Tag Archives: MN North: Two Harbors

Northeastern Minnesota Big Bird Month: October

Year 10,

Data collected over the years up at Hawk Ridge (about 600 feet up and 1/2 mile over from my house) indicates that October is “Big Bird Month” (my name for October). Check out Hawk Ridge’s migration data and you can see if you agree, or disagree with me. However, I am one birder who does not spend much time up at Hawk Ridge. While up at The Ridge may see thousands of hawks but from a distance, I prefer “close up and personal” down below. Thus, this time of year means I take lots of birding drives from my house up to Two Harbors and inland. Lake County 2 heading north from Two Harbors is a favorite of mine, followed by various roads uphill from the lake between my house and Two Harbors (Clover Valley … North … Korkki Nordic … Shore Community School area).

Here are a few pics from the past few days, including this morning …

A Horned Lark Gets its Worm

Broad-Winged Hawk

Wile.E.Coyote

Immature Bald Eagle

Ross vs Snow Goose

Year 9

I found four white geese in Two Harbors this morning. I suspected the really white goose with a stubbier beak was a Ross’s Goose, which turned out to be correct. While on first glance the birds appear identical, pay particular attention to the beak which has a different shape. A Snow Goose’s bill also has a “grin” to it.

Here is today’s Ross’s Goose, and a better photograph from a few days ago of some Snow Geese.  The Ross is almost a bit smaller and stockier. The “South Dakota Birder” has a great page focused upon identification.

Ross’s Goose (from this morning)

Snow Goose (light blue morph from a few days ago)

Snow Birds Out, Arctic Birds In!

Year 9

The town of Two Harbors closed their RV Campground for the season two days ago … The Snowbirds moved out (humans heading south) and the Arctic Birds moved in (migrating Snow Geese, Lapland Longspurs and Snow Buntings). The campground has plenty of food sources, and the birds were just waiting for the pesky humans to leave!

Actually the campground and Two Harbors Information Center have one other benefit for bird watchers … they are right smack dab on a migration barrier. In other words as birds migrate south along the North Shore of Lake Superior, they fly into points which stick out into the lake. Good birding. Take a look at my annotated screenshot.

Here are a few images taken yesterday afternoon. In total I found 10 Snow Geese, which is a HUGE number of these birds to find along Lake Superior. One would see 1,000’s during migration 600 miles to my west.

Snow Goose Altercation / Fight!

More Snow Geese (notice the different morphs / coloration)

Lapland Longspur Watching Out for Merlins

Finding Seeds in a Parking Lot’s Pavement

First Snow Bunting of the Season!