Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

Sea Smoke Deep Freeze Birding on the Arctic Riviera!

The temperature fell to -7 last night with a HUGE wind to create dangerous windchills and Sea Smoke on Lake Superior. Thus, what’s a photographer to do? Enjoy the weather!

In my first image, the ore boat / freighter … the Great Lakes Trader arrives at Canal Park in Duluth this morning surrounded by Sea Smoke. After my Sea Smoke sunrise photo, I’ve included a pic taken a few moments later with seagulls. The birds are not scared by the freighter … rather the immense engines and propellers suck up and kill fish … free food for gulls to snatch out of the ship’s wake.

This image was my final photograph at Canal Park. I had to run with my gear to change my perspective and capture the ore boat showing the other lighthouse at Canal Park and the ice encrusted bow of the Great Lakes Trader.

This cold has finally driven some northern birds down to the Arctic Riviera. Pine Grosbeaks consider our northern Minnesota climate balmy compared to the northern Boreal forests in Canada. We are the southern Boreal forests! In addition, many northern eagles have now flown down to our area courtesy of strong northwest winds. Finally goldeneyes are making their winter home in the Duluth area now that Lake Superior is the only open water around.

Arctic Bird of the Day: Long-Tailed Duck!

Given a cool, drab December afternoon, and reports that snowy owls might have arrived here on the Arctic Riviera (Duluth, Minnesota), I took a long walk on the waterfront looking for the white owl. Each winter, snowies find our “tundra like” areas next to the St. Louis River the perfect place to take a winter vacation.

Alas, now a snowy owl was to be found, but I did find another Arctic visitor, the Long-Tailed Duck! Actually, I find this particular duck harder to find than snowy owls. Thus, I was very pleased. Now, if I could only have some sunshine and refind these ducks for a photoshot, but I’m afraid that is too much to ask!

Long-Tailed Duck & some “Eyes”
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One of these Ducks is an Impostor! Synchronized Golden-Eye Swimming.
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Flowers on December 3rd in Northern Minnesota? Strange but True.
(I am 60 years old, and I have never before seen a wildflower blooming in December)
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Crescent Moonset

Last night at 10 pm it was 55F (13C), clear and no wind. Early November in many years means the lakes in northern Minnesota are beginning for form ice, but not 2016. The result of the this ridiculously warm weather means the late migrants are staying up in Manitoba and Ontario, where the lakes are also ice free.

Given the heat wave and lack of birding opportunities, I have started to stalk the harbor front  at night. I took this photograph of the Lee Tregurtha, a great lakes freighter, as it loaded coal at Midwest Energy in Superior, Wisconsin with the crescent moon setting behind her. Kind of neat that I just heard a presentation yesterday about the Tregurtha and her sister ships at the Gales of November Conference . This event is sponsored by Duluth’s marine museum, and is always a fine event.crescent-moon-freighter-paul-tregurtha