Since Monday Molly and I have been hosting a small family reunion at Vintage Vermilion on the lake with the same name. This retreat is nestled in a private wilderness bay and has 2,400 feet of shoreline and 40 acres. The location is reached after driving inland from Cook, Minnesota and then Vintage Vermilion’s own two mile long gravel road / driveway. We have the entire small resort … five cabins for five families!

At this time of year the mornings dawn clear but cold, and when the sun tries to make an appearance heavy ground fog appears which will not totally burn off till mid morning around 9:30 to 10:00 (sunrise is at 6:50). Ground fog makes birding a challenge as it masks the ability to see much of anything. However I still tended to head out a few minutes before sunrise and hope for gaps in the fog. The ground fog can actually lead to unexpected visua pleasures … like these musky fisherman I watched for a short while as they chased the fish of “10,000 casts” (link to Outdoor Illinois).

Once the ground fog burned off I did find a family of Black-Billed Magpies which were definitely not happy with the presence of a Bald Eagle. The plumage of the Bald Eagle (white head and tail feathers finally turning white) shows it to be about three years old, and about to reach adulthood!