Tag Archives: MN North: Mouth of the Lester River

Arctic Riviera Long Tailed Duck!

Year 5

Yesterday’s 25 to 30 mph wind fell to about 15 mph today … with plenty of sunshine. In short, even though the temperature was only 33F, I bicycled up the shore of Lake Superior to McQuade Harbor. I do NOT want to know the chill factor, but suffice it to say during the first half of my ride there were nice white caps out on the big lake and I was cold.

Thankfully, every ride has a turning point. Instead of slogging at a 10 to 11 mph speed into the wind, I turned and flew home … never below 15 mph, and often as high as 20 mph. When I reached my uphill turn at Lester River I spied a duck landing on the water. I decided to dismount and check out what quacker had landed at the mouth of the river. Am I ever glad I got off my bike and checked out the duck. A lone Long Tailed Duck, normally found on the Arctic Ocean, decided to take a break from its northward migration. Although given my cycling clothes I was definitely not dressed for hanging out in the wide open getting blasted by the wind, I figured watching a Long Tailed Duck from a distance of often less than ten yards might be a once in a life time experience!

Here are my images:

A soon to be wet duck!

Immediately after … escaping to a new ice berg!

Swimming

Profile

Long Tailed Duck Imitating a Penguin!

New Olympic Sport: Iceberg Fat Tire Jumping

Year 5,

Here on the Arctic Riviera we take our winter sports seriously. Snow and ice are not to be despised, this white stuff is to be embraced. If one can integrate them with the crystal clear waters of Lake Superior, you have reached nirvana!!! While I did not find any Long-Tailed Ducks working their way back to the Arctic, I found a pair of athletes preparing for the next Olympics. Watch out world, via our curling team and the women’s ice hockey teams, Duluthians already ruled with all our gold. We will reign supreme in four years at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Thus … the newly sanctioned sport of Iceberg Fat Tire Jumping (oh yes … saw two Snowy Owls at sunrise this morning … image at end of post)

Video … Slow Mo x2 (watch video at full speed)

The Snowy Owls will return to the Arctic in a few days. In the mean time I plan to return and watch my two friends hunt at sunset.

At Play on the Arctic Riviera

Year 5

It’s 40F and sunny … residents of the Arctic Riviera come out to play! After my bike ride along the shores of Lake Superior this afternoon I went over to the mouth of the Lester River and found kayakers at play! This location is about 800 yards from my home in Duluth, Minnesota. Other than Lake Superior, there is not much open water around which makes birding difficult. Early migration will start when the North Shore streams open up a bit with snow melt … attracting salmon, trout and ducks. There are some mergansers and long-tailed ducks around right not, but not in very large numbers.