For the 3rd day in a row, high winds blasted the Duluth end of Lake Superior. For a change, however, we got some sun! Winds of 25 to 40 mph make birding difficult. Thus I returned the to the Superior, Wisconsin entry to the harbor. In the second of the two photographs, the Baie St. Paul, out in the windblow lake, awaits her turn at the Superior Ore Docks.
When I got home, I was pleased to find a white-throated sparrow in my own yard. I think this bird was posing for a field guide … showing off its defining features!
Even before the Spring rains come to green up the Northwoods, there is lots of color waiting for the person who is willing to invest time in the watching … and listening! The color started yesterday when I started hearing … pound, pound, pound! For the next nine hours, and then restarting at 5:30 am this morning, a pair of Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers declared out wooded lot their home turf! Amazingly, I never quite knew how the sapsuckers listened for a response. Take a look at the photos. The birds put their ear right against the tree.
The tour of color continued yesterday evening with moonrise over Lake Superior. Although it may be spring, a gorgeous harvest moon came up over the big lake. Finally, these morning I was amazed while birding on Rossini Road. This beautiful splash of yellow and black was in an unusual location! I had never seen a meadowlark deep in the Northwoods. Pine forests, and not meadows are what we tend to have in abundance.
Rossini Road Eastern Meadowlark
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Moonrise Over Lake Superior – Old Duluth Central High School (see the next post for yesterday’s moonrise at Canal Park)
When God gives you lemons, make lemonade! It was with this thought, and an overnight low of -9F (-23C) fifty miles north of Two Harbors that made me decide that since Spring will not come to northeastern Minnesota, it was time to enjoy some Winter birding! Thus, at 6 am I drove north to the wilderness area between Ely and Isabella in the Superior National Forest. Once the sun rose above the horizon, the extreme cold meant I had beautiful deep blue skies. Thankfully the cold weather was not partnered with wind. In short it was a great day to be alive and enjoy the wilderness, but would the birds cooperate?
Shortly after sunrise and while the temperature was the aforementioned -9F, I stopped to take this photograph of the Cloquet River. The streams and rivers have open water where some current exists, but it will be weeks before the lakes experience ice out.
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For over two hours I never saw another car. This winter wonderland (albeit in mid April) was mine to enjoy alone! Unfortunately, the birds decided that the cold weather meant delaying breakfast was an excellent idea! Finally, two hours after sunrise, breakfast was in session. I particularly enjoyed watching flocks of snow buntings as they worked their way along the roadsides on their trip back to northern Canada. At one point I found a lone snow bunting and was able to spend some quality time with this individual bird (snow buntings in a flock spook so very easily). In addition, in the same stretch of road near Sand River, I found two Spruce Grouse, a rare treat!
I did try and drive into the Pagami Creek Wildfire Area. This burnt out region is know for neat birds and wildlife as its environment experiences a rebirth. However, five miles along the logging road I had to give up and turn around. The snow was starting to exceed one foot deep. Getting stuck deep in the wilderness would not have been a good idea.
Here are some of my photographs and a video from this morning. In addition, I’ve included a pic of a fox sparrow. These birds understand one should not migrate north of Duluth. My house is only 1/3 of a mile above Lake Superior which means “no snow” and food for foraging birds. Head another mile inland and snow takes over the world.
