Hawk Ridge was an explosion of color this morning! Arrived around 6 am … not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze. One could gaze out over Lake Superior in her majesty. The wild roses are starting to bloom in addition to all the other flowering bushes, etc. Warblers and other birds were a plenty. Just a great morning to be alive. After birding Hawk Ridge for 90 minutes, I then took a 16 mile bike ride up the shore on Scenic 61. Life is good!

I call the first image … Blue on Blue looking out over Blue (i.e. An Indigo Bunting Against a Perfect Blue Sky while looking out over Lake Superior)! Most of the Indigo Buntings I saw were below Skyline Drive.

The Chestnut-Sided Warbler agreed with my opinion about the fantastic morning as it sang out in song! The American Goldfinch decided to also get in on the act (third image).

Home! As much fun as bike touring in Scotland was, it is nice to be home and back in the Northland. The past few days I’ve spent some time on the cliffs at Hawk Ridge. Many of the trees and shrubs are blooming, attracting bugs and therefore birds! I’ve found that although lots of warblers are present back in the bush beyond the viewing platform, the easiest way to actually see and photograph birds is by descending from Skyline Drive and hiking the cliffs. From the cliffs one can look down to the lower tree tops and observe birds such as the Olive-Sided Flycatcher from a unique perspective, or look up back towards the road and find warblers on the tops of small trees and bushes.

Indigo Bunting

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Chestnut Sided Warbler

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Eastern Wood Peewe