Tag Archives: MN North: Minnesota Point

Bird Migration! (or … Wrong turn at St. Louis?)

Year 10

Yesterday winter broke! There may still be 2+ feet of snow on the ground near Duluth, and much more on the Lake Superior Ridge, but winter’s back was broken. The winds blew from the south and the temperature soared to 60F. Today is similar. If folks have the opportunity, check out the North Shore of Lake Superior waterfalls this week which are already dumbfounding in terms of power. For the birds, the better question might be … “Did we take a wrong turn at St. Louis on the Mississippi River Flyway?”

Spring is a figment in the migrating birds imagination. All the snow and ice makes Northeastern Minnesota not bird friendly for returning migrants. I found this Tree Swallow at the end of Park Point this morning. I have no idea where it expects to find bugs.

With respect to ducks, there was an open water lead in the harbor ice right next to shore, which brought the birds close to where I was sitting. Ducks are courting.

Blue-Winged Teal (one female)

Blue and Green-Winged Teal

Goldeneyes a Courting!

Squish, Squish, Slap Owling!

Year 9,

The Deeps Waterfall on Amity Creek, which is 200 yards from the end of my driveway, was finally slowing to Summer waterflows yesterday. However, overnight and this morning it stormed and stormed. As the ground is saturated with water across northern Minnesota, the roaring tempest is back.

I decided when the rains ended around noon, it was time to brave the forest … first the trails and then bushwhacking. Over the past nine days the hordes of mosquitoes drove me out of the thick forest. However, it had now been nine days since I last saw my owl family.

Squish, squish, slap … pause and look skyward … repeat. I was drenched by the time I returned home, and well bug bitten by the mosquitoes. The amount of standing water in the woods is amazing. Assuming you finds a deer trail to make one’s route through the woods an easier hike, every trail is now a stream with lots of puddles whenever the land flattens out a bit (remember … the Duluth topography means hills down to Lake Superior almost everywhere)

I did find the owl family as they were fending off a crow attack. I assume the owlets decided to perch in exposed locations in an attempt to dry off, which would make them easily found by the local crows. One benefit of watching the same two parent owls raise youngsters over the past four years is I know their favorite haunts.

From this morning …

Poppa Great Horned Owl (shorter and stockier than Mom)

One of the Owlets

I also found color. The flowering crabs at towards the end of Park Point are beautiful.

Red Fox at Dawn

Year 8

With the bird migration now in full swing, I decided to drive down to the end of Minnesota Point at sunrise this morning. Raptors were very much in evidence. There is a 1,000 yard long gauntlet from the Park Point Recreation Area to where pines trees start anew further down the point. Predators are very aware of this fact and wait to ambush non wary birds.

In addition to the hawks and eagles that lay in wait, I found “red” trying to catch some breakfast. Not only was it cool to watch the Red Fox, it was made more special knowing that Susan Larson Kidd’s and my latest children’s book would arrive imminently from the publisher. Yup, Susan has written another beginning readers book, and I have provided the photographs. This now makes five children’s books I have either written / photographed myself, or collaborated with Susan.

Here is this morning’s fox:

And some screenshots from the new book (available real soon): Ruby Hears a Knock!

Cover

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Oh yes, I did mention more than red was hunting this morning. A couple of Merlins were sitting in a dead three halfway along the gauntlet. Songbirds pass at your peril. Unfortunately this route is the only way south along the point. (fyi … Merlins are actually a kind of falcon … thus not a hawk)