Monthly Archives: August 2018

Sax-Zim Bog Barn Swallow Dance

Year 5

I arrived in Sax-Zim Bog shortly after sunrise this morning. It was a cool, clear, crisp morning (45F) with ground fog. I checked some normal haunts first on McDavitt and Admiral Roads … including a shore hike into the woods on the South Logging Road, but not many birds were present.

After a hike on the Warren Nelson boardwalk yielded a completely silent forest and no bird sightings, I decided a change of approach was necessary. I exited the Bog and visited the farm fields a bit south of the Welcome Center. Jackpot. I quickly found hawk families hunting, and the treat of the morning was when a flock of Barn Swallows paused their southward migration to have breakfast within yards of me. If a bird is hungry enough, they will ignore your presence. Such was the case and I had the unique experience of watching hundreds of Barn Swallows often from only a distance of a few yards.

This first bird did its best to imitate the stare of a Great Gray Owl. It almost fooled me!

Some of my other favorite pics … good time!

Flock on a Fence

Individual on a Fence Post

For those of you planning a trip to the Bog, remember to add my Sax-Zim Bog Google Winter Birding Map to your mobile device (no install necessary … just an easy map configuration to access)

Lake Superior Warbler Fallout

Year 5

Yesterday the weather was bad, until it turned nasty! Through the morning string winds blew out of the Northeast with drizzle and fog rolling in off Lake Superior. Apparently some of the last warblers to migrate south took advantage of the North wind and rode it down to the Duluth area. When I thought the weather was abating a bit, I drove to the Park Point Recreation Area to look for shorebirds. The continuing drizzle quickly convinced me to end my beach hike and return to the car. The surfers in their wet suits did not seem to mind the weather.

For some reason I decided to drive over to the boat launch located on the harbor side. As I rolled down the window, the wind and rain picked up and suddenly a major squall started. I was about to head home when I suddenly I noticed hundreds of warblers taking refuge in two cedar trees and some shrubs next to the harbor. It was hard to get any photographs. Although I did get out of the car, I had to keep a towel over my camera. Here are the few images I was able to capture. It was a fun, but nasty experience. I also saw lots of hummingbirds, but photographing them in the rain was impossible.

A few other comments. The squall must have really been nasty. This afternoon, 24 hours post squall I found four dead Tennessee Warblers in a one mile stretch during my afternoon bike ride. In addition, although both the Tennessee and Nashville were first ID’d in the volunteer state, neither of these birds ever nests anywhere near that state.

Almost all of these images are of immature or female birds. Note the water on the leaves.

Tennessee Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Lake Superior Shorebird Invasion

Year 5, ,

It’s that time of year … time for the twice annual Lake Superior shorebird invasion. During the spring and fall migrations these small birds make their way from the Arctic shoreline and the northern tundra south, many via Lake Superior. I had hoped I would see lots of shorebirds last week while working as a volunteer keeper at Crisp Point Lighthouse, but such was not the case. These birds are smart, and although they are present in large numbers at Whitefish Point (20 miles to the East), they understand it is smarter to work one’s way south via Lake Michigan rather than West Southwest via Crisp Point. I saw only a few Baird’s Sandpipers.

Arriving home in Duluth was the ticket. Birds are blown against the Lake Superior shoreline by North and Northwest winds. The shore birds then work their way southwest till they reach Duluth at the end of the lake. This morning after a good day’s blow from the north, my friends were very much in evidence … lots of lots of Sanderlings and even one SemiPalmated Plover. Two days ago it was the Lesser Yellowlegs turn which I spotted up at the Castle Danger treatment ponds. I love migration!

Sanderlings

Semipalmated Plover

Lesser Yellowlegs