Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

Transitions: Deserts to Ice Flows

March 5, 2018Year 5MN North: Duluth Harbor, MN North: Two Harborsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Molly and I have arrived back in the Northland from Tucson. An attitude adjustment due to Duluth’s cold weather might seem to be required, but I actually am thrilled to be back to Lake Superior.

Sunrise is now much earlier, 6:38 am. As my credo is to get going with the sun, or earlier, my wake-up times are moving towards 5 am. This morning, I wanted to take a bicycle ride up the shore before the forecast winds reached 30 mph. Biking into that kind of a head wind aside from being cold, is real hard work. Thus, with only 15 mph winds I biked up to McQuade Harbor … 38 minutes to McQuade … 22 minutes back with the tailwind!

Although there is over two feet of snow on the ground, the early migrants are working there way along the shores of Lake Superior … Bald Eagles, Crows, Gulls, Mergansers and Ravens. These hardy birds push hard to be the first returnees to the Boreal Forest. Here are a few images taken over the past two days.

Ice Flow Gulls

First Active Bald Eagle Nest on the Duluth Waterfront

Darth Vader Bird

Super B-Owl Sunday! Northern Saw-Whet!

February 4, 2018Year 5MN North: Duluth Harbor, MN North: Two Harbors Highlandsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

At 7:15 am the air temperature was -19F. In short it was a great day to go birding. The skies were crystal clear and the winds were calm. In my book, that means owls should be out hunting. I was not disappointed, but first I had to take a trip down to Brighton Beach on Lake Superior and enjoy the pre-dawn light over the ice fields!

After some time down at the lake, I went birding. Within a few minutes I found my first Great Gray Owl of the day hunting only two miles from my house! While I am still waiting for a yard owl, this was pretty cool. Over the course of the morning I saw three Great Grays, and one Northern Saw-Whet. Early on in my morning travels I stopped to take a photograph of this horse. Kind of cool how frost forms and freezes on the back of a horse at -19F.

Some time with a Northern Saw-Whet Owl

A Black-Capped Chickadee photo bombs my image

A Great Gray Owl dressed up in snow flocked pines

This afternoon after a Nordic ski I decided a change of pace was in order and went looking for Snowies. I did find two but photo opps did not appear.

In short is was a great Super Bird Sunday! (what’s football?)

Snowy Owl Hat Trick!

January 19, 2018Year 5MN North: Duluth Harborrichardhoeg@gmail.com

In the movie “Dances With Wolves”, Kevin Costner spends his time with a wolf. For me yesterday it was all about Snowy Owls. This winter season has been incredible in terms of the number of Snowy Owls which have migrated down from the Arctic. Since late October, I have personally hand captured / saved two owls which were in distress.

These events as well as my outdoorsy reputation have led to me being included in an article by Minnesota Public Radio, been featured as the Star Tribune’s first outdoors people profile, and other media items via news networks as far away as Europe.

Yesterday I decided my recent fascination with Great Gray Owls needed a break. Thus, instead of birding the wilderness north of town, I concentrated on industrial haunts in search of Snowy Owls. I was not disappointed. Here are some images of three owls I found, returning shortly before dusk when the male Snowy Owl would be active, and not sleeping.

Snowy Owl Sunset