Arctic Birding Lifers!

Year 4

Yesterday afternoon I drove up the shore and then inland at Castle Danger. Near Silver Creek township on Bunker Hill Road there are some sewage treatment ponds. On the way home I stopped and birded the Two harbors municipal campground. While the number of birds were not huge, the diversity was great. I found many birding lifers:

  • American Pipit
  • American Tree Sparrow
  • White-Rumped Sandpiper
  • White-Winged Scoter

The final coup de grâce was finding this Rough Legged Hawk … also down from the Arctic … actively hunting. Since yesterday when I first spotted this hawk, I have relocated it twice and watched more hunts … some successful, some not. It hangs out on the #61 Expressway between Two Harbors and Duluth near Larsmont Road.

If you visit the water treatment ponds at Silver Creek, do NOT walk into the pond area. If you stay behind the fences, the staff will welcome you visits (I talked with the maintenance technician). In addition, make certain you do not block the access road. There is a pull-off where you may park about 100 yards back from the gate.

Another treat at the ponds was watching a Northern Shrike hunt, and hearing its scratchy call for the first time in my life. I should now be able to find shrikes by ear! The American Pipit and American Tree Sparrow were not really difficult lifers. I’ve seen both birds before, but never had taken photographs. I decided it was time to rectify that fact, and make them part of my blog’s official count. All of these birds are migrating south from the Arctic.

American Pipit (campground … lifer)

American Tree Sparrow (campground … lifer)

Snow Bunting (treatment ponds)

White-Rumped Sandpiper (treatment ponds … lifer)

White-Winged Scoter (treatment ponds … lifer)

A 360 Degree Sunrise!

Year 4

While the wife is away (college reunion), the husband did play (in the storm!) My video of Friday’s fury has been watched over 125,000 times (and still Increasing)!

In case you missed my coverage, the video which has gone viral is the last “storm video” on my  Snow Storm Birding Blog Post (bottom of linked page).

Here is this morning’s 360 degree sunrise. The first view is taken looking out over Lake Superior (much calmer this Sunday morning). Twelve minutes later, I turned around and captured the reflected dawn light in the UMD Limnology Lab windows.

If you’re interested, here are the stats about my video posted early this Sunday morning by Destination Duluth.

Snow Storm Birding! (videos)

Year 4, ,

Duluth is also known at the Arctic Riviera. Thus, when a snow storm hit two hours before dawn, it was a HUGE invitation for me to get outside with my camera. Today’s wind is out of the northeast which mean big waves as they coming rolling down hundreds of miles of open water of Lake Superior. Thus, rather than being a “stay inside” type of day, I’ve had a great time outdoors. I will admit to having gotten wet due to the sloppy snow, but birding was easy. The snow concentrated birds in prime birding locations. However, taking photographs was a challenge! 🙂

Blue Morph Snow Goose Family

Snow Bunting

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Snow Geese in the Snow Videos

Wave Videos from Canal Park: The first video was taken from the 2nd floor of the Duluth Marine Museum. For the second video I had moved outside, but unlike folks seen in my first video, I am well back of the Lakewalk. The waves were throwing up on shore 20 to 30 pound rocks. The tourists did not realize they were in danger … not from the waves but thrown rocks. I warned a few folks before I went back to my car.

And a photograph of our house from an hour before sunrise this morning, just as the storm was really getting started in the Duluth area.