All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Bridged Birding!

September 4, 2019Year 6MN North: Minnesota Pointrichardhoeg@gmail.com

I was bridged this morning! In native “Duluth Lingo” this means gettng stopped by the Aerial Lift Bridge. However, we locals do not mind the wait. You just sit back and enjoy 10 to 15 minutes of quiet time. In fact, I left my car parked in the middle of the road and walked over to the pier and took these two images of the Philip Clarke down bound with a load of iron ore. The sun had only been up for five minutes.

I would have been birding / walking Minnesota Point by sunrise, but as I noted … I got bridged. Thankfully the shorebirds waited for me and I had a delightful 60 minute hike along the sandy beach … not another person in sight … seeing well over 300 shorebirds winging their way back from the Arctic. It is good to be bridged in life!

Semipalmated Plover

Baird’s Sandpiper

Ruddy Turnstone

ID’ing Shorebirds can be darned difficult. In a prior post, I reviewed some good resources …

Northstar Lake Juveniles! Birds of the North.

September 1, 2019Year 6MN North: NorthStar Lake Regionrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Back in the USA! My family and close friends are spending the Labor Day Weekend at our small Northwoods cabin. We call ourselves the “Same Time Next Year Gang”. This is our 30th get together. In total we have somehow found room for 17 people (12 adults, five children and two dogs). Already this weekend we’ve had a super Northern Lights display.

Yesterday morning we went out on the pontoon boat, and during a leisurely cruise we checked out the juveniles of Northstar Lake. After seeing Red-Throated Loons up in the Arctic, it was fun to visit our local loons.

Juvenile Bald Eagle (waiting for food)

Juvenile Common Loon (begging Mom for food … swimming circles around its parent)

Dad Common Loon holding its distance

Team Norway Cycling Team!

September 1, 2019Year 6Norwayrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Perhaps my final Norwegian post?! We arrived home in Minnesota last Tuesday in the wee hours of the morning. Still Processing images.

Molly and me in our official cycling garb

Hurtigruten arriving in Kirkenes the morning after we had arrived. I was up birding on a mountain overlooking the fjord. The coastal ferry is a great way to see Norway. It sails from Bergen all the way up to Kirkenes in the Arctic near the Russian border.