Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

Birding Lake Superior … Unsuccessfully!

March 28, 2016Year 3MN North: Duluth Harbor, MN North: McQuade Harborrichardhoeg@gmail.com

However, I don’t mind. For the 1000th day in a row the cold winds blew out of the Northeast across Lake Superior and prevented the spring migration from getting started. A few early birds are around, but what we really need are some warm days with winds out of the south.

Although I did see birds, there was nothing of note, but did I mind? Nope! Lake Superior is a gorgeous lady and she distracted me from before sunrise to after sunset. Who needs birds? (sacrilegious comment!).

Lone Pine Sunrise on Scene Highway 61 … eight miles up the shore from Duluth

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The Michipicoten steams under the Duluth High Bridge about 1/2 hour after sunset this evening.

The Michipicoten Opens the Duluth Shipping Season at 4 am!

March 23, 2016Year 3MN North: Duluth Harbor, MN North: Mouth of the Lester Riverrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Today is my 60th birthday, and the Michipicoten honored me with her presence shortly before 4 am as this ore boat became the first ship to arrive in the Duluth / Superior Harbor to start the 2016 shipping season. Normally I would not attempt such “long distance” photographs in the middle of the night, but the full moon gave me hope that the extra light would allow me to “stop action” of the Michipicoten while still keeping my ISO to a reasonable level.

More photos, including my dramatic 60th birthday sunrise and of course … some birds, will be added to this blog post throughout the day.

The Michipicoten steams into the Duluth Harbor!

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Sunrise at Lester River on Lake Superior

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Decided to featured the often “not-respected” ring billed gull!

Looking for Spring: Meadowlarks to Mergansers!

March 22, 2016Year 3MN North: Duluth Harbor, MN South: Sherburne National Wildlife Refugerichardhoeg@gmail.com

Even with the snow flurries and 30+ mph winds screaming in off Lake Superior, there is hope that spring may actually be around the corner. This morning I started with a hike out Minnesota Point, and although I enjoyed the woods and solitude, not many birds put in an appearance. Instead, I needed to find the snow melt open water of Miller Creek at 27th Avenue West by WLSSD to find waterfowl. Right in the creek itself I found hooded and common mergansers, some with love on their mind.

Spring was easier to find 175 miles further south over the weekend in the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Sunrise found Eastern Meadowlarks singing to the morning from the tops of the few trees that graced the meadows. Now if we could only get some warm weather with south winds, this migration might really get going!

Eastern Meadowlark Singing to the Sunrise (my thanks to Adam Roesch for helping me with the ID … western vs eastern)