The Chardonnays of Summer! This is an annual event at my house was yesterday evening. I love to photograph hummingbirds visiting my garden’s bee balm. The hummers, and Chardonnay, are not letting me down! Both the hummers and I get to drink our favorite libation. Take a close look at the images. I have tried to show off how hummers interact with flowers … from flying backwards, flying in place, and somehow knowing when they can grip a leaf for a quick perch / rest while feeding. Finally scroll down to the final two images … and enjoy my fun!
Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds in my Yard
However, should you not have a perennial garden, now is the time to visit a local wildflower garden. Here in Duluth you should visit Hartley Nature Center’s garden (right next to the nature center building). The milkweed is at prime blossom right now, and more than monarchs love milkweed’s nectar.
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!
The leading edge of the “bug snatching birds” is here! Our leaves next to Lake Superior are finally leafing out, and with it … bugs! I have some favorite spots in the early season for bug snatchers … warblers and grassland birds. All the photos is this post were taken over the past few days.
For warblers, I love Hartley Creek which is only a few feet away from the Hartley Nature Center parking area. No matter where you live, consider these key aspects of this warbler hotspot … protected from with wind with running water, but not to strong a current. After cold nights, by mid morning there will often be a bug hatch. The insects remain in the creek bed area, out of the wind. Migrating warblers figure this out, and they are hungry!
Yellow Warbler
American Redstart
Black & White Warbler
Pileated Woodpecker (a year round resident, but still eating Hartley bugs!)
My other spot, primary for grassland birds is NW Wisconsin near Lake Superior (check my Mn. Birding Locations page … although Wisconsin … learn about the meadows and wetlands). Unlike in NE Minnesota where southerly winds come across Lake Superior (and get cold), these same winds still bring their warmth up from southern regions. The end result is NW Wisconsin “turns on” from a birding vantage point before NE Minnesota because the warmth equates to earlier bug hatches.
Killdeer
Solitary Sandpiper (using a very small farm pond … find the water)
