Tag Archives: MN North: Minnesota Point

Red Fox at Dawn

With the bird migration now in full swing, I decided to drive down to the end of Minnesota Point at sunrise this morning. Raptors were very much in evidence. There is a 1,000 yard long gauntlet from the Park Point Recreation Area to where pines trees start anew further down the point. Predators are very aware of this fact and wait to ambush non wary birds.

In addition to the hawks and eagles that lay in wait, I found “red” trying to catch some breakfast. Not only was it cool to watch the Red Fox, it was made more special knowing that Susan Larson Kidd’s and my latest children’s book would arrive imminently from the publisher. Yup, Susan has written another beginning readers book, and I have provided the photographs. This now makes five children’s books I have either written / photographed myself, or collaborated with Susan.

Here is this morning’s fox:

And some screenshots from the new book (available real soon): Ruby Hears a Knock!

Cover

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3


Oh yes, I did mention more than red was hunting this morning. A couple of Merlins were sitting in a dead three halfway along the gauntlet. Songbirds pass at your peril. Unfortunately this route is the only way south along the point. (fyi … Merlins are actually a kind of falcon … thus not a hawk)

Migration Surprises

Don’t like the weather in northeast Minnesota, just wait a few hours and Lake Superior will throw something different at you. In the past three days we have had 1. cold (38F at sunrise), wet foggy conditions 2. hot warm (85F) and sunny with 25 mph winds out of the southwest 3. finally this morning a strong NW wind and temperatures at 46F. All this weather actually makes for neat bird migration activity if you understand the weather’s implications. The fog and NE winds yielded a warbler fallout. The strong winds out of the SW pushed migrants against Lake Superior as the birds tried to ride the wind north.

Yesterday I had fun viewing two bird species which normally do not grace our area, even during migration … an Orchard Oriole and an American Avocet. Here are a few of my pics:

American Avocet

Orchard Oriole (immature male)

Arctic Migration in Progress

While most people would consider Duluth on Lake Superior the frigid Northland, the birds would disagree with this opinion. Right now Arctic birds are migrating through the area on their way up to the tundra. Ice way up north should be melting soon. While I have yet to spy a Red-Throated Loon which is one of my favorites, this morning on the beaches of Minnesota Point I found three different kinds of shorebirds. These birds are fearless, and if one sits down on the sand they will walk within 4 to 5 feet of your location (which they did!).

Ruddy Turnstones and Sanderlings

Ruddy Turnstones

Dunlins

Here is a short video of bathtime! (video link for email subscribers)

The other good news to me is after two days of searching, I refound my Great Horned Owl family. This is the third location they have used including the nest in my local forest. Today I got some nice images of both Mom and Dad. Notice that Mom is much bigger / sleeker than Dad, while he has a “pot belly”!

Mom (with a crow right behind her)

Dad

One of the Owlets