Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

NE Minnesota 2025 Warbler Fallout!

Year 12, ,

Yesterday songbirds, but mainly migrating warblers were almost falling out of the sky … known as a bird fallout. I spent 90 minutes on a protected St. Louis Bay (Duluth Harbor) beach which had some small mud flats which screamed bugs (i.e. food) to the migrating birds. I saw hundreds and hundreds of warblers and most of the time they were within ten yards of me, if not closer (think a few feet). The warblers would move up and down the beach, and just ignore me … landing two feet in front of me, and then behind me. When birds are extremely hungry, almost starving, a big monster (i.e. me) is not a concern.

I discovered yesterday when I used the term “fallout” with birds many folks did not know what I was talking about. Here is my definition … others might describe a fallout better. The term refers to what happens when birds almost “fall out of the sky” during migration due to weather conditions and often a migration barrier (like a barrier of water … think Lake Superior). Here in Duluth warblers were running into dense fog, and fierce winds out of the NE off Lake Superior. The fog brings warblers out of the treetops towards the ground in their search for bugs, and the wind makes it almost impossible for them to continue their migration northwards. The beach where I was standing was protected from yesterday afternoon’s wind (35 mph as measured by a buoy just off shore), and the lower level of Lake Superior water this year also means there is a small mud flat against the harbor shore (St. Louis River Bay) with bugs. Food!

Here are some of the photographs I took yesterday during the fallout. Make certain to watch the videos! I also spent some time up at the Hartley Nature Center. There is a stream immediately next to the parking lot, and over the years I have discovered that during migration warblers love the large culvert right next to the parking lot. Once again, the protected stream as it flows through the culvert tends to have some of the first bug hatches in the area.

Hartley Nature Center Birds

American Redstart

Black and White Warbler

Veery

Park Point / Minnesota Point Birds

American Redstart

Blackburnian Warbler

Chestnut-Sided Warbler

Magnolia Warbler

Northern Waterthrush

Palm Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

Tennessee Warbler

And when I got home … this Scarlet Tanager was hanging out within a few feet of our living room windows … next to my feeders, on our deck’s Adirondack chairs and one of the trailcams!

2025 Minnesota Songbird / Warbler Fallout … the Movies! (video links for email subscribers: Scarlet Tanager Video | Blackburnian Warbler Video … speed reduced by a factor of two)

That’s all, folks!

Owls and Sapsuckers!

Year 12,

This Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker insisted in having its photograph taken. It was working away at a tree only feet off our deck, and stayed in this one location (food motivates) long enough for me to walk down the hill to our garage, get something, walk back up to the house, go inside and then get my camera. Sapsucker’s are one of my favorite woodpecker. I think this is the unique bird which drums in the tree nest to our bedroom window every morning at 5:00 am. Who needs an alarm clock?!

Finally, here are two More videos from yesterday’s Great Horned Owlet Rescue. Make certain you see yesterday’s post which has some cool videos and images from the actual rescue.  These two movies were taken with my good camera.

The first video was taken shortly after I found the owlets and before the DNR and the Community Service Police Officer arrived to effect the rescue. (video link for email subscribers)

The second video was taken shortly after this particular owlet had been removed / rescued from the dog park. The owl was not happy with us, but quieted down quickly. (video link for email subscribers)

The Morning Sing … Now with More Percussion!

Year 12

If you do not keep your windows open at night, you are missing the morning sing! In fact, Molly and I keep a window open even on the coldest of winter nights (down to -30F at our house). There is nothing like an extra blanket to keep oneself warm, and as we move into spring one gets to listed to the “morning sing”. The birds start their chorus at this time of year (April 23rd) about 45 minutes before sunrise, or at 5:20 am. I am normally awake by that point and enjoy listening as different species start up their songs.

For some reason the Mourning Doves, and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers are the first to perform. Within a few weeks as the sun dips less and less below the horizon, the sing will start a bit earlier before sunup … 60 minutes prior to sunrise. On the first day of summer sunrise will be at 5:14 am, which means the morning sing will start at 4:15 am!

Now that the Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers have returned from points south, they start drumming on any of my yard’s dead trees very early. I never cut down dead trees as long as:

  • The tree is not diseased
  • The dead tree does not threaten our home

The band’s percussion group in my yard now includes these kinds of woodpeckers: Downey, Hairy, Northern Flicker, Pileated and Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers. Often when one species of woodpecker starts drumming, another species will come to investigate. I now can identify all five of these species by the rhythm and sound of their drumming.

Anyhow … a Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker and Pileated Woodpecker … both photographed in my yard over the past two days. Enjoy the sing!