Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Cemetery Soras!

Year 8

The last two days have been fantastic. The sun is back and the birds are migrating. As always, I spend a lot of time at cemeteries. It’s great to visit for birding and not for a “six feet under” permanent  lodging!

While Soras are not a threatened species, like the Rusty Blackbirds I also saw at Forest Hill Cemetery, sightings are equally rare. Soras hang out in reeds and rarely show themselves. Soras are normally heard, but not seen. Thus it was a thrill to watch two soras in the sunshine feeding yesterday afternoon. Enjoy!

Two, not One!

Individual Pics

Sora … the Movie (video link for email subscribers)

Threatened Bird Specie: Rusty Blackbird

Year 8
I had the privilege to watch three Rusty Blackbirds forage at the Forest Hill Cemetery Pond in Duluth yesterday afternoon. The Cornell School of Ornithology rates this bird species one of the most threatened in North America. It has lost “85-99%” of its population over the last 40 years. Given it breeds near Boreal swamps, ponds and bogs in remote areas north of the Minnesota border with Canada up to Alaska, it is hard to study.
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Regardless, I was very pleased to watch a family of three very close up … a male, female and juvenile.

The Fall Birding Doldrums

Background, Year 8, ,
  • Most of our summer birds have departed the Northland
  • Winter birds from up north have not yet arrived
  • Eternal thick fog seems to have coated the area

In short, the birding opportunities have been few and far between over the past week. Perhaps the only excitement was fixing the bear damage at the new public bird feeders at French River.

Winter birding is just around the corner. Two prime locations near Duluth are Sax-Zim Bog just north of town, and Superior (just across the bridge from Duluth). I recently created two short birding guides for a friend’s business. Folks may enjoy downloading the free PDF’s.

The sun did briefly make an appearance yesterday morning, and I caught this Pileated Woodpecker in flight.