Bird Your Local Cemetery

Year 7

During migration, in the Duluth area one of my favorite spots is Forest Hill Cemetery. If one of your local cemetery has a pond, during migration always make a quick check. Our pond has some domestic ducks and geese which attract their wild cousins to the two ponds.

Yesterday morning I found the leading edge of the shorebird invasion from Hudson’s Bay and the Arctic. This Yellowlegs was all by itself, and I took full advantage of a low angle early morning sun to have some fun. Yes, I was close but the sun blinded the bird … albeit shorebirds normally let you get somewhat close (sit down on a beach and let them walk to you)

Greater Yellowlegs (yes … they eat minnows, not just bugs)

Question: If your reflection also catches a minnow, do you get credit for two fish?!

Reflections (dark green from pine trees … blue from the sky)

Poppa Pileated Teaches Junior About Suet!

Year 7
Now open for business in the Duluth area … Rich’s Bar and Grill serving fantastic suet … a Covid-19 plan and protections are in place!
 
Yup … Poppa Pileated (bird on the left) was teaching junior (bird on the right) about suet this morning. The youngster is a female. Thus, this image shows you how to tell the sexes apart for Pileated Woodpeckers. The male’s crest comes all the way to the upper beak, and it also has a scarlet mustache.
 
Dad … do I really have to eat my suet?! Woody at my woodpecker school says it’s just lard!

Osprey Feeding Time

Year 7

Yesterday morning at 7 am I checked up on one of my local Osprey families. I knew that fledgling will soon occur, and I wanted to see them once more before that becomes much more difficult. I think Mom Osprey wants her youngster to fly. At one point she flew to a dead snag 20 yards distant from the nest and spend the next 20 minutes screaming at her children!

Canosia Wildlife Preserve Osprey Photographs

The other fun event occurred during my bicycle ride yesterday afternoon. While cycling past McQuade Harbor I spied a wedding couple with a classic ore boat in the background. I jumped off my bike and took this photograph. Via a local Facebook group I managed to track down the wedding couple and will be delivering to them at no charge a high res, non watermarked version of the image. While their photographer certainly took great photos, it was only from my perspective across the small harbor that this pic was possible. I wanted the new couple to have the image as a wedding present.

It’s nice to see happy events in these unsettling times. As a fyi, I always carry a camera and monopod when cycling.