During the northern migration, wherever you live, find small streams protected from the wind. Often you will find early bug hatches, and if you are able to find this kind of location, chances are warblers during their journey north will find same. Such was the case this morning at Hartley Nature Center in Duluth. I had warblers by the dozens flitting all around me, often landing within two feet of my face. These birds were hungry, and a human who was standing in the stream bed was not going to deter these hungry birds. From this morning.
Yesterday was significant in turns of birding in NE Minnesota … two big events:
Pond Ice Out
Mom is Off the Nest
The big storm that took place two nights ago dumped enough rain, and created additional current in areas streams that any pond with a decent inlet / outlet is now ice free. In addition, after almost two months straight on the nest, Mom Great Horned Owl is now helping out Dad Owl with hunting duties. She still sits very close to the nest most of the time (ten feet away), but just not in the nest. Her owlets are getting to large.
This photograph was taken at Hartley Nature Center. Although the Trumpeter Swans indicated their displease with the presence of the Canada Geese, the swans were obviously just migrating through. If they had planned to nest at Hartley, they never would have allowed the geese in such close proximity. Ice Out on the ponds mean the duck migration will not really start in force (perhaps delayed by the forecast NE winds over the next week).
Meanwhile back at the old homestead, my Pileated Woodpecker visits many times per day. The male (pictured below) uses any one of three trees as sounding boards and drills his territorial announcements while the female eats. Once she is done, he moves down to the suet. I like to keep the meat suet up for the woodpeckers at this time of year. I wonder when my first bird feeder bear attack of the season will occur? Real beef suet is aromatic, and will definitely attract Yogi and Boo Boo.
Some mornings are better than others, but success comes from knowing your habitat. I hiked away from my house yesterday morning at 6:15 am shortly before sunrise. For the first morning in days, the skies were clear without fog … in short it was a great morning to spend some time with Hoot. My Great Horned Owl friends did not let me down, and I watched it hunt till at 7:15 am the owl decided sleep was its best use of time.
My next stop on my birding agenda was the wildflower garden at Hartley Nature Center. If you have such a garden near where you live, visit early in the morning on a calm cool day. Both the fragrances and the colors of the flowers will be delightful … seeing birds will be the icing on the cake. I had fun watching hummingbirds drinking nectar and warblers snatching bugs in nearby trees. At this time of the summer, the perennials are over five feet tall. Thus, just slowly walk through the plants. If you do not disturb the bees they will not disturb you! It is normal to have bees buzzing away within a foot or two of me.
My final stop was visiting Forest Hill Cemetery. I found two Kingfisher juveniles learning how to fish. I have often noted that cemetery ponds are a great place to bird. Quite often the local birds are a bit more used to people, and all the roads within a cemetery give you lots of places to drive slowly … your car becoming a roving blind. These Kingfishers were extremely tolerant of my presence. It’s not often when photographing this kind of bird that I am not at full telephoto zoom, but such was the case yesterday.
I finished up all three of these birding excursions by 9:30 am and was home by 10. It was a great morning … Birding Times Three! Finally, here are two birding outings from a few days past. In the first you are able to watch a video of my Great Horned Owl trying to “beat the heat”. I had not even seen an owl panting!
Beat the Heat … Great Horned Owl “panting” (email subscriber video link)
Storm Clouds Approaching (In the low light prior to thunderstorms, I often find my Great Horned Owls out and about. The risk is getting wet. Unlike me, the owls have no choice in the matter. Over the past three days I have been caught out in the forest during two storms. I just take cover and wait out the rain)
