Tag Archives: MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery

Feeding Time at the Cemetery!

Year 9

Now is the time to visit your local cemetery if it has a small pond. Belted Kingfishers (and other water birds) are busy feeding their young, and given these birds are used to humans … both above and below ground, good views are often provided. These two pictures of Mom are indicative that the young are back in the nest hole, and both parents are now required to feed growing chicks. In a week or two the youngsters will make their grand appearance and demonstrate lousy fishing technique! In Duluth, my “go to” spot if Forest Hill Cemetery.

On the home front each day brings another woodpecker lesson. There are three prime drumming trees in my yard, and this juvenile male Yellow-Belled Sapsucker was being taught the finer art of drumming (a parent was about six feet above the juvie)

And a short video of Mom Kingfisher (video link for email subscribers)

Frankly Scarlet, I Don’t Give a #!*#

Year 9,

As they say in life, it’s good to be skilled, but it’s better to be lucky!

I scored a Scarlet Tanager near Hartley Nature Center early this morning! It often let me stand only a few feet away. I took a couple hundred pics (have only processed a few)!! Believe it or not I was up by the exit to Woodland Avenue ready to take a right turn when I spotted the bird standing on the curb. I illegally parked and blocked the exit from the park for over ten minutes, but not a single car came by. It is good to bird early in the morning when the rest of the world is at rest. LOL

Hartley Park Exit Scarlet Tanager (video link for email subscribers)

I did next swing through Forest Hill Cemetery where a bug hatch by the second pond resulted in large numbers of warblers, including this Cape May Warbler.

A short update on the owls … all is fine. The youngest owlet took its first flight last night. Thus, the nest is now empty. As the owls are now flying around, visiting involves more effort, but I had fun watching the family at 6 am this morning. Post coming soon.

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.