It was delightful spending time introducing your children to Northland owls, but particularly Hoot and family. Here are links from my blog to information about which I spoke: (email me with any other questions)
Pine Grosbeaks are aware of this fact, but I get ahead of myself …
Crabapples (ornamental or pygmy) are almost non existent in the Northland this year. The combination of a late frost followed by a summer drought killed over 95% of the crop. I have only see a few trees with fruit … all close to the shores of Lake Superior. One of the locations with apples are the five trees near Two Harbor’s steam engines. For almost two weeks I have been checking these trees, and today I struck paydirt (payapples?!). The immature and female Pine Grosbeaks had found these trees. I spent over 20 minutes with the birds on two different occasions. The sun even came out briefly which made the photographer in my happy. Why crabapples? Ask the Pine Grosbeaks. The Mountain Ash trees have lots of berries, but they were being ignored for the moment.
Birding has been difficult lately … snow, rain and now wind (40 mph winds today out of the WNW). Finally, most of the feeders are now filled up at Sax-Zim Bog. The Welcome Center opens on Saturday, December 4th (10 am to 3 pm daily). In December, I will be volunteering on Sunday, December 5th and Saturday, December 18th. Stop by and say hello and get your birding questions answered (I hope!).
Earlier this week I attended Glensheen’s Photoshoot. This is another of my off topic posts, but if you are birding northeast Minnesota this holiday season, a visit to Duluth’s Downton Abbey should be on your agenda. Most of this post’s text is from a blog entry dated two years ago, but the images are from both years. However, for those of you who want birds, stay tuned. I spent quality time with Pine Grosbeaks and crabapples this afternoon! Post coming.
In the early 1900’s Duluth was home to one of the largest concentrations per capita of millionaires in the United States. Between the Mining, Railroad and Lumber Barons, this town was a hopping place where fortunes were made (and occasionally lost!). On the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth you will find the mansion of one of these magnates, Glensheen (now owned by the University of Minnesota Duluth). Chester Congdon was the owner of this beautiful home on the shores of Lake Superior. A small creek, Tischer Creek, runs through the estate grounds, but as a boy growing up in Duluth I only knew the stream by its local name, Congdon Creek.
While everyone from out of town seems to know about Duluth’s HUGE harborfront holiday lights display named Bentleyville, Glensheen now hosts an equally impressive Christmas display including Park Point resident’s Marsha Hale’s famous white lights. Unlike at Bentleyville, while at Glensheen when you get cold outside, you may then go inside and enjoy Glensheen’s indoor decorations! The mansion is truly decked out for the holidays both inside and out.
One final note, growing up both my wife and I always wanted to live down on the shores of Gitche Gumee just like Chester Congdon. Now older, and a few years wiser, we like our home 800 yards inland on Amity Creek across from the The Deeps waterfall. We are somewhat protected from the lake’s cruel winds! 🙂
Christmas Lights at Glensheen
Outside
Inside
Molly and Rich … on the grounds