Tag Archives: MN North: NorthStar Lake Region

Love Birds … 30 Superior Nights

Year 2, ,

The mind was willing, but not the body. My goal was to take at least one photo every night in the Lake Superior watershed during the month of September … thus the name, 30 Superior Nights. However, too many nights without enough sleep resulted in me catching the flu. I finally realized the only way to get better (been sick for one week at this point) was to get more sleep. Thus, I ended my string at 22 nights with yesterday morning’s pre-sunrise pic down at Canal Park. For the purposes of this project, I defined night at after the sun disappeared below the horizon, and before the sun reappeared the next morning.

View all 22 images in the Superior Night Series.

Love Birds … My son and his fiancee … my first engagement photoshoot!
30-Superior-Nights-19-Engagement-Reflections

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Suomi Lutheran Aurora Borealis
30-Superior-Nights-06-Suomi-Lutheran-Aurora-Borealis

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The last sunrise! (yesterday morning)
30-Superior-Nights-22-Sunrise-Ship-Duluth-Pier-Lighthouse

Fledged in Northern Minnesota (yr 2, mth 7)

Year 2,

I hear many folks talk about how July is a horrible month for birding opportunities. Not true. While the unexpected jackpot finds during the spring and fall migrations are not possible, and the leaves block the view of birds you hear but can not see … July is a great month for birding. Think young! In other words, find the nests and the fledglings and you will be treated to neat views. Young birds have often not learned to be scared of us humans, and their parents are often so busy feeding their offspring who are almost their own size, that the adult birds sometimes lose a bit of their wariness.

The images below were taken over the course of the past week of fledglings. In short, get out there and enjoy the July heat!

Eastern Phoebe Family
Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-5-Pine-Branches-Frame Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-4 Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-3 Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-6-Tag-Your-It Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-7-Tag-Your-It Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-1 Y2-M07-Eastern-Phoebe-2

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Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker Kid
Y2-M07-Yellow-Bellied-Sapsucker-Juvenile-01

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Rescued Crow on an Early Morning Kayak
Y2-M07-Crow-Rescue-01 Y2-M07-Crow-Rescue-02c Y2-M07-Crow-Rescue-03-Horizon

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Belted Kingfisher
Y2-M07-Kingfisher-05-Preen-Mouthing-Off-B

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Common Yellowthroat
Y2-M07-Common-Yellow-Throat-Female-Ambush Y2-M07-Common-Yellow-Throat-Female-Flowers

Summer Birds (Year 2, Month 7)

Year 2,

The days are now hot, and the bugs are out. Birding opportunities often slow down as folks wait for the early Fall migrants to start appearing in northern Minnesota. One fights heat, humidity and monster flies out on the Northland trails. Yesterday afternoon was just such a day … arriving at the Western Waterfront Trail in Duluth on a muggy hot summer afternoon I hiked for five miles w/o ever meeting another person … in the middle of a city with a population of 86,000. Folks, get out there! When the cold of January reappears everyone will miss the lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer!

Brown Thrasher Immediately After a Dust Bath
Y2-M07-Brown-Thrasher

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Catching Flies … An Admirable Job (Least Flycatcher)
Y2-M07-Least-Flycatcher-2