Tag Archives: MN North: Minnesota Point

Unexpected Pleasures: Auroras and Shorebirds

May 20, 2017Year 4MN North: Knife River, MN North: Minnesota Pointrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Two days ago I blogged about Gas Station Cuisine, and failed excursions. The forecast for Northern Lights was a G2 Storm Watch, and I also included a birding trip to a nest I had been monitoring. Everything was a failure. Lady Aurora did not dance, and my nest was empty.

Last night when I went to bed, the weather forecast was for clouds plus light rain … and obviously no Aurora Borealis. Waking up at 1:15 am I was surprised to see stars (i.e. clear skies) and numbers from NOAA indicating the Northern Lights might shine. By 1:30 am I was out the door, and by 2:00 am I was standing in the Knife River (water temperature 40F) with the “green glow” beginning to build. At 3:00 am I capture this image … “Dipping into the Green Glow”!

Returning home the expected clouds. wind and cold weather (39F) came by sunrise. Thus, birding looked bleak. By early afternoon the winds were blowing off the lake at 28 mph with light rain and sleet … in sort perfect birding weather!!! I drove down to the end of Park Point, and walked the sand dunes over to the Lake Superior shore. Waves were crashing ashore, but I also found hundreds of shorebirds migrating up to the Arctic. One wonders why these birds don’t just hang in northern Minnesota. It’s plenty cold enough! For 45 minutes I walked the beaches dancing away from the waves till the sleet became unbearable. Here are a few photographs from my horrible day of birding. I was particularly pleased with the flight shot … it was dark … horrible camera conditions.

The moral of the story … expect the unexpected. Two days ago I was set up for what I expected would be a great 24 hours in the Northwoods. It wasn’t. Starting with last night, I expected nothing and had some great experiences!

Ruddy Turnstones

Dunlin

Running the Gauntlet … Hudson Bay Bound

May 17, 2017Year 4MN North: Amity, MN North: Minnesota Point, MN North: Mouth of the Lester Riverrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The weather is ugly! The route to Hudson Bay through Duluth is even worse!

Yup, the rains have come over the past few days, and the recreation fields at the end of Park Point have been turned into mud flats. The shore birds on their way up to Hudson’s Bay and points north love the food opportunities on these new mud flats to reload, rest and feed. There is one big problem for the shorebirds and all the song birds migration through the Duluth area … Merlins!

Park Point Playing Fields
Marbled Godwit and Dunlins

Back on the Home Front … Amity Creek
Eastern Towhee, Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks, American Tree Sparrow, White-Throated Sparrow and Blue Jays

At one point this afternoon, I had 40+ Blue Jays in the yard!

One of Many Merlins Tracking the Migration … Songbirds Beware!

Snow Buntings!

November 2, 2016Year 3MN North: Minnesota Pointrichardhoeg@gmail.com

The snow buntings, the last large migration of birds from the Arctic region, are starting to work their way into the Duluth region. Yesterday, a bit north of town, I saw a flock of over 250 buntings. Thus, this afternoon I went down to Park Point which creates the Duluth Harbor and searched for a smaller flock. As these birds spook very easily, it is impossible to get near large flocks. Thankfully I found a small group of six birds, and so very carefully worked my way close to their afternoon feed. This small bird is almost pure white in the Summer while mating, and still quite pretty in its winter plumage. Learn more via Cornell.

Afternoon Feed!