Category Archives: Year 11

Langley River Moonset

Year 11,

Folks should know by now I love to spend time north of Two Harbors, which includes the Greenwood Boreal Bog and Bird Feeders. There are many reasons I love this region about 40 miles north of Two Harbors, but one HUGE reason is within minutes of leaving my home the drive has little traffic, and I get to enjoy scenery which starts with the pre-dawn light over Lake Superior. As I turn inland at Two Harbors traffic drops to almost zero as I drive north through the Boreal Forest.

Yesterday to my west I realized the full moon was both beautiful and setting into the wilderness. I quickly realize the moon would be perfectly situated low in the sky at a favorite vantage point of mine, the Langley River. Thirty minutes before sunrise I pulled over and enjoyed moonset!

Langley River Moonset

Langley River during other seasons! (Winter – Summer – Late Fall)

After enjoying the full moon I continued north where during the 15-20 minutes around sunrise, the Spruce Grouse came out onto Stoney River Forest Road to grit up. I saw six but this individual really let me get close!

Can you tell I am happy to be back out in the woods with a clean bill of health!

Now Arriving on Track #9: Arctic Birds!

Year 11,

Yesterday and today the Arctic arrived in northern Minnesota! I saw Lapland Longspurs, Horned Larks and my first Rough-Legged Hawk of the season. The birds were split between Two Harbors (the songbirds) and Sax-Zim Bog (the hawk). The numbers are not yet huge, but they’ve flown quite a distance!

This map is from Cornell’s All About Birds. All 3 species could use the same range map (some horned larks also breed further south)

Backyard Lifer!

Year 11

Just a quick post. Sparrows are appearing in fantastic numbers in my yard, including this Harris Sparrow. Very few of the sparrows use my feeders, but they love sloppy seconds. They breed up on the tundra.

And to give equal time to a more common bird … Slate Colored Junco.

We are starting to get near the end of the songbird migration. When the snow buntings appear I consider the songbird migration over.