Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Birds on Ice

Year 8, , ,

Contrary to popular belief I very much enjoy watching birds other than owls! Yesterday was just such a morning as I captured “Birds on Ice!”. This new ice performance drama is brought to you every winter wherever food may be found. Unlike summer when birds disperse for nesting purposes, in the winter birds flock together and rarely fly far from a good food source. Todays food sources are:

  • Common Redpolls (visiting a thicket of loaded berry trees in the Canosia Wildlife Area): These little guys are all across the Northland, and as natural foods are consumed everyone should start to see them visiting feeders later this winter.
  • Mallards (all quacked up over a great joke): These wild ducks know that the domestic geese at the Forest Hill Cemetery get served corn. What’s good for the goose, is good for the ducks.
  • Mourning Doves (near my own bird feeders): I never used to think of these doves as a winter bird, but each year I have 10+ that winter in my own yard. They eat a Hoeg’s Cafe every morning, and hide from the bitter winds in the thicks pines and cedar trees.

Finally, while driving home from my late afternoon / early evening Snowy Owl experience, I realize the same calm winds and mild temperatures would make for a great night on the Duluth waterfront! The Federal Clyde, sailing under the colors of the Marshall Islands, loads its latest cargo about 9 pm last night.

 

Duck Pond Birds

Year 8

I know I’ve written this before, but it’s worth repeating. Birds attract birds, and during migration the end result may be some very nice birding. Per normal I make an almost daily stop at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth Hunter’s Park neighborhood. The resident domestic geese, and almost tame wild mallards at the duck pond attract all kinds of other birds. During migration the cast of characters changes daily.

This morning I was pleased to spy a male Hooded Merganser. This duck is one of my favorites, and is very beautiful.

Over the past two weeks, each of these birds made an appearance at the duck pond, and I am finally getting around to including them in  blog post. Better yet, these birds tend to arrive in very small groups. When they are in larger flocks, it can be very hard to get close. I was within 15 yards of the American Coot. While I have seen huge rafts of Coots with hundreds of birds, just one duck taking alarm means viewing options are very limited.

Hooded Merganser

Today’s Sora Pic (yup … they are still around)

From earlier in the week …

Ring-Necked Duck

American Coot

Double Crested Cormorant

Poor Richard’s Almanac: Snow Soon!

Year 8,
Sorry folks, but winter is coming soon to the Northland! One way I measure how soon snow will be in our future is when Snow Buntings arrive from the tundra near the Arctic Ocean. While I have seen other birds this fall that may have nested that far north, those birds also use more southern habitat in Canada. Snow Buntings are truly a very northern bird. Get those shovels ready. (range map courtesy of the Cornell School of Ornithology)
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My apologies to Ben Franklin and his “Poor Richard’s Almanac“, however I am named “Richard” and my birds help me predict the seasons. There will be snow soon!
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I also had a lifer for me at Forest Hill Cemetery yesterday afternoon. I decided to see if the Soras were still around (there were), and spied a Swamp Sparrow. Like the Soras, Swamp Sparrows like to hide out in the reeds. This individual gave me nice views.