Tag Archives: MN North: NorthStar Lake Region

Northstar Lake Eastern Kingbird Kids!

Year 6

It is amazing where birds choose to nest. Yesterday morning while out kayaking on Northstar Lake, I found a Eastern Kingbird nest. While that fact may not seem unusual, where I found the nest was truly unique. The Kingbird couple chose a old logging railroad trestle bridge support that is out in the middle of a lake channel. While I understand that the location is safe from land based predators, the nest really seems exposed to the elements. For instance … last Sunday morning we had a severe thunder storm hit our cabin with winds in excess of 60 mph and large hail which damage my car and roof. These kingbirds which are nesting only 400 yards from my cabin survived the storm. Uff dah and Wow! Feel free to comment on this post as to some of the crazy locations birds have nested in your yard.

It is a bit challenging to take photographs from a kayak when it is bobbing in the waves, but I pushed the exposure of to 1/1000th of a second and took many, many images. At times the nest was not even in my end photograph. As a fyi … Northstar Lake is the “southern most lake” in the Hudson Bay Watershed.

My thanks to everyone who has already voted for the book cover I should use for my soon to be published children’s book, Snowy Searches for Color. The polls are still open, but close tomorrow (link here). It was fun yesterday reading the advance copy to my own grandchildren.

Breakfast Arriving

Dad Kingbird Surveying the Scene

Northstar Lake Thunder Storm

Year 6

I took this photograph last night at 2 am just before a severe thunder storm hit our Northstar Lake cabin. Everyone is okay except for lost sleep. Could not capture a lightning bolt, but as the storm got closer I was not willing to be outside with my camera! The loudest thunder clap set every loon on the lake to wailing. Another big storm hit at 5 am.

The youngest grandchild slept through the entire event!

Lady Slippers, Lupines & Wile E. Coyote

Year 6,

It is gorgeous here in northern Minnesota, and as noted previously, it is time to get out in the countryside and enjoy the wild flowers. The lupine are now blooming even on the shores of Lake Superior. This morning while doing some “Grampa scouting” I watched this Coyote looking for breakfast. Yesterday’s rain meant the forest and fields are sopping wet, which one can tell by looking at the wolf’s fur!

Wile E. Coyote at Stoney Point

Sunrise yesterday morning found me cycling the Suomi Hills. The Showy Ladyslippers are coming into their own. Taking a bike ride will insert you into this explosion of color! If you want to see thousands of Lady Slippers, follow these directions:

  • Drive Mn #38 north from Grand Rapids
  • Drive west on Itasca Cty #48 and park at Suomi Lutheran Church. By parking at the hill you avoid the hills I included in my bike ride!  🙂
  • Bike 10 miles round trip from the church to a wetlands and back. At five miles out you will get to the wetlands are on both sides of the highway. You will see thousands of ladyslippers during the two miles leading up to the wetlands. There are lots of other wildflowers. Roses and Daisies are at their peak.

Showy Ladyslippers

The View of Lupines from my own Dining Room (the Grandkids and Greg G. love the rocking horse!)

Grampa Scouting Definition: A gent of 63 years old whose two oldest grandchildren will be visiting next week. Both kids have expressed a desire to go birding with Grampa. I know a successful birding excursion is somewhat short on the birding side, and ends with doughnuts. I was at Stoney Point looking for a merlin’s nest.