If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I really wanted to see a red-throated loon either here in Duluth this northward migration season on Lake Superior, or during my trip to Lake Michigan in mid April. I failed on all counts to find this bird, but I have another chance this year … my Yellowhead Bicycle Tour! In a little over one month Molly and I will spend a bit over three weeks bike touring from Prince George through the Canadian Rockies down to the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert. Upon arriving at the coast, we will ferry out to the islands formerly know as the Queen Charlotte Islands. Our entire route, and Graham Island are all within the loon’s summer range. Stay tuned!

Here is a map of our route, which Molly made (see her blog with our “ride” announcement), and a few “friends” I saw during yesterday’s training bike ride!

Herring Gull … waiting for fish to get washed down to it … Talmedge River

Eastern Wood Phoebe

Red Fox

Earlier today while photographing cedar waxwings at the mouth of the Talmadge River on the North Shore of Lake Superior, at one point I happened to look down from the bridge and discovered what should NEVER be happening on July 23rd … tons of steelhead (rainbow trout) trout were in the mouth of the river spawning!

By my reckoning even a late spawn would be over with by the 1st of June. Who says the water is not still cold from last winter’s frigid temperatures?! My apologies for the fuzzy fish photographs. I don’t have much experience with photos of fish with love on their minds! 

Also saw a gray fox earlier in the day. Have to love living in northern Minnesota.

• View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size)

Talmadge River Cedar Waxwings

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Spawning Steelhead (rainbow trout)

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Gray / Silver Fox