All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Black-Billed Magpies at Sax-Zim Bog

Year 8

Magpies are common out west, and are definitely expanding their range into Minnesota, but would still be considered rare in NE Minnesota. I watched a family of seven Black-Billed Magpies up at Sax-Zim Bog this morning. The magpies were hanging around the intersection of Zim Road and Hwy #7. Use your ears, and you’ll likely find them. They were on both sides of the highway, and often foraging right next to the RR tracks (south of Zim Rd).

This is a repeat performance from my birding experience over on Northstar Lake two weeks back. It was delightful.

Summer’s Last Fledglings

Year 8,

The winter migration officially starts in six days on August 1st (see BirdCast)! However it is 87F as a write this blog post, and I have spent the last 24 hours watching birds whose young will fledge very soon … in fact the last birds to fledge this summer. My target birds are Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Merlins, and Belted Kingfishers (other raptors are also late to fledge).

For Belted Kingfishers one of my favorite birding locations is just upstream from the mouth of the Lester River. Descend the stairs on the uphill side of the London Road Lester River Bridge (park on the dead end 61st Ave East reached off Superior Street). The kingfishers nest in the bank on the other side of the river, and as of this morning both parents were now actively hunting for their young. Slowly walk along the path next to the river bank and peek out through the foliage. The far bank does not tend to be in the sun till about 8:15 am due to the depth of the ravine.

My local Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds are also making a huge number of visits to the Bee Balm, which is indicative that their young have hatched.

Finally, I am monitoring two Merlin nests between Lester River and Talmadge River. Both nests as heard while bicycling this morning were quite noisy!

Begging Owls at 4 am

Year 1
The first thimbleberries are ripe! My local owls are aware this fact, and they have been hunting my yard each of the last three nights. As other animals and birds eat thimbleberries … wham! Owls eat them! Yesterday morning there was quite a mess of blood and feathers on our walk from a successful owl kill.
The owlets are still not proficient hunters. Last night a youngster sat in the dead tree right next to our bedroom window at 4 am and begged continuously for ten minutes. Not sure Molly appreciated the racket.
At 5:20 am the owls were still in the yard, when the robins woke up and took alarm at their presence. This soon attracted Blue Jays, and ultimately Crows. At 5:45 I went hiking and found the owls hunting next to Amity Creek. I suspect the idea was to catch any smaller animal taking an early morning drink. The crows were still giving the owls grief, and everyone, including me, moved around Lester / Amity Park for 20 minutes. We covered about one mile, and I often stopped to eat thimbleberries!
I believe this is the Mom owl … pic taken just before sunrise.
And one more BBQ Ruby-Throated Hummingbird photograph. The male flew in to feed four times on the Bee Balm but never gave me a clear view. Bummer.

Finally an update on Red-Headed Woodpeckers. Whereas before this year it is believed Duluth has never had a nesting pair, the second nest is now confirmed! What is interesting, but guess it should not be, is the similarities in habitat the birds chose. While the two nest holes are miles apart, both pairs of Red-Headed Woodpeckers chose dead trees within 50 yards of a river. The running water means insects.