Goldeneyes Use Duluth’s Biggest Bird Feeder!

Year 9,

Right now I am a “caged tiger”. Birding / Hiking is not possible due to the cold (-10 and strong winds). If I were at home I could drive remote back roads with lots of wind cover, but my present locale is a Twin Cities suburb. There are not many remote dirt roads in a major metropolitan area,  and the winds mean it would be really dumb to drive NW of the Twin Cities to open farmland to look for Snowy Owls and Hawks.  On the very positive side, I may watch four young grandchildren get increasingly excited as Christmas approaches, but I am still that tiger!

A few afternoons ago I visited Duluth’s largest bird feeder, Canal Park. Now that the harbor is frozen, but the canal is still open due to current and the passage of freighters, huge flocks of Goldeneyes. The ducks know that the canal walls are lined with zebra mussels, which means food! Around 3pm in the afternoon on any sunny day the sun streams down the canal giving excellent photography conditions. However, dress warmly. The chill factor when I took these images was -25F. Thankfully in the direction I was facing the wind was behind me, but I then had a long walk back into the wind to return to my car.

Goldeneyes at Canal Park

From a few days yet earlier, I watched this dark morph Rough-Legged Hawk hunt on Hwy #133 just west of the RR Tracks. Unlike most Roughies, this bird does not easily spook the moment I park my car. The hawk actually landed closer to me after I took this photo. It was just time to change hunting perches.

Holiday Colors Bog Birding!

Year 9

As I drove over to the Bog yesterday morning (fun time birding), in the pre-dawn light I remarked to myself … wow … the Lutheran Church in Canyon on hwy #53 as you reach the Bog is a holiday card in and of itself. On the way home I stopped and took a photo when the sun was out!

While the GGO’s were only barely cooperative, I had a great time with the post storm fantastic sun, flocked now on trees and other kinds of birds!

Evening Grosbeaks early yesterday morning at the Welcome Center

Ring-Necked Pheasants a bit south of Meadowlands (observe the photos closely … the number of pheasants in each image is “2, 3 and 3”)

Owls, Eagles & Kayaks

Year 9,

Although this morning would be another grand morning to search for hungry raptors, I need to be at home to sign for a package … a new tool for my birding quiver … a folding kayak. Oru Kayak makes a boat that folds up Origami style, and only weighs 25 pounds. The theory is I can easily throw this kayak in the back of my Subaru Outback, and area lakes and streams will now be even more available to me. It is my combined Christmas & Birthday present. I will post a review when our “white water” disappears this spring. In the meantime, I am acquiring the Beach LT model. Here is a video review from a gentleman who has 53k subscribers to his YouTube channel (video link for email subscribers)

However, now on to the star of our show, the Great Gray Owl. I promised more images from yesterday morning’s hunt up in Sax-Zim Bog.

Great Gray Take-Off (unsuccessful hunt)

Great Gray Owl Post Blizzard Winter Scenes (maximizing images is recommended)

And now back to our Bald Eagle Food Fight from the prior afternoon … Sharing is NOT allowed.

This is how it started!

This is how it ended!