Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Bird Your Local Cemetery!

Year 10,

If your local cemetery has a pond now is the time to visit and enjoy the birds. Through the end of migration you may strike it rich. Birds in cemeteries are often a bit more used to humans, and the local residents who are six feet under tend to leave our feathered friends alone! My best local cemetery is Forest Hill. Two mornings ago I had an excellent time.

At the little mud flat / inlet at the top of one pond, some sandpipers were partaking of breakfast.

Solitary Sandpipers (not living up to their name)

Least Sandpiper

Cedar Waxwings

Later in the day I had another Chardonnay and Hummer session in my garden. My Bee Balm is now in full bloom, and the female pictured often sits in a near by tree and guards this scrumptious food …  quickly attacking any other hummingbirds that invade her patch. I hope you enjoy the slow motion video. The movie occasionally goes out of focus, but always clears up.

Ruby-Throater Hummingbird

The Movie in 1/4 Time! (video link for email subscribers)

Colder by the Lake Birding (and foxes!)

Year 10, , , ,

Colder by the Lake! As we drove home two days ago, the temperature was 65F across Minnesota … until Molly and I approached Duluth. Any weather forecast for the State of Minnesota at this time of year will always end, but “colder near Lake Superior”. The water temperature in the big lake is in the high 30’s F, which makes it hard to warm up the air if you live near Gitchi Gummi. Thus, 45F is a pretty common temperature at my house 800 yards above the shore if the wind is off the lake (or colder).

One practical effect of “colder by the lake” is spring food production starts later than spots inland. The Black Bear which raided my bird feeders last night understands this issue very well. Find a food source and stick with it! For birding, find the local micro-climate with food and migrating birds will be easily be found. Here are a few images I took over the past few days.

Amity Creek (my home area)
Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Canosia Wildlife Preserve (Pioneer and Rice Lake Road Wetlands)
Greater Yellowlegs

Forest Hill Cemetery
Hooded Merganser

St. Louis River at Chambers Grover
White Pelican

Duluth Area
Fox Kits

Stoney River Forest Road (Greenwood Forest Fire Region)
Ruffed Grouse

Note: Stoney River Forest Road is clear of snow, but as you can see, not Whyte Road. The snow in the Boreal Pine Forest is still about one foot deep.

Windy City Ruddy Duck

Year 9,

I am down in the western suburbs of Chicago giving talks on two successive nights to local birding organizations. I certainly never expected to see a lifer and capture a nice photograph during my visit, but such was the case while walking a footbridge across the Fox River this morning. Amazingly the weather was 70F and sunny. Back home the first winter storm of the season is raging. I had been complaining about the slow pace of the late migration. The storm at home should change that situation.

Regardless, this morning’s Ruddy Duck

And a Ring-Necked Duck from back in Duluth which I saw on Sunday.

Any attendees looking for the outline of my presentation along with all its links, browse here.