Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

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.

Boats, Not Birds. Breaking Ice!

Year 7

I went out birding today. While looking for Bald Eagles on the harbor ice, I became distracted. After all, what little boy does not love boats? Particularly boats which break ice?! Yup, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Alder was hard at work breaking ice in the harbor. This year’s shipping season will open within two weeks. I walked out upon the old Interstate Bridge which was built in 1897 and enjoyed the spectacle.

USCG Cutter Alder (In the second image you are able to see Duluth’s ski hill, Spirit Mountain in the background. In the third image the Alder steams past the Paul Tregurtha, a 1,000 foot ore boat / laker)

Video of the Alder breaking ice (video link for email subscribers)