Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth

Colder by the Lake Birding (and foxes!)

Year 10, , , ,

Colder by the Lake! As we drove home two days ago, the temperature was 65F across Minnesota … until Molly and I approached Duluth. Any weather forecast for the State of Minnesota at this time of year will always end, but “colder near Lake Superior”. The water temperature in the big lake is in the high 30’s F, which makes it hard to warm up the air if you live near Gitchi Gummi. Thus, 45F is a pretty common temperature at my house 800 yards above the shore if the wind is off the lake (or colder).

One practical effect of “colder by the lake” is spring food production starts later than spots inland. The Black Bear which raided my bird feeders last night understands this issue very well. Find a food source and stick with it! For birding, find the local micro-climate with food and migrating birds will be easily be found. Here are a few images I took over the past few days.

Amity Creek (my home area)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Canosia Wildlife Preserve (Pioneer and Rice Lake Road Wetlands)
Greater Yellowlegs

Forest Hill Cemetery
Hooded Merganser

St. Louis River at Chambers Grover
White Pelican

Duluth Area
Fox Kits

Stoney River Forest Road (Greenwood Forest Fire Region)
Ruffed Grouse

Note: Stoney River Forest Road is clear of snow, but as you can see, not Whyte Road. The snow in the Boreal Pine Forest is still about one foot deep.

Fighting Grosbeaks of Sax-Zim Bog (Evening and Pine)

Year 10,

Folks might think just watching the Snowy Owl hunt yesterday would have been enough drama for one day, but nope! When the day dawned sunny and calm, I decided after taking care of my chores and a workout, I needed to get outside. According to the weather forecast we were experiencing a day of calm blue skies between winter storms. Thus, my first plan of the day was to visit Sax-Zim Bog. While the number of winter human visitors can now be a bit overwhelming in the Bog, I hoped the storms would limit sightings of the human persuasion. Additionally the prior night’s cold temperatures should make birds more hungry and therefore easier to find.

My prime Sax-Zim Bog entertainment was watching the grosbeaks. Pine Grosbeaks will start to migrate back north within two weeks, and even though some Evening Grosbeaks nest in northern Minnesota, most will fly north to Canada’s boreal forests. Without further adieu, the Battling Grosbeaks of Sax-Zim Bog.

Okay … I lied … one final comment. It was intriguing to see that while Pine Grosbeaks fought other Pine Grosbeaks, and Evening Grosbeaks also battled amongst themselves, there was nary an interspecies conflict. I suspect the male hormones in advance of mating are now starting to flow freely.

An Innocent (??) Evening Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeaks Fight Sequence

Can’t We All Be Friends?

Battling Pine Grosbeaks

And one more image from yesterday’s Snowy Owl Event … seconds before liftoff!

Arctic Mound Snowy Owl Take-Off

Year 9

The Duluth area is often called by its nickname, the Arctic Riviera. While some folks might think this nickname comes from the extremely cold temperatures we experience on some winter nights when the mercury drops to -30F (-30F = -34C), the real reason is the Arctic birds which find our region a warm winter playground! This afternoon I had the privilege of watching while a Snowy Owl hunted extremely close by. I captured this sequence of images when the owl took off for a perch directly behind me. Quite frankly, I did not exist in the owl’s world … just the search for mice, voles, rabbits or whatever would be its dinner tonight. The Snowy started its flight 40 yards distant, but flew within 10 yards of me at eye level. Quite frankly, my heart was pumping!!

Arctic Mound Snowy Owl Take-Off

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