Tag Archives: MN North: Canosia Wildlife Area

Canosia State Wildlife Area Sneetches!

Year 5

Over the past few days I have been swamping at sunrise. I have learned many facts:

  1. Standing in a swamp at sunrise is not for the faint of heart
  2. Flies come out 90 minutes after sunup … when the day starts to warm up
  3. Great Blue Heron chicks look like Sneetches!

I was actually amazed to find both the Great Blue Heron and Osprey chicks still on their nests. These two birds return to the Canosia State Wildlife Area about the first week of May. Thus I was surprised to find them still on next on August 1st.

Anyone, here are my Sneetch images. I was only able to spend ten minutes on site at the rookery. The flies drove me away.

Canosia State Wildlife Area Great Blue Heron Chicks (term used loosely … they’re big!)

Thankfully, the two Osprey nests are not as deep in the swamp which means fewer flies. My bug repellent worked well for mosquitoes. The second nest is actually in the bucket of an old steam shovel. Mike Mulligan would be pleased!

Parent Calling Out

Breakfast Time (for one chick only)

Testing Flight Wings

Sunrise Entry (and an Osprey!)

Year 5,

Last night I noticed the Fuldaborg, a Saltie out of the Netherlands would be arriving off the Duluth harbor around 5 am to pick up a cargo of grain. Knowing this was 15 minutes before sunrise, I thought the colors would be perfect … a sunrise entry at Canal Park on Lake Superior. Old Gitche Gumee did not fail me! For you Duluthians, listen closely between 5 and 35 seconds of the video. You will be able to hear the bells in the old Central School Clock Tower striking 5:00 a.m.!

In order to be in position out on the pier in time for the Fuldaborg’s arrival, I had to leave home at 4:15 am, getting up at 4:00 am. As long as I was already awake this early I visited some Ospreys I know in the area. One gave me a nice wing flapping performance. In short it was a great morning. When I returned home at 9:00 am, I had already been gone for five hours!

I can almost hear the Osprey saying … Did you see me nail that landing!

Bog Stompin to the Heron Rookery!

Year 5

This morning, shortly after 6am, I found myself squishing, stompin, and kerplopping along a Northwoods trail. My goal was to visit a Great Blue Heron Rookery and see whether the chicks were ready to make an appearance. Upon my arrival I was pleased to see the hike through the mosquito infested forest had been worthwhile! The melodious sound of Great Blue Herons greeted me, and for the next two hours I watched these huge birds glide into and do a somewhat controlled crash landing at their own nest to deliver breakfast.

This first image shows where I hung out in the Bog. I never approached closer than this spot. With my super zoom camera and binoculars I could easily watch the proceedings. Thankfully my viewing location soon caught a morning breeze and the bugs became less of a nuisance. The rising sun also raised the temperature from 45F to 63F. Life was good!

Here are the photographs from my morning at the rookery. I will have to return in about one week when the chicks are bigger. I’ll lead off with a video from this morning!

Images

While I was watching the herons, this Osprey was watching me! Its nest was only 200 yards distant. In total I found two active Osprey nests and one Common Loon’s nest while travelling to the rookery this morning! As some haze moved in, I decided to call it quits and come back another day.