Tag Archives: MN North: North Shore of Lake Superior

North Shore Scenic Railroad Steam Engine (video)

Year 6

Molly and I have been holding Gramma and Grampa camp. Our two oldest grandchildren have been visiting, and like good grandparents we look for fun outings. Thankfully the North Shore Scenic Railroad held their first “steam engine weekend” of the season. In addition to taking the kids birding, they got to see the steam engine many times!

Steam Engine Crossing the Sucker River Trestle

Wildflower Steam Engine (lupines)

Chug Chug! Choo Choo! (video)

Finally a photograph from one of our birding excursions … the location is where we found the Merlin. Thank you for the kind comments about “being a good grandfather”. Via my children’s books I hope everyone’s special children are introduced to the outdoors. My third book, Snowy’s Search for Color, just went to the printer on Monday.

Split Rock Lighthouse Fly-By … From the Bird’s Perspective!

Year 6

Saturday was a magical morning. My good friends Ken and Marcia invited me up to their Northwoods cabin 50+ north of Duluth for a float plane ride. Ken, my pilot, actually got his first plane before had even had a pilot’s license! This gentleman knew he wanted to fly. Given this couple’s love of the outdoors, it was natural that they chose a float plane as this allows easy access to the wilderness of northern Minnesota and NW Ontario.

This post will take you along on our ride. Each video is quite short in duration, but provides a flavor of what is like to fly the skies of the Northland. Should you ever wish a similar experience, their are licensed float plane tour operations that take-off from Sky Harbor Airport out on Minnesota Point (a birding hot spot). Here are a few photos I took which will help set the scene, followed by the videos …

Pre-Flight Check. I was smart enough to stay out of the way!

Taxing for Take-Off

Split Rock Fly-By

Searching for Moose

Hand Cranking the Plane into its Hangar

Our basic route …

Northland Skies (the movies!)

Pre-Flight Check

Taxi and Pre-Flight Check

Take-Off

Split Rock Lighthouse Coastline

Split Rock Lighthouse Fly-By 1

Split Rock Lighthouse Fly-By 2

Lake Superior Coastline (Splitrock State Park)

Heading Inland

7 Beavers Lake and Surrounding Bog Land … Looking for Moose

Landing on Cadotte Lake

Post Flight Fast Taxi

Cranking the Bird into its Nest!

Thanks Ken and Marcia … A Magical Morning!!!

Pagami Creek Wildfire Area Birding

Year 5,

The operative words this morning were snow and ice in the Pagami Creek Forest Fire Area on Tomahawk Road! There were not much of each, but definitely both were around. Backwaters, ponds and small lakes are almost frozen over. A light dusting of snow covered the ground, which may have melted by this afternoon (28F at 7:45 am).

I only saw one Spruce Grouse. In talking with the game warden I met up with near Isabella River, he mentioned that he had seen one grouse, but also two Lynx kittens! Snow buntings were definitely around, but only in small flocks of 5 to 10 birds. I did not see any other winter finches.

The Tamarack are at their golden peak. It was a great day to be out and about in the wilderness. Hopefully the winter snows will not sock in Tomahawk Road right after deer hunting concludes. I love this wilderness region, and hope to make one more trip this year in early December.

Red-Tailed Hawk Hunting an Isabella River Backwater

Snow Buntings

Oh yes … here are a few photos from yesterday … Two Harbors and along the shore.

Ore Boat Arriving Before Dawn at Two Harbors

Sunrise Snow Geese in Two Harbors

Amity Purple Finches

Black-Bellied Plover near Lakewood