Two afternoons ago I visited Canal Park in Duluth a bit before sundown. The Goldeneyes were using the only ice free water for miles around to feed. It suddenly dawned on me why this particular afternoon the birds did not spook (often they fly quickly away from me). Remember these birds are “sight feeders” under water. In the winter in northern Minnesota the sun is rather low in the sky, particularly in the afternoon. There is a period of about one hour where the setting sun shines right down the canal, and underwater … setting up good conditions for the Goldeneyes to see underwater. My side of the canal was bathed in sunlight, while the South Pier was not. I now understand why the ducks put up with my presence. Food on a cold day is a good motivator.

Goldeneyes at Canal Park (total flock exceeded 300 birds)

The changed the photo parameters to better capture the number of ducks

I have repeatedly stated in the winter, find the food source and find birds. Quite often this means bird feeders, but in Duluth the largest bird feeder may not be obvious to most folks, Canal Park. Once the shipping season ends (January 22nd this past shipping season), and the Coast Guard allows the harbor ice to form, Goldeneyes head for Canal Park. Because of water current, the shipping canal remains open and ice free for 2 to 5 weeks after the harbor ices. Both our native mussels and zebra mussels find the sides of the shipping canal a perfect space to live, and the Goldeneyes now pushed out of the harbor congregate in the Canal … Duluth’s largest bird feeder. This morning I saw well over 200 “eyes” feeding in the canal.

As more ice accumulates on Lake Superior, the mouths of North Shore streams, and the breakwaters in Two Harbors and Grand Marais are excellent “bird feeders”. In addition to Goldeneyes, Long Tailed Ducks also winter on Lake Superior and may occasionally be found. Both duck species love mussels. Finally, these two kinds of ducks are quite beautiful in terms of plumage. I plan repeat visits to Canal Park in the late afternoon when the sun shines almost directly down the canal for close-ups. If you make this visit, park behind the Paulucci Building and then walk over to the canal (path behind building). You MUST hide below the canal wall and then extremely slowly inch your way up by a light post for camouflage (I don’t stand up straight). Goldeneyes spook extremely easily.

Canal Park Goldeneyes

Should folks who read this blog decide a birding trip to the Northland is in order, also on the agenda should be some ship watching. From late March to late January (10 months), Duluth is one of America’s busiest ports. This afternoon, I watched my favorite ship arrive in the Twin Ports. The Alpena, the oldest ship sailing our waters, was built in 1942 and carries cement around the Great Lakes.

There is a great tool for figuring out when you should visit Canal Park and watch a ship sail under the Aerial Lift Bridge. It is named Harbor Lookout. Use the map and also investigate all the live web cams located from Superior to Silver Bay.

I took these photographs from atop the hill at Enger Park.