All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

A River Reclaimed!

Year 8

When I was a child in the 1960’s, nary a person set foot (or even a toe) in the St. Louis River. This river was essentially dead, and had an amazing amount of industrial waste from Duluth, Superior and Cloquet. Enter the environmental movement of the 1960’s, and the WLSSD (Western Lake Superior Sanitary District). Sixty years later the river is now clean. Sturgeon even spawn once again (a fish that demands fresh, clean water). It was an act of faith for the DNR to restock sturgeon (they had been wiped out by pollution). It often takes 20 years before sturgeon are mature and spawn for the first time. How would like to take an action, and then wait two decades to learn if your efforts have been successful?

Just like the swallows return to Capistrano, the White Pelicans now return to Chambers Grove in Fond du Lac (Duluth neighborhood) every spring. The pelicans time their arrival to the spring spawn. The fish push up stream till they reach the Jay Cooke Park rapids. It’s gravy train for the hungry birds. Enjoy!

Alarm Clock Birds!

Year 8
Alarm Clock Bird!
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My local Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers arrived back up north two nights ago, and now without fail I can rely upon this bird to drum on the hollow tree bough outside my open bedroom window 30 minutes before sunrise. Given sunrise is now 6:15 am, my “alarm bird” sounds off at 5:45 am. Soon, the bird will want to awaken me earlier as we move towards the summer equinox.
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There are three perfect drumming trees in my yard, and all the Hairy, Downy, Pileated and now Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers are very much aware of that fact. My Yellow-Shafted Flickers also returned to the Northwoods a few days ago, but it has different tastes in drumming, and really prefers singing for a mate. Species #6 in my yard are “red-bellied woodpeckers”. Red does some occasionally drumming and singing.
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Unless a dead tree threatens your home or another structure in your yard, do not cut them down. Dead trees are great habitat for many birds, not just woodpeckers.

Battling Birds – Part 2: Great Blue Herons

Year 8

As noted in yesterday’s post: Battling Birds – Part 1: Tree Swallows, I hiked into the Great Blue Heron Rookery. Until the bugs drive you away (the flies, not the mosquitoes), hanging out in the swamp is amazingly fun. The sights are fantastic.

Battling Birds: Part 2!

Loosely translated this heron is saying “get away from my woman”. This was one of the few nests out of 20+ which already had an incubating female. The others had bachelors waiting for ladies to migrate in north (see video … link for email subscribers).

High Rise Apartment

Domestic Bliss

Waiting for Godot