Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

Sea Smoke Sunrise (pre dawn)

Year 7

It was 13F below zero (actual, not windchill) this morning. Thus I decided it was a great day to head out and catch the pre-dawn light over Lake Superior. I normally find the most vibrant colors are 30 to 40 minutes before actually sunrise. I definitely needed a full thermal layer in addition to normal clothes and outerwear! The slight wind out of the SW blew the seasmoke offshore revealing these freighters at anchor. I did eventually go owling, but away from the warming waters of Lake Superior, the temperature was -20F. I know from experience birding is poor when it is that cold, and in fact the birding was poor. Everyone and everything is just trying to stay warm!

The more dramatic sky colors are the result of my taking a hike to better line up with the approaching sun beneath the horizon.

Shorebird Bonanza

Year 7
Seems like the number of Shorebirds in the Duluth area has been slow this migration. However, that now appears to have changed. These two photographs were taken Saturday on some mudflats near the Duluth Harbor. Needed some time to work through all my images to get what I hope are correct ID’s:
  1. A Least Sandpiper
  2. A pair of Semi-Palmated Plovers
  3. A Long-Billed Dowitcher

Shorebirds are tough with all their different plumage versions … breeding vs. non breeding … and then add in juveniles. Uff dah!
And some more images from my Shorebird bonanza!
Semi-Palmated Plover Pair

Pectoral Sandpiper

Long-Billed Dowitcher and a pair of Semi-Palmated Plovers

Lesser Yellowlegs

Least Sandpiper and Long-Billed Dowitcher

Least Sandpiper and a pair of Semi-Palmated Plovers

Long-Billed Dowitcher and a Semi-Palmated Plover

Boats and Birds

Year 7,

I think I got my wires crossed yesterday. I photographed boats at night, and owls during the middle of the day! Regardless after four days of fog, often dense, it was fantastic to have a perfectly clear sunny day.

An hour after sundown, I went over to the Duluth Port Terminal and photographed these two salties which were unloading windmill parts. Duluth is a transhipment point for windmill parts bound for all over the North Central states and Manitoba.

I was also very surprised to find my friend, Hoot, out hunting in the middle of the afternoon. Perhaps after four straight days and nights with for (often extremely dense), the owls success at hunting had been limited over the past few days. I guess Hoot was hungry!
“The Look” you have when hunting squirrels in a pine grove and the darn flicker just won’t shut up. (if not for the Northern Flicker squawking in alarm … I never would have found the owl … thus, not a mob, but just one bird led me to the owl)
Some more images of my Great Horned Owl friend from yesterday afternoon.
 
In closing, last night the young owls began begging for food from their parents only 30 minutes after sunset. Normally they don’t start demanding to be fed till 60 minutes after sundown. I really wonder if the fog made for difficult hunting.  Regardless, the owlets need to hone their own hunting skills. The nights of getting much food from the parent owls are extremely limited.