Goldeneyes Courting

Year 9

The temperature fell to 6F last night, on March 27th! The net result was many of the channels which the US Coast Guard cleared with their cutters yesterday, refroze overnight. When this morning dawned bright, sunny and cold I drove down to the Duluth Harbor and found these two Goldeneyes courting. If you find open water this year, you will find migration ducks and geese. This was near the High Bridge.

In these three images the male is swimming away, and I think exclaiming … “She loves me!“

In the video, I think another male was being given a clear message … not this morning, honey! (video link for email subscribers)

Here are the links promised at yesterday’s Sapsuucker Farms Owl Presentation. Remember to get a free Cornell eBird account.

InBound, OutBound and In Transit!

Year 9,

The birds are moving! For the last five days my yard on the edge of Amity Creek has been a wild place as flocks and flocks of Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins, and Goldfinches descend upon my six bird feeders. Each wave tends to be in the “hundreds of birds” … always coming from the southwest and moving off to the northeast. In addition, my yard is now filled with the songs of robins, and first of year grackles (not quite a pretty). Some of these two bird species will stay local as others move further north.

Yesterday morning I went in search of open water. Check out open water, particularly slack water in streams. These Common Mergansers yesterday were right near the boat launch at the old Interstate Bridge in the Duluth harbor. It will be a while till area lakes go ice free.

Finally the perfect evening of calm winds, clear skies and mild temperatures brought two Snowy Owls out last night in the Duluth area. These owls are a harder find right now as they are taking short trips around the region to strengthen their flight muscles for the return migration north, but there are still a few around. I suspect this bird is a young, non breeding female and not in any hurry to get north to the Arctic. The photo was taken 10 minutes before sundown, and the owl still had not moved an inch 20 minutes after sunset when I left.

Snow Flocked Wonderland

Year 9

The weather service said the winter storm warning and travel advisory was not going to expire till high noon, but my own inspection of weather radar seemed to indicate the storm was now to our east. In addition, did you know via Mn511.Org (official road conditions) one may view “snowplow cams” in essentially real time? Thus, when my inspection showed Hwy 53 was in decent shape I was quickly “bog bound” at 7 am. Once I arrived at Sax-Zim Bog I entered a Winter Wonderland on snow flocked pine trees. I could tell I was the ONLY car that had driven Admiral and Overton Roads, and was the first car on McDavitt (saw one car at the very north end).

Crowds in Sax-Zim Bog? What are those? While I did not see any owls, I had a great time watching a flock of evening grosbeaks. It was truly a relaxing morning. My own assessment of the weather had been correct … zero snow or rain, limited wind, and actually decently bright conditions for overcast skies!

I still have one birding hike yet to accomplish later today. March 23rd is the official yearly start of “fluff watch”!