Breakfast at the Duck Pond! (Year 2, Month 5)

Year 2

When birding in the Duluth area, most folks will visit the normal spots:

  • Sax-Zim Bog in hopes of seeing a Great Grey Owl
  • Western Waterfront Trail for shorebirds and waterfowl
  • Scenic 61 for ducks
    (see my blog page on Northern Minnesota Birding Locations)

However, one would be remiss if a trip to the “duck pond” was not included. Locals know this site and visit early in the morning, or a bit before sundown. The pond (actually two) is at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth. It has a resident population of domestic geese, and a constant wild population of mallards and Canada geese. In the old adage, birds attract birds, other birds will often stop at the pond for a day or two … sometimes longer.

This morning I had the pleasure of watching a hooded merganser and a spotted sandpiper. The road right next to the pond allows one to “sneak up” of the birds while using the car as a photographer’s blind. Thus, here are my breakfast birds!

Hooded Merganser
Y2-M05-Hooded-Merganser-1a Y2-M05-Hooded-Merganser-2a

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Spotted Sandpiper
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Long-Tailed Ducks!

Year 2

Yesterday morning I went out biking in the drizzle / fog. It made for a nice cool ride, but not great photographic conditions. Near McQuade Harbor I noticed some ducks that looked unusual out on Lake Superior. Getting off my bicycle for a closer inspection, I realized the birds were Long-Tailed Ducks (Cornell Ornithology Link)! Normally these ducks should be up in the northern reaches of Hudson Bay, but today this flock was 200 yards off shore on Lake Superior!

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Cabin Birds: Memorial Day Weekend 2015

Year 2

My wife and I own a remote cabin in northern Minnesota which is partially off the grid. Although we do have electricity, we do not have phone coverage (hard wire or reliable cell), TV or many of the “modern” amenities. However, we do not miss these “pleasures in life” one iota!

Early Friday morning I kayaked over to a grove of extremely tall white pine trees with a commanding view of the lake. I was thrilled to find our eagles were back nesting in these pines, which they have done almost non-stop for 25 years. On the way over, a pair of loons let my kayak drift up within just a few feet of them. This closeness allowed me to photograph one of the loons with droplets on its back and head from a recent dive.

We are lucky to live in northern Minnesota!

Bald Eagle Couple on NorthStar Lake
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Common Loon After the Dive!
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20 Minutes Before Dawn on NorthStar Lake
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