Tag Archives: MN North: Minnesota Point

Nine Hours in the Northland!

Year 4,

Last night I sat on the shores of Lake Superior between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning waiting for the Northern Lights to dance, but Lady Aurora never performed. However, it was a beautiful rare warm night and I enjoyed sitting under the stars. Twas truly peaceful.

At 7:00 am I went birding with my friend Greg. We decided to focus on finding some Arctic shorebirds which are now starting to migrate through the area. While we did not find numbers, we enjoyed “quality”.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Buff-Breasted Sandpiper

Buff-Breasted Sandpiper and Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper

After doing some yard work after my birding expedition it was time for a bicycle ride up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Two miles shy of the Sucker River “I heard that whistle blowing” and I then redoubled my efforts and biked hard to the railroad trestle arriving a few minutes before the North Shore Scenic Railroad steam engine. The time was now high noon … yes, it was  a good nine hours in the Northland. It is good to be home with my camera.

Homecoming Yellowlegs!

Year 4

After five weeks away from Duluth, and a beautiful but strenuous bike tour through the coastal mountains of British Columbia, I am home! Last night I slept in my own bed (heavenly), but had the unique experience to waking up in the middle of the night and NOT knowing where I was. When one sleeps in a new location for a month straight, the brain gets confused.

This morning I was up before dawn, and enjoyed some local birding. The ball fields at the end of Park Point were drenched from the recent rains. I thought I would find more shorebirds working their way south, but the numbers were low. A quick trip over to the Roy Johnson wetlands in NW Wisconsin was equally unimpressive in terms of grassland birds found. Oh well, it’s nice to be home and birding on my home turf.

A Lesser Yellowlegs and Friend Photographed this Morning.