Tag Archives: MN North: Mouth of the Lester River

Another Merganser Morning!

Year 13

For the past two weeks we had an amazing number of non stop house guests, including at various times all of my eight grandchildren. As the family tended not to get up till later in the morning, the nearby Lester River Ravine was a great birding getaway for me. It only took five minutes to reach the ravine, and I could spend quality birding time but still be home by 8:00 to 8:30 am. which was prime breakfast time. Before the Common Merganser Ducklings escaped to the big lake (Lake Superior), it was fun to watch them near the mouth of the river. These images are from ten days ago, and the youngsters were my primary focus. If I moved slowly and stayed low, Momma Merganser was willing to put up with my presence.

Common Merganser Ducklings (movie at end of images)

The Movie! (video link for email subscribers)

The same morning I was watching the mergansers, I found both a Red-Necked Grebe (somewhat rare for NE Minnesota) and an American Coot.

10 Common Merganser Ducklings! (video)

Year 13,

One way I use my own blog / website is I look back over past time periods to remind myself what might be happening in the Northland birding world at a given time of year. Thus, yesterday evening I used the “Archives / Timeline” feature of this website and reviewed “Junes” from past years. With that knowledge in tow I was reminded that it was time to check out the Lester River Ravine for Common Merganser ducklings, and this morning I was NOT disappointed!

Given the waves out on the big lake, and the fact the Common Merganser chicks were only a few days old, Momma Merganser was very unlikely to take her brood out of Gitchi Goomi. Thus, I spent over an hour with the merganser family this morning in the small confines of the river. The ducks spent their time between the mouth of the river and the first small rapids. I only left when it was nap time (for the birds, not me).

Lester River Common Merganser Family (10 ducklings)

Make certain you see the video at the end of the post!

Mergansers … the Movie! (watch one youngster climb up onto Mom’s back, and then get pushed off by Mom’s wing. No freeloaders!)

(video link for blog email subscribers)

Surf City USA on Lake Superior

Year 10

How many of you knew there are a dedicated cadre of folks who surf on Lake Superior?! This image was taken about lunch time today off the mouth of the Lester River in Duluth (1/2 mile from my house) … 35 mph winds, drizzle and 48F (snow tomorrow). Till ice up, there are folks who are notified whenever the Lake Superior surf is up and travel hundreds of miles for “inland surfing”!