Tag Archives: MN South: Plymouth Wetlands

Rain Delay Birding!

Year 5

For the first time in centuries it is actually raining this morning in northern Minnesota, with some thunder and lightning thrown in for good measure. Thus, for a change I am sitting at home this morning … a rain delay. This is fantastic news as the bog water levels are amazingly low, and I was fearful of drought / wildfire conditions. Last week when hiking into a Great Blue Heron rookery, I was amazed to discover I could hike across the bog without getting my feet wet … not good. I was wearing muck boots, but they really were not necessary.

As some of you know I spent three delightful mornings birding last week down near Minneapolis in the Plymouth Wetlands. I have a few images I have been meaning to post, but to which I had not gotten around. My biggest excitement was finding three scarlet tanagers. Hopefully they will nest where I found them and provide continuing enjoyment over the course of the summer.

Scarlet Tanager (looked almost orange in the direct sunlight … red in the shade)

Great Egret Take-Off

Wood Duck Sunrise

Baltimore Oriole

Catbirds

Green Heron

Love Birds!

Year 5

Love Birds! Today there are two special means to this phrase.

  • It might indicate Great Egrets which were sharing a relaxing morning preen till a Great Blue Heron came along and spoiled the party. First there were 3, then temporarily 4, then 3 again and finally 2!
    .
  • The phrase also might indicate it has been 35 years since May 21, 1983! Molly and I have now been married that long, and it has been a great and loving ride!

Birds With Long Legs!

Year 5, , ,

Over the past three days I seem to have acquired the urge to watch birds with long legs! There has been some method to my madness as during the first two days of the period I was down in the Minneapolis area, and I wanted to see some Great Egrets … a bird which is quite rare in NE Minnesota. Thus, I focused upon wetlands at sunrise, and I was rewarded with being able to watch six different Great Egrets. Arriving at these wetlands before 6 am insures that even though I was birding in a major metropolitan area, I had the trails to myself. This fact insures other folks do not scare the birds I seek, and just maximizes my enjoyment. However, I have found even on urban trails, if one finds “non popular” trails you are rewarded with more bird sightings. Given herons and egrets spook easily, this rule is important. My two wetland areas were the “Plymouth Wetlands” (series of ponds in off Zachary Lane north of Schmidt Lake Road) and Wood Lake Nature Center.

I actually did visit the Plymouth wetlands again in mid afternoon. While the time of day is not great for photography, I was rewarded with watching this Great Egret fish.

On the way home to Duluth I swung up to Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge … once again arriving around 6 am. It was interesting to visit earlier in the season as the marsh grass is not grown up yet. My major fun was watching some Sandhill Cranes from very close. Eventually I had to leave Wildlife Drive due to a prairie grass burn which was about to start that morning.

When I got home to Duluth I was amazed to find a temperature of 87F at my home. However, Lake Superior took over within a few hours and the winds shifted from the SW to blowing out of the NE off the big lake. In 45 minutes the temperature dropped from 87F to 45F! I figured no bird in their right mind would fight the strong wind and the migration northward would stop immediately. Thus I drove down to Park Point and found a lot of Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings dancing in the waves … trying to eat. These birds are on their way up to the Arctic, but stopped in Duluth right now. Here are a few of the Ruddy Turnstones. Thus my day ended with some short legged shore birds!