Tag Archives: MN North: Two Harbors Highlands

Castle Danger Birding

Year 5

Yesterday morning, I finally had the opportunity to head out birding for the first time in several days. Both a paid photography assignment and shutting down my cabin’s water system for the winter have been my priorities. (Note to self: Wading into the water in a lake  that flows north to Hudson’s Bay in late October is dumb, and very, very cold).

Thankfully for me, if not the birds, the winds blew out of the south yesterday warming the northern Minnesota boreal forest. I decided to head up to Castle Danger, and then a bit inland to the Silver Creek area. I knew that migration would be on hold as birds would not be interested in flying against the strong southern wind. This is the same area where I hand captured / rescued Silver the Snowy Owl last Fall on October 30th. Soon Snowy Owls will invade the Northland for another winter.

Regardless, Castle Danger did not disappoint. I found lots of birds taking advantage of ponds which still had insects. Here are some of my image captures.

Rusty Blackbird

Lapland Longspur

Rusty Blackbird and Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper and Dunlin

Dunlin

Lake Superior Shorebird Invasion

Year 5, ,

It’s that time of year … time for the twice annual Lake Superior shorebird invasion. During the spring and fall migrations these small birds make their way from the Arctic shoreline and the northern tundra south, many via Lake Superior. I had hoped I would see lots of shorebirds last week while working as a volunteer keeper at Crisp Point Lighthouse, but such was not the case. These birds are smart, and although they are present in large numbers at Whitefish Point (20 miles to the East), they understand it is smarter to work one’s way south via Lake Michigan rather than West Southwest via Crisp Point. I saw only a few Baird’s Sandpipers.

Arriving home in Duluth was the ticket. Birds are blown against the Lake Superior shoreline by North and Northwest winds. The shore birds then work their way southwest till they reach Duluth at the end of the lake. This morning after a good day’s blow from the north, my friends were very much in evidence … lots of lots of Sanderlings and even one SemiPalmated Plover. Two days ago it was the Lesser Yellowlegs turn which I spotted up at the Castle Danger treatment ponds. I love migration!

Sanderlings

Semipalmated Plover

Lesser Yellowlegs

 

Sunrise!

Year 5,

If you wait till the sun is already up to go birding you will miss out on lots of activity. During the 30 minutes prior to sunup this morning I saw many Great Gray Owls, and lots of Ruffed Grouse. When the golden orb finally appeared with an increase in wind, the owls went to bed. Thus, I drove down to Lake Superior and found this Bald Eagle enjoying the morning sun. Over the next ten minutes I slowly inched closer to the eagle such that I would not spook it. By 60 minutes after sunrise my birding was complete!