Tag Archives: WI North: Superior Entry

Windblown!

Year 3,

For the 3rd day in a row, high winds blasted the Duluth end of Lake Superior. For a change, however, we got some sun! Winds of 25 to 40 mph make birding difficult. Thus I returned the to the Superior, Wisconsin entry to the harbor.  In the second of the two photographs, the Baie St. Paul, out in the windblow lake, awaits her turn at the Superior Ore Docks.

When I got home, I was pleased to find a white-throated sparrow in my own yard. I think this bird was posing for a field guide … showing off its defining features!

Superior Entry Lighthouse
Superior-Entry-Lighthouse-Waves-Day2-09 Superior-Entry-Lighthouse-Waves-Ship-3

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White-Throated Sparrow
Y3-M04-Amity-Creek-White-Throated-Sparrow-3 Y3-M04-Amity-Creek-White-Throated-Sparrow-2

Huge Waves on Lake Superior (videos)

Year 3,

Lake Superior was angry this morning. Given the HUGE winds out of the northeast, and the intermittent pouring rain I made the logical decision it did not make sense to go birding! 🙂

However, it did make sense to go wave chasing. My first stop was the Superior Entry Lighthouse over in Wisconsin on the South Shore of Lake Superior. Gitchee Goomie did not disappoint, and if Hiawatha had been our on the lake this morning, the song would have been sorrowful!

My second stop of the morning was Stoney Point on the North Shore of Lake Superior. This spot is about 20 miles up the lake from the Duluth’s Canal Park, and is the site of ancient volcanic lava flows. Better yet, deep water is just off shore, which means when the waves get near shore the topography of the lake bottom makes for an excellent display (i.e. waves fall apart fast). Stoney Point is a favorite spot for Great Lakes surfing for that very reason.

Stop #1: Superior, Wisconsin Entry Lighthouse on Lake Superior
Superior-Entry-Lighthouse-Waves-0s Superior-Entry-Lighthouse-Waves-4s

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Stop #2: Stoney Point on the North Shore of Lake Superior
Stoney-Point-Waves-HUGE-1 Stoney-Point-Waves-HUGE-3cs

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Sea Smoke!

Year 3

My home town (Duluth, Minnesota) is sometimes referred to as being located on the Arctic Riviera. Duluth is situated on the western end of Lake Superior and winter temps in northern Minnesota sometimes plunge to night time lows of -30F or colder (-34.5C). From a birding vantage point, local birders may see unusual birds from “way up north” which actually consider our winter climate “warm” (see recent Ivory Gull post).

Yesterday morning, rather than Canal Park, I spent time at the other entrance to our harbor over in Superior, Wisconsin. The conditions were bitterly cold, and birds were not present. However, continuing my prior post’s theme of “why I bird” even when unsuccessful … I offer in evidence, Sea Smoke! The beauty of the morning was cold and stark.

Folks from down south may read up on the topic of Sea Smoke via Wikipedia. People from up north should understand the term!Arctic-Riviera-Lighthouse-1