My assignment today was to photograph birds in Duluth’s frozen harbor. This shipping season ended on January 15th, and the Coast Guard and tugs are no longer breaking ice (see my video). Given that birds tend to like open water, and not ice, if I could find some open water, then one should find birds. I could only think of two areas that would give me open water: Canal Park (harbor entrance) and the Water Treatment Plant (warm water discharge).

Getting to Canal Park was easy, but trying to get close to the water treatment plant (WLSSD) proved impossible. Although I could see the open water from the highway, and even view bald eagles attacking other birds, once I exited from the interstate it was impossible to get anywhere near by car, which would have then allowed me to continue on foot.

Although driving around the port in the industrial area was an interesting experience, I can see from my inability to gain access, I will need to be a bit more intelligent about finding and location birds of which I am able to gain viewing access. I now know that a rare bird alert exists for the Duluth / North Shore area. Anyhow, here is today’s photograph: A Gaggle of Goldeneyes!

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon image to view at full size)