Tag Archives: MN North: Canosia Wildlife Area

Canosia Wildlife Preserve Birding

Year 11

I don’t think I have given enough emphasis to birding the Canosia Wildlife Preserve just north of Duluth. There are many birding options available … hikes or drives. On the car front any of these roads are worth your time:

  • Lavaque Road (north of Martin Road)
  • West Lismore Road to Hiking Trailhead (private road beyond that point)
  • Ugstad Raod to the Hiking Trailhead

The trails leading from either of these two trailheads are easy, but very buggy. Use bug goop. Eventually via the trails you want to reach the wetlands (more bugs). Here is a map I created. Please note the Great Blue Heron Rookery. It may only be reached by hiking off trail. In May, June and early July you will hear the herons long before you see them. Given sun angles, an early morning visit is best whether you are just birding, and / or wanting to take some photographs. There is also an osprey nest in the wetlands next to Trailhead #1. On Lavaque Road you will drive by “Steam Shovel Sam & Sally) (osprey nest in the shovel’s bucket).

These images were taken early Sunday morning.

Canosia Wildlife Reserve Map

Osprey

Broad-Winged Hawk

Canosia Ospreys a Courting

Year 11

Eight days ago I noticed that male ospreys had arrived back in the Northland, and specifically the Canosia Wildlife Reserve. The reserve has three osprey nests. I assume these raptors find the fishing in the nearby lakes and ponds stellar. As of this morning, two nest have males “hanging” out, waiting and hoping for females to return north. The nest off Lismore Road must be prime habitat as the male at that nest had already been selected as a mate by a returning female.

Sunday morning I enjoyed watching the ospreys cement their relationship! This nest even has a nearby Great Blue Heron Rookery, and the ospreys did not take kindly when two herons made a pass at their nest. The “fish eagles” attacked instantly! (see the video)

I’m not certain these images and videos were Sunday morning certified, but I had fun watching the pair ospreys before church!

Ospreys Mating

Again?! Yup says the Male!

The Happy Couple! Was it as Good for You?!

Bringing Sticks Post Coupling. I guess the male wants to let his sweetheart understand the depth of his love!

Stick Delivery #1

Stick Delivery #2 (a double! … a stick in each talon)

Stick Delivery #3

Stick Delivery #4

Stick Deliver #5

Ospreys Mating & Nest Building … the Movie! (video link for email subscribers)

Lady Aurora Dances and Rare Birds Fly!

Year 10,

Oh wow! Yesterday was magical. How else can you describe a day that begins with watching in Duluth a rare, beautiful bird that normally hangs out west of the Rocky Mountains, and ends with a magical dance by Lady Aurora?! In addition this was the day immediately following the one where I watched not one, but two Great Gray Owls hunting at once. Life is special and precious!

My special day began after some morning appointments.  A local home owner has graciously opened up his yard to allow birders to see a Varied Thrush that likes to eat suet off the ground underneath some bird feeders. This West Coast bird has no business visiting the Arctic Riviera at the start of winter.

Here is the Varied Thrush’s normal range (map courtesy of Cornell’s All About Birds … learn more about this orange and slate blue beauty)

Normally, this Lifer for me would be enough to call it a fantastic day, but Lady Aurora decided to dance last night. While most people had followed the media hype the prior night and chased the Northern Lights, when the prior night’s early technical numbers were poor followed by an early moonrise with 90% of the light of a full moon, I slept! However, last night was different! When the Northern Lights numbers spiked by 5:30 pm (sunset was at 4:20 pm this far north), and knowing the moon would not rise till 8 pm, I initiated my chase of the Northern Lights (read more about how I track a potential Northern Lights display).

On a frozen lake north of Two Harbors, Lady Aurora came out and danced for me. The ice was groaning and cracking as it froze thicker in the cold night air, which made for an earie performance. It is worth maximizing the image to enjoy the details and lake ice reflections (more to come from this dance, but time to get ready for morning birding in Sax-Zim Bog).