The fall bird migration is definitely underway. Hawk Ridge naturalists are counting hawks (and the birdsong listening device is ID’ing birds). Migration is difficult for all birds, but songbirds have the additional issue that raptors are trying to catch and eat them. From the last two days …
Merlin at Stony Point
Broad-Winged Hawk at Greenwood Creek
The Movie! (video link for blog email subscribers)
This morning, the 1st of March, dawned bright, clear and cold. My first stop was the boreal forest near my house where my local Great Horned Owls, Les and Amy, were hooting their love back and forth, but then it was on to take in the pre-dawn light out over Lake Superior … or Ice Planet Zelda!
Before continuing I want to call out one of my favorite birding bloggers, Brian Scott and Scozmo’s Photery. Through Brian and his walks in rural Scotland I have learned many new English words, including my new favorite … “dreich” (pronounced dreek). Apparently the weather recently in Brian’s part of the world has been damp, dark and dreary … in short dreich!
Well, northeastern Minnesota has been the exact opposite, sunny but darn cold. As I headed out an 80 minutes before sunrise the temperature was -7F (-22C). Apparently I need the Scottish word for ridiculously cold.
Anyhow … without further adieu … Sunrise Over Ice Planet Zelda!
20 Minutes Before Sunrise … I am out on Lake Superior’s ice, but not the new ice.
The moment of sunrise
About 10 minutes after sunup … looking along the shore at Stoney Point. Calm today, but the pine shows the evidence of last week’s blizzard and crazy waves.
While driving home from my morning’s bird outing at the Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders (-16F with 2 feet of new snow), I stopped by Stoney Point on Lake Superior which is 12 miles from my house. This location is often great for birding during both the northern and southern bird migrations. While I did not see any cool birds, some locals were surfing. Uff Dah! The surfers had to dodge ice flows.
The images are all taken from the same vantage point, with different camera lenses including varying degrees of zoom. Last week’s blizzard with its 60+ mph winds have totally ice crusted the trees near the shore.
