Ever wonder up here in northern Minnesota why Common Redpolls are not visiting your feeders? One answer is the dreaded invasive wildflower, Tansy. These finches love to chow down on the seeds … spreading spillage to plant even more Tansy. I had fun watching a flock of about 200 Common Redpolls pig out on Tansy early this morning.
And the spillage … being eaten off the snow (definitely merits my anniversary tag of #365Birds01White )
The Pine Grosbeaks did not want to miss out on the pig out … underneath a forest feeding station in Sax-Zim Bog.
Finally, just south of Meadowlands and The Bog, Ring-Necked Pheasant were also enjoying some seeds …
I have managed to get out birding the past two mornings. It has been therapeutic.
It was cold this morning! I drove down to Canal Park and took this video and photographs 20 minutes before sunrise. While the water temperature at Duluth’s end of Lake Superior’s was a balmy 36F, the air temperature was -12F which made for a delta between the air and water of 48 degrees … sea smoke!
While the water does not experience the effect of a chill factor like exposed flesh, my face did. Uff dah! When the wind gusted to 35 mph, the chart from the US Weather Service said the chill factor before sunrise was -45F (-42.7C). All I know it was cold for the ten minutes I was out of the car. Where I parked, there was security policeman sitting in an idling truck. I figured my car was pretty safe, and I left it running. Who in their right mind at -12F would try to steal a car right next to the Security Police! It was super nice to get back to a warm car.
Images taken five minutes apart as the sunrise moves from having reds to orange. I was not actually at Canal Park. Using my photography app I had determined last night I needed to be about 800 yards distant in order to get the sun which was below the horizon in line with the lighthouse.
It was extra special to see Lake Superior in her glory (video link of Sea Smoke Sunrise for email subscribers). We got back from Mayo Clinic late yesterday after a five day visit … me in a motel … Molly in the hospital. Our new journey will be fighting Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer. This cancer was unexpected, and I am actually grateful the previously planned surgery that led to the more extensive cancer’s discovery.
Thankfully Canal Park is only 20 minutes from our house. Thus a quick trip was okay.
Important family concerns are keeping me from birding and posting. Hopefully in the near future I’ll be able to get out again. Sorry for the pause. Please pray for Molly and me.
