Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth Harbor

Blizzard Birding

Year 8

Overnight the U.S. Weather Service upgraded our winter storm to a blizzard. All I know is the snow is coming down hard, and it’s windy outside. Blizzard birding means putting on all one’s winter gear and heading outside … shoveling the snow off the platform bird feeder (already 1/2 foot of new white stuff), and filling all the feeders. Throughout this entire process all my own birds were singing and havering with inches at time of my head … the chickadees and nuthatches were the most fearless and often landed in my bird feeders as I was filling them full. The juncos, purple finches, cardinals and goldfinches preferred to wait at a comfortable distance of 4 to 8 feet distant, but they were in the feeders the moment I retreated. Never fear the woodpeckers were also waiting. Within 15 seconds my male pileated woodpecker appeared.

Yesterday afternoon I did get out before the snows hit. The high winds were already present which encouraged raptors to stay down low to conserve energy (i.e avoid the worst gusts).

Rough Legged Hawk (hunting a frozen pond next to an industrial greenhouse … industrial greenhouses with fields and ponds near them are great birding spots in the winter)

Bald Eagles on Ice (The Frito Bandido Bird is an immature female)

Color in the Feeder Christmas Morning (purple finch and rare Tufted Puffin makes a visit)

This puffin was a present from my youngest son and his wife … visiting from Seattle. While I was elsewhere in the house the puffin apparently flew onto my feeders, and is indicative of their present (taking me Tufted Puffin birding by boat this summer in the Pacific Northwest).

For you readers in the Florida region, watch out! I will be invading the Fort Myers area for a short vacation in the near future.

Dreaming of a White Snowy Owl Christmas!

Year 8

Over the last 24 hours since about 4 pm yesterday afternoon, I have seen four unique Snowy Owls! I know they are different owls due to the distances and colors of the each bird’s plumage. I ended my Snowy Christmas around 10 am this morning with a super white male … a truly “White Christmas Owl”!

Snowy Owl #1

Snowy Owl #2

Snowy Owl #3

I did not photograph Snowy #4. It was far, far away.

For those of you who like to follow these owls, make certain you subscribe to Project Snowstorms’ blog posts. They are one of the top owl research organizations in North America. I particularly enjoyed reading about “Fond du Lac” (a named Snowy). This owl nested north of Hudson’s Bay, but migrated down Hudson’s Bay, ultimately to Isle Royale and across Lake Superior to the Upper Peninsula. It is still migrating further south.

Birds on Ice

Year 8, , ,

Contrary to popular belief I very much enjoy watching birds other than owls! Yesterday was just such a morning as I captured “Birds on Ice!”. This new ice performance drama is brought to you every winter wherever food may be found. Unlike summer when birds disperse for nesting purposes, in the winter birds flock together and rarely fly far from a good food source. Todays food sources are:

  • Common Redpolls (visiting a thicket of loaded berry trees in the Canosia Wildlife Area): These little guys are all across the Northland, and as natural foods are consumed everyone should start to see them visiting feeders later this winter.
  • Mallards (all quacked up over a great joke): These wild ducks know that the domestic geese at the Forest Hill Cemetery get served corn. What’s good for the goose, is good for the ducks.
  • Mourning Doves (near my own bird feeders): I never used to think of these doves as a winter bird, but each year I have 10+ that winter in my own yard. They eat a Hoeg’s Cafe every morning, and hide from the bitter winds in the thicks pines and cedar trees.

Finally, while driving home from my late afternoon / early evening Snowy Owl experience, I realize the same calm winds and mild temperatures would make for a great night on the Duluth waterfront! The Federal Clyde, sailing under the colors of the Marshall Islands, loads its latest cargo about 9 pm last night.