Tag Archives: MN North: Two Harbors Highlands

A Burst of Color! Wildflower Explosion

Year 12,

Enjoy a natural 4th of July explosion of color. The wildflowers are beautiful right now, and tend to be running late this year. Get into the countryside by 7 to 8 am while the light is not yet harsh. I left this morning at 6 am. Lupines are still very much blooming and daisies are only just coming into full blossom. A few Black-Eyed Susans are starting to flower, but the big displays of their color will be towards the end of July.

Remember, if you want to see a particular flower that normally might be past its best phase of blossom, just drive closer to Lake Superior. Every spring it is like a time machine in terms of plants. Lilacs are still in bloom next to the lake. Down south in Minnesota Lilacs blossomed back in mid May. One of my favorite wildflower drives is Lake County 2 leading from Two Harbors to Greenwood Lake.

Purple Power! (video link for email subscribers)

And a few still images taken with my phone. Notice the Hawk Weed vs. The Indian Paintbrush. Most people confuse Hawk Weed for Indian Paintbrush, which is a much more rare wildflower.

Showy Lady Slipper (Minnesota’s state flower)

Hawk Weed

Indian Paintbrush

Migration Madness!

Year 12, ,

The birds are migrating! The birds are migrating!

A few days ago I had a most excellent time in the rain at Forest Hill Cemetery. During migration damp and foggy conditions will often bring warblers down to the ground (rather than high up in the trees). Such was the case in the drizzle, but with calm winds. The warblers still congregated at the north end of the first pond at the cemetery. This area was the most protected, and for over a half hour I had Yellow-Rumped and Palm Warblers within just a few feet of me. It was fun.

A few birds from that fun time in the rain …

Palm Warblers

Brown Creeper

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Once the weather cleared over the past three days I have seen an amazing number of Broad-Winged Hawks. These smaller hawks set up on the side of the roads and hunt for both songbirds and small mammals. This morning it seemed like these raptors were wherever I looked on Lake County Two between Two Harbors and my Greenwood Feeders.

Broad-Winged Hawks a Hunting!

Finally I apologize for the falloff in terms of post frequency. Some of you know that I am re-battling Prostate Cancer. Tomorrow will be my 20th radiation treatment (out of 40 planned). Thankfully the prognosis is excellent, but the treatments and medication tires me out. Essentia Health was very cooperative in terms of scheduling my appointments in the early afternoon. They understand part of the treatment/healing process is to continue doing the things a person loves … for me birding. Thus, a typical days sees me head out for the boreal forest around 6:45 am, and get back late morning …  then on to my daily radiation treatment. Unfortunately I have experienced some radiation side effects which my medical team has helped me battle through. However, by later in the afternoon I tend to be tired and thus blogging frequency has suffered. Sorry.

Seasonal Transitions Birding: Canada Jay

Year 12

Winter is giving up its grip on the Northland … slowly. Off trail by my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders the snow is still deep, but the trails are rock hard for easy walking (melt during the day, freeze solid overnight). One of the very first songbirds to nest every season is the Canada Jay (Gray Jay, Whiskey Jack, Campground Robber). I found a pair of Canada Jays foraging next to Lake County 2 … three hours apart at the exact same location. While this might seen surprising given the location was miles from any bird feeder, these jays actually nest in February when the temperatures often reach minus 25F at night … or worse.

Thus, it is likely these two jays have a nest nearby! I will be checking the area over the next few week and month to see if the gray fluffballs appear. The weather was 50F this particular afternoon with sun, thus time off from incubating could be taken. Later that same day I took a hike out Park Point. The warm weather screamed to stay outdoors! The view is of the Superior Entry and Lighthouse into the harbor. The ice buildup happens every spring along the point as NE winds push ice ashore.