a wedding. Sunday morning I wanted to go birding, but I did not know the area. In an instance like this I do two things:

  • Check eBird for nearby hotspots
  • Peruse Google Maps looking for green spaces

Google Maps provided the winning location when I realized that the University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Station was only five minutes away by car. Ag means a farm, which at this time of year also means food for birds. There was a gorgeous garden and small apple orchard. The birds did not let me down.

House Finch eating apples

American Goldfinch eating sunflower seeds

And the gardens!

Unexpected Birding Pleasures

Year 5

After my birding hike yesterday morning out to the Superior Entry on Park Point, while driving home and passing the Duluth Rowing Club (DRC), I saw a bright orange rowing shell coming in to the dock. Mom! Yup!

A few years back I donated my single scull to the DRC as with all my cycling and photography it was not getting much use. Apparently the “Janet Hoeg” is well enjoyed, and has even seen some racing success. Well done, Mom!

In addition, here is a video of the White Pelicans from two days ago.

Minnesota Point Sunrise Migration

Year 5

I arrived at the Park Point Recreation Area at 6:35 am this morning … the instant of sunrise. I immediately hiked out onto the beach and at first was disappointed … no birds. Was I ever wrong. Using my binoculars to scan the lake through the steaming water (air temp: 45F) I spotted a flock of a few hundred White Pelicans resting after an all night migration that brought them to our end of Lake Superior.

White Pelicans now come through our area both in the spring and fall due to the cleanup of the St. Louis River. The river was dead and polluted while I was growing up in the 60’s. This is a success story. It is also great to see all the fishermen on the river. Even sturgeon are spawning once again in the river! The White Pelicans understand that this migration route now has food.

Within 20 minutes of sunrise and the warmth provided by the sun, Lake Superior stopped steaming! 

Over the course of the next three hours I walked down to the Superior Entry and back (3+ miles round trip). There were lots of birds. The best spot by far was about 2/3 of a mile down the beach where the dunes give way to pine trees. Warblers were present in large numbers feeding amongst the pines. In addition a large flock of Yellow-Shafted Flickers were warming themselves in the early morning sun. I often find that the best birding spot for non shore birds is the location where the trees give way to the dunes. The birds stop at this point before making flights out into the open down the point where hungry Merlins often wait.

Zoom!

Did you see that?

Time to eat!

My prize of the day was finding an American Kestrel during my return hike. I was able to hide behind some trees and watch this bird hunt. Sparrow Hawks (Kestrels) spook so very easily; thus I was thrilled to watch and take photographs.