All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Birds With Long Legs!

Year 5, , ,

Over the past three days I seem to have acquired the urge to watch birds with long legs! There has been some method to my madness as during the first two days of the period I was down in the Minneapolis area, and I wanted to see some Great Egrets … a bird which is quite rare in NE Minnesota. Thus, I focused upon wetlands at sunrise, and I was rewarded with being able to watch six different Great Egrets. Arriving at these wetlands before 6 am insures that even though I was birding in a major metropolitan area, I had the trails to myself. This fact insures other folks do not scare the birds I seek, and just maximizes my enjoyment. However, I have found even on urban trails, if one finds “non popular” trails you are rewarded with more bird sightings. Given herons and egrets spook easily, this rule is important. My two wetland areas were the “Plymouth Wetlands” (series of ponds in off Zachary Lane north of Schmidt Lake Road) and Wood Lake Nature Center.

I actually did visit the Plymouth wetlands again in mid afternoon. While the time of day is not great for photography, I was rewarded with watching this Great Egret fish.

On the way home to Duluth I swung up to Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge … once again arriving around 6 am. It was interesting to visit earlier in the season as the marsh grass is not grown up yet. My major fun was watching some Sandhill Cranes from very close. Eventually I had to leave Wildlife Drive due to a prairie grass burn which was about to start that morning.

When I got home to Duluth I was amazed to find a temperature of 87F at my home. However, Lake Superior took over within a few hours and the winds shifted from the SW to blowing out of the NE off the big lake. In 45 minutes the temperature dropped from 87F to 45F! I figured no bird in their right mind would fight the strong wind and the migration northward would stop immediately. Thus I drove down to Park Point and found a lot of Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings dancing in the waves … trying to eat. These birds are on their way up to the Arctic, but stopped in Duluth right now. Here are a few of the Ruddy Turnstones. Thus my day ended with some short legged shore birds!

St. Louis River Mudflats

Year 5

I spent a lot of time this past weekend hiking into a spot where I check for late migrating ducks, and earlier arriving shorebirds. This was my first trip of the spring and I was thrilled to discover the water level was down slightly which has resulted in some nice mud flats. While I saw a reasonable number of Greater Yellowlegs, it was obvious the shorebird migration up to the Arctic with stops near Lake Superior has not started in earnest yet.

Although my primary target was shorebirds, I was thrilled when shortly after sunrise I was able to get close to two of my more favorite ducks. The first was Northern Shovelers, which although some might claim look a bit dorky, I like. The other duck was Green Winged Teal. Due to a large dirt mound, and a rising sun directly behind me, I was able to get closer than normal to these two spooky birds.

However, when on a follow up hike I tried to get close to a small flock of Bonapart Gulls, I failed miserably. In this second instance I had little cover, and the birds quickly became aware of me. Finally, it was nice to do these hikes in weather that allowed for shorts and a t-shirt. Prior to this weekend, northeasterly winds had made it difficult to get out on the low 40’s near the big lake.

Greater Yellowlegs

My Favorite Ducks … Together!

A Green Tealed Quack

Swimming Shoveler

Amity Creek Birding

Year 5,

I live across the road from Amity Creek. The local birding habitat is mixed pine and deciduous forest. Our home is about 1/2 mile above Lake Superior and the end result is the migration often stops off in our yard both due to excellent habitat (my cleared yard is tall grasses and perennials) the proximity to the big lake … a migration route northward, and my six bird feeders which I keep filled all year round. While black bears are a problem (they knocked down three feeders within the past week), it is worth my becoming an expert bird feeder repairman.

Over the past few days, I have been experiencing a HUGE sparrow migration. The ground is often covered with over a 100 sparrows at once … many working their way north to their tundra breeding grounds.

White-Crowned and American Tree Sparrows

In addition, these locals have arrived back and are found in my yard. White-Necked Sparrows, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, and Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks. The woodpecker starts drumming each morning shortly after 5 am … looking for love!

Finally, the smelt are entering the Lester River. A few Common Loons are always having breakfast each morning at sunrise. The mouth of the river is an easy walk from my house. It is nice to have all the birds back in the Northland. The warbler and shore bird migration is just beginning.