Moonrise over the Cypriot freighter, Iryda, which is anchored off the Duluth harbor while waiting to load grain. It was cold standing out on Park Point waiting for the lunar orb to appear. Thankfully my research panned out; te moon came up in the expected location. Thus, I was able to capture this image! From the time the moon first appeared, there was less than 10 minutes to successfully take this photograph. As it was I ran 250 yards down the beach with my camera as the position of the moon shifted.

I’ll admit it … I love my Subaru Outback. Here in northeastern Minnesota I drive some very remote, ugly dirt roads. My Outback has never let me down, even when there might be 12 inches of new snow on the ground. However, this morning … my Subaru decided to take a more active role in my birding excursions … as a perch for an unusual bird migrating through from the Arctic. I always say … when you can’t find the birds, let them find you!

Many of us were birding Park Point Recreation Area this morning, and the beach near Sky Harbor. Basically we were all seeing little bird activity. Just as I was about to leave the fields, this Lapland Longspur flew over and landed on my Subaru Outback! Hmmm … me thinks … there must be Longspurs around. I now really checked the long grass on the playing fields, and discovered there were 50+ Longspurs hidden amongst the grasses. In fact, I almost stepped upon two different birds while they were feeding!  A few finally left the long grass and provided better photo opps! Have you ever needed birds to lead you around by the nose to insure you would see them? LOL.

First the Lapland Longspur Subaru Outback Photographs

And some Longspurs in more natural settings

Here is the Lapland Longspur’s Range Map courtesy of Cornell University.

And some videos from this morning. The noise in the background is from Sky Harbor Airport … both a float plane taking off and work on a runway extension.

Video 1 Link

Video 2 Link

And finally two photos I took while out birding a few winters ago … on a logging road where I was 18 miles from the nearest paved road. It was early in the winter and therefore the snow was not yet deep. Given our first snowstorm of the season is expected this weekend, it may be time for my Outback to earn its keep. I love Minnesota’s winters. Between my Subaru and Nordic Skis I spend a lot of time in the Boreal Forest. Think snow!

While the rest of Minnesota has been enjoying some very warm September weather (80 to 85F), here in Duluth on Lake Superior the word of the day has been fog. Migration seems to be stalled, and the birds that are here are staying put. Down in the end of Park Point the ball fields have turned into great food factories for shore birds. My friends from the shores of the Arctic are enjoying the feast.

One rare bird for these parts is a Hudsonian Godwit which has been around for several days. Watch the video included with this post, and you will be able to see the fog rolling by.  Our temperatures are hovering between 50F and 60F.  It is a challenge to photograph in the fog.

Hudsonian Godwit & Friends

With a Black Bellied Plover

With a Pectoral Sandpiper

Individual Portraits

Hudsonian Godwit

Black-Belled Plover (juvenile)

Pectoral Sandpiper

Movie Time … Preening in the Fog (video link)
YouTube video will be embedded later … embed code is broken right now.