I asked many friends which bird should receive “bird of the day” honors for #300. Everyone agreed the white-breasted nuthatch. Condolences to our national bird, the bald eagle.
The Winner!
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The Loser!
Another species of bird from the Canadian sub Arctic, rough legged hawks, are working their way south for the winter. I found this Rough Legged Hawk trying to keep warm just before dawn (+6F). However the surprise of the day was when this ruffed grouse hit my car about fifteen minutes earlier. Given I was only moving at 10 mph, it hit me, not vice versa! Thankfully it survived the collision and is back in the woods.
Rough Legged Hawk
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Ruffed Grouse … attacker of Subaru Outbacks!
Now that all the inland lakes and rivers are iced over, the Duluth harbor is seeing more duck activity. As you can see from both photos, the waterfront is both a beautiful but cold place to hang out!
Day 297: Sunrise Mallards (with a waterspout and sea smoke)
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Day 298: Common Goldeneye amongst the ice flows.
