Hummingbird season is officially here in the Northland! Unlike other parts of America, we only have one kind of hummingbird, the Ruby-Throat. If you want these gorgeous nectar sippers in your yard, there is one … and only one flower you should plant … Red Bee Balm. While we have other flowers in our perennial garden, as far as the hummers are concerned only the bee balm exists.

One preferred activity of mine during this brief season is to light the BBQ … retreat to the garden with Chardonnay in hand … and photograph Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. When the coals are ready, I leave my garden and cook.

All these images were taken yesterday afternoon. Due to the Canadian forest fire smoke which filters direct sunlight, it was not bright enough to push the shutter speed up fast enough to stop action the hummer wings. Thus, I took a different approach. Slow the shutter down and blur the wings allowing for a lower ISO (higher quality). The end result is still nice!

A few comments … if you want to see mature males with their ruby throats, get out there now. These guys migrate south first, then the females followed by the young. In addition, if you don’t have perennials in your yard and you live in the Duluth area, visit the Hartley Nature Center. They have a great garden right outside the center. Arrive by 7:30 am such that the sun’s angle is above the trees around the garden and walk through the gate. The bees will avoid you; just move slowly.

The Star of the Show … Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. Both males checked me out from a distance of only two feet away from my head … decided I was harmless … and then proceeded to feed. If I had been standing out in the open next to the garden, they would have never fed. (note … at the Hartley Nature Center garden, many of the flowers are six feet tall … thus you do not need to sit)

Nearby purple cone flowers

Bees also love these flowers

Yours truly with Chardonnay … sitting in my yard (tall grasses and wildflowers) next to some Black-Eyed Susans

Last week I saw a new bird for me, a lifer. Yup, I had never before seen a Mourning Warbler. When I saw the little bird flitting around the thicket through which I was hiking, I had no idea what it was. Out pops my phone, and I pulled up the app, Merlin, and specifically Sound ID (see my full review of Sound ID). Merlin correctly identified the Mourning Warbler by its chipping song. I was impressed, and if you don’t have this tool on your phone, get it (Android or Apple)! Just point your phone at the bird song and press record.

A Screenshot from my “Mourning Experience”

One Image

This morning was a successful birding hike because of my ears. I started my hike at 5:45 am and after about 15 minutes some songbirds led me to my owls in a new location. It was obvious why the Great Horned Owl liked the particular location … dead snags (hunting perches) and openings down to the forest floor (line of sight). I discovered lots of whitewash. Thus it was obvious to me the owls had been using this area for an extended time. I saw four of five owls, and the youngsters were begging for food. Whenever Mom moved, her owlets would not be far behind.

The sun was just kissing the treetops about 6:00 am when I took these Great Horned Owl photographs.

One difficulty with birding by ear is learning bird songs, and their variations. Would you recognize a robin’s alarm clucking. See my earlier post about Cornell’s Merlin Sound ID App. It’s free and easy to use, and will help you learn bird song.

After my time with the owls, I continued my hike to a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker nest hole. I discovered this nest hole six days ago when I was taking as evening hike. The youngsters should be sticking their heads out of the hole soon when demanding to be fed. When I first found the nest hole, even though I could hear the newly hatched chicks, it took me over 20 minutes to find the hole due to the echos in the forest.