Tag Archives: MN North: Lester Park

Golf Course Birding (plus owl of the day pic)

Year 9,

Golf Course ponds are great places to bird … assuming the courses are not yet open. In my case, Lester Park Golf Course located in the northeast edge of Duluth is permanently closed. Given not a single area lake has yet experienced ice out, and this course has one of the few ponds that has lost its ice, that small body of water is a bird magnate for migrating ducks.

By approaching the birds obliquely and thus taking a zig zag route to get close (not directly), I was able to get amazingly close to the waterfowl. I think the ducks knew there were very few other landing spots, and the 40 mph winds coming in off Lake Superior made them willing to put up with my presence. In fact, a friend in church on Sunday told me Saganaga Lake up at the end of the Gunflint Trail still has 40 inch thick ice!

Hooded Merganser

Buffleheads and Ring-Necked Ducks

Ring-Necked Ducks

Of course, I spend time every day watching Les, Amy and their Great Horned Owlets.

Preying on Migrants!

Year 7

Today is World Bird Migratory Bird Day! On the organization web site it states: “Birds Connect our World”.

Migration is a long and dangerous trip for birds. Just the sheer distances flown is physically demanding, and food (suitable habitat) is not always easily available. If that were not enough of a problem, predators lurk in wait. Here in northern Minnesota, Merlins (a kind of forest falcon) follow the migration songbird flocks … picking off breakfast, lunch and dinner on a daily basis. This morning I found two Merlins fighting over some choice property.

In addition to raptors, there are four legged predators which are quite capable of catching unwary birds. Foxes and Coyotes may often focus upon small rodents, but are very happy to ambush larger birds. “Tastes like Chicken!”

Here is Wile E. Coyote (seen while birding this morning)

Finally, sometimes one needs to break the rules of photography. I heard a small flock of geese approaching the pond next to which I was standing. Normally I do not photograph right into the sun, but in a microsecond I came to the conclusion the geese landing on the pond while backlit might be a cool composition.

Bluebird Breakfast

Year 7,

Perhaps I should have named this post … Bluebirds for Breakfast! After yesterday’s SD card disaster I walked over again to Lester Park Golf Course at sunrise. This course is just inland from Lake Superior, and given it was closed this year by the City of Duluth due to budget constraints, it has become a great wildlife / birding refuge. I know from others who walk the course in the late evening that Hoot enjoys a periodic hunt at the links!

I easily saw over 200 migrating Bluebirds this morning, mostly in flocks of 3 to 8 birds. This Merlin also saw lots of Bluebirds this morning, and benefited from the experience.

Winds were calm this morning, and the Bluebirds tended to stay much higher in the trees (yesterday’s strong winds forced the birds down towards the ground for easier flying).

Upon getting home from my morning jaunt with the Bluebirds, I found my first Fox Sparrow on the season under my own feeders. This is one of my favorite sparrows, and I am lucky if I see a few each fall migration. It is working its way south from the Canadian tundra.

In addition, the number of Slate-Colored Juncos hanging around my house is amazing. HUGE numbers.