Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

My Pond! Not Yours!

Year 4, ,

Had a super time hiking this morning on the dikes of the MacQuarrie Wetlands near Wrenshall, Minnesota. My good friends, Mike Furtman, had keyed me in to this amazing habitat just outside of Duluth. Quite frankly, I was amazed to find these wetlands in the Namadji River watershed, only a couple miles off one of my bike routes (Military Road). If you know the Nemadji area, you understand rolling hills.

Although the Trumpeter Swans in the first photo may look peaceful and graceful, the situation is 100% different. I watched the lead swan get chased away by “many couples” from various wetland ponds shortly after sunrise this morning. The cob (male swan) was trying to “swipe someone else’s woman”, and in each case the bonds formed by the couples were strong and they jointly chased away the interloper ... trumpeting the entire time. It was noisy beautiful!

The ponds had only gone ice free a few days before, and the “early migrants” were not about to give up their prime nesting spots to late arrivals … let alone break up a perfectly good relationship.

Chasing the Interloper … Trumpeter Swans

A Porcupine Surveying the Scene this Morning

Young Love at my own feeders … Pileated Power

Duck, Duck, Duck, Goose! (the higher in the air of the two immature bald eagles had just swept in a “goosed” the other eagle … and perhaps even stole some breakfast).

Below Zero Birding

Year 4, ,

The last few days have been cold in the Northland, with temperatures plunging to around -25F or worse. Does this mean one stops birding? No! I just make certain I have extra warm clothes and blankets in the car in case I get stuck somewhere. In addition to the cold weather, the past week has seen about one foot of new snow which came in multiple bursts. This extra snow seems to be making it a bit easier to find birds as they are concentrating on known food sources, as opposed to being deep in the forest and even foraging through the snow on the forest floor. Here are some images I took over the past three days …

Superior Rough-Legged Hawk on Connors Point (Duluth Harbor) … snowies also being seen at dusk on Connors Point, the Superior Middle School and the Richard Bong Airport

Riley Road Pine Grosbeaks … if you bird Riley Road, get out of the car. I found a large flock of pine grosbeaks, but they were 10 to 50 yards off the road.

Sax-Zim Bog Pine Grosbeak “Gritting Up”

Sea Smoke Deep Freeze Birding on the Arctic Riviera!

Year 3, ,

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.