Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Migration Madness!

Year 12, ,

The birds are migrating! The birds are migrating!

A few days ago I had a most excellent time in the rain at Forest Hill Cemetery. During migration damp and foggy conditions will often bring warblers down to the ground (rather than high up in the trees). Such was the case in the drizzle, but with calm winds. The warblers still congregated at the north end of the first pond at the cemetery. This area was the most protected, and for over a half hour I had Yellow-Rumped and Palm Warblers within just a few feet of me. It was fun.

A few birds from that fun time in the rain …

Palm Warblers

Brown Creeper

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Once the weather cleared over the past three days I have seen an amazing number of Broad-Winged Hawks. These smaller hawks set up on the side of the roads and hunt for both songbirds and small mammals. This morning it seemed like these raptors were wherever I looked on Lake County Two between Two Harbors and my Greenwood Feeders.

Broad-Winged Hawks a Hunting!

Finally I apologize for the falloff in terms of post frequency. Some of you know that I am re-battling Prostate Cancer. Tomorrow will be my 20th radiation treatment (out of 40 planned). Thankfully the prognosis is excellent, but the treatments and medication tires me out. Essentia Health was very cooperative in terms of scheduling my appointments in the early afternoon. They understand part of the treatment/healing process is to continue doing the things a person loves … for me birding. Thus, a typical days sees me head out for the boreal forest around 6:45 am, and get back late morning …  then on to my daily radiation treatment. Unfortunately I have experienced some radiation side effects which my medical team has helped me battle through. However, by later in the afternoon I tend to be tired and thus blogging frequency has suffered. Sorry.

Iced Ducks

Year 12

The ice out line across Minnesota roughly stretches across the state at Duluth. Yesterday Hartley Pond was still iced over, but the Forest Hill Cemetery Ponds were ice free. Bigger lakes are still socked in with ice, and as you head north the thickness of lake ice is still significant. However, stay off the ice. Current and melt water can quickly erode local ice.

Two days ago when there was still some ice on the Forest Hill ponds, I enjoyed quality time with migrating ducks. Waterfowl in their attempts to be the first to be the first to claim prime breeding habitat will always find the most northern open water. Small ponds allows a person birding to get MUCH closer to duck species that normally would never let a human be within hundreds of years.

Iced Ducks!

Wood Ducks

Common Mergansers (males)

Hooded Merganser (male)

Hoodies and a Woodie!

Quick note: The White Pelicans returned to Chambers Grove over night. While a few pelicans have been present on the St. Louis River, they are now hanging out in large numbers on the rock reefs.

Snow Buntings Herald the start of Winter

Year 10,

Most folks think winter starts on December 21st. People who pay attention to the “meteorological calendar” might say December 1st, but individuals who live in northern Minnesota would be excused if they said about November 1st! Yesterday I was wearing shorts for a hike in the woods (47F and some sun), but today required a heavy jacket gloves and pants. Future weather forecasts have lows in the mid 20’s, and highs in the mid 30’s.

The blast of cold weather with strong NW winds, and even a sprinkling of snow on the ground brought snow buntings south with a vengeance. The number of these small birds hanging around is amazing … from flocks to well over 300 birds to just a few. By the time the snow buntings reach northern Minnesota from their summer homes in the Arctic, they have significantly less white plumage. Hopefully I will see some late this winter on their way back north. They are little white puffballs. When I see snow buntings I know that this season’s migration is over in terms of birds which “pass through”. The only remaining birds to now arrive are those Arctic birds which will winter on the Arctic Riviera (Duluth area)

Anyhow … some pics of buntings from the last two days

Some unexpected sunshine yesterday afternoon

This morning with snow on the ground.