Monthly Archives: April 2026

Bird Migration Paused on the North Shore

Year 13,

Some fellow birders/naturalists recorded yesterday several “reverse migrations” in progress near my home. Our cold weather and nasty winds when coupled with the snow one may still find in the woods inland from Two Harbors made many bird species decided they would migrate back south along the North Shore of Lake Superior. These birds will eventually turn around and continue their northern spring migration, but for the moment conditions dictate going further north is dumb (no food, ponds and lakes still iced).

Actually, I did find the pond at Forest Hill Cemetery beginning to lose its ice, and these Ring-Necked Duck males were chasing the few females that had arrived in the Northland. It is normal for the males of bird species to arrive back on prime habitat before the females return. This helps them “win” the courting / breeding competition.

Ring-Necked Ducks at Forest Hill (the female has the brown plumage)

Soon the Spruce Grouse will be busy strutting their stuff. I saw this male on Stoney River Forest Road yesterday morning while placing out birdsong listening stations. There obviously were no females around because the male never displayed even once in the five minutes I observed the bird.

Spruce Grouse Male

40,000 Bird Songs from Northern Minnesota!

Year 13
This morning I achieved 40,000 birdsong sound ID’s made and recorded since my little Raspberry-Pi birdsong listening computer went live last August. The number would be even higher if I did not configure my computer differently than the standard install:
  • Force the confidence for an I.D. to be 75% rather than the standard 70% used by the Cornell Merlin App and BirdNET-Pi. 2)
  • Require the computer to wait 2 minutes before I.D.’ing the same bird species.

Regardless, it has been very fun to learn more about the birds singing in my yard, and give/build/install similar listening systems at many of NE Minnesota’s Nature Centers. I have also built listening stations for many friends, and also have five systems I modified for placement off the grid in the wilderness. Learn more!

The post directly linked above explains how I brought a listening station to Costa Rica this past winter. I discovered via my listening station that Elegant Trogon’s lived in an area I liked to bird, which then led me on a quest to both see and photograph the Elegant Trogon!

Migration Madness! Northern Flickers and Much More!

Year 13

Even though my cabin has zero running water this time of year, and I knew Northstar Lake would be socked in with ice, I made the two hour NW drive over from Duluth. My lake in is the southernmost body of water of the Hudson Bay Watershed. All waters flow north! The forecast said the weather would be warm (70F) and sunny. Thus, I ignored the ice and stayed away from the shore where it was chilly and opened up the windows and doors … wanting fresh air inside after being closed up all winter. It is the fastest way to warm up a non heated cabin (or cool it down). Whatever the temperature is outside, eventually my cabin will reflect those conditions. Thus, if it’s 20F outside, it will be 20F inside. Thankfully I do have both a wood stove and fireplace for those chilly days.

Mother Nature came through. By early afternoon as I worked on a new wood shed, strong winds out of the south were pushing huge numbers of migration birds  Here is the bird report only one hour after sunrise this morning via my BirdNET-Pi. (click or press upon to maximize for easier reading)

After I finished my chores I took a hike and then sat on the front deck. The number of migrating Northern Flickers was amazing (some will stay in my local forest) . These birds were eating bugs off the ground, and I hoped if I stayed motionless long enough the flickers would forget about my presence. Northern Flickers are a skittish species. Anyhow, jackpot!