Northern MN Birding: 2016 One-Day Visit

An  adult male Pine Grosbeak

Between Christmas 2016 and New Years 2017 we had friends from Kansas City visit northern Minnesota in search of birds. Christine and I went over to Duluth from central Minnesota and spent the night with anticipation of searching the area with Kathy and Diane the next day.  Due to treacherous road conditions from an ice storm two days earlier we decided to search for Bohemian Waxwings together around Duluth. We spent the first couple of hours searching Duluth where they had been seen before but we were successful. We tried for an overwintering Golden-crowned Sparrow in Duluth as well, but again were unsuccessful. After trying a handful of locations in Duluth we decided to drive north to Two Harbors and chance the icy roads. Diane is an exceptional driver and we did experience any troubles along the way but did drive a bit slower.

We searched each and every road in Two Harbors. We started along the south edge of town at Agate Bay and drove back and forth, east to west, working our way through the town one street at a time from south to north. After an hour and a half Christine spotted a few Bohemian Waxwings. We saw them at quite a distance and shortly after we saw them they flew away. We continued our search and after another half an hour we found a small flock near the northern edge of town. These birds were more receptive. With overcast gray skies we did not get many pictures, but we sat in the car and watched the Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks feed together on the mountain ash.

A Bohemian Waxwing (left) with an immature/female Pine Grosbeak (right).

We decided to check Agate Bay before stopping to get a bite to eat. The parking lot and trails were glare ice and we were careful not to slip and fall. Kathy spotted a Red-necked Grebe out in the harbor, it was a species that neither of them had seen before. After searching over half the day for the Waxwings we were fortunate they could add a second life bird in 10 minutes. The wind off the water had given us all a chill so we ate a relaxing lunch at Culver's to warm up and determine our next course of action. We took scenic 61 along the lake back to Duluth and saw more Pine Grosbeaks and a Northern Shrike. With the remaining light we followed up on a previous report of a Townsend's Solitaire rather than heading to Canal Park.

On our first pass we did not find the bird, rather we found a flock of 150 to 200 Bohemian Waxwings. I guess we should have started the day out here instead. The Solitaire was found near the dog park and gave us wonderful views. It was the third lifer of the day for Kathy and Diane!

Townsend's Solitaires are a member of the thrush family, just like bluebirds!

While we did not find any of the northern specialties like a Boreal Chickadee, Black-Backed Woodpecker, or Spruce Grouse we were successful in the day. Perhaps the biggest success of the day was navigating the treacherous roads, as later that night on our way back to central Minnesota we drove 45 miles per hour on the thick snow/ice, snow pack, black ice, and uneven lanes. It was a wonderful day sharing conversation and searching for birds with friends. I enjoy watching others see birds for the first time and helping them fine them, but am even more thankful that Christine decided to lend her eyes and ears in our search. She is my favorite person to go out in the woods to search for birds, animals, and take pictures. I hope we are able to do it again soon even if our daughters lives have us starting to go in many different directions.

Summer Trip 2015 Birding Part 3

Here is the third and final blog reminiscing about birding during our 2015 Summer Trip and sharing a few additional photos. You can read the first two blogs on this topic here regarding birding on the Oregon Coast and letting BirdsEye determine where to stop while on the road.

In 2010 Christine and I stopped at Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge on a road-trip west and ever since I've had a strong preference to visit National Wildlife Refuges whenever possible. With that in mind, when we left Oregon the only plan was to stop in Rocky Mountain National Park for a few days. Having a flexible timeline regarding which days and how long we planned to stay afforded me the opportunity to chart any route. While looking at a map, yes we carried paper copies, the large green region of Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge seemingly begging me to stop as if I was a moth looking at light.

We slept in a bit and got a late start from Walden after driving late the previous night. Our first stop was the city reservoir in search of Clark's Grebe. This species is quite similar in size and appearance to Western Grebes. The Clark's Grebe is found further west than my normal travels, but with a bit of luck we found a Clark's Grebe that appeared to have two youngsters with a Western Grebe. It was the first LIFER #419 for me and the first of the day.

The Clark's Grebe is on the left while the Western Grebe is on the right. Notice the white around the eye and an orange bill. 

Our next stop was Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge. We got great looks at Greater Sage-Grouse, once again in the middle of the road. It was much more satisfying seeing the bird up close having only added it to my life list the day before at dusk from a distance. In addition we were finally able to see Brewer's Sparrows rather than rely on their call for identification.

  

Greater Sage Grouse female on the left and Brewer's Sparrow on the right.

Baby waterfowl are much cuter than other bird babies in my opinion.

While not rare, the American Wigeon with ducklings along the drive were wonderful to see. Similar to the Clark's Grebe this waterfowl species is a summer resident further west and north than my normal travels.

Overall we did not see many birds or much diversity, but perhaps that was due to the late morning hour. However as we turned a corner we caught a fleeting glimpse of two birds. They were Sage Thrashers and the the second LIFER of the day!

The Sage Thrasher is smaller than many other Thrashers and fortunately we saw a couple more later in the drive for photos.

With miles to drive and a goal of finding an open camping spot in Rocky Mountain yet that day I concluded the dedicated birding portion of the trip. My family had graced me the previous two days with birding and I was fortunate to see a few new birds. Perhaps it was luck, maybe even fate, or yet the outcome of divine intervention but, regardless of the reason, as we stopped to take a photo of the Rocky Mountain National Park sign a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird flew in and checked it out as well. We had the wrong lens and camera out, but alas it remains the single bird of that species that I've ever seen.

Finally, since this blog post is about birding here are a few other photos of species we saw while in Colorado that were not previously shared.

  

A fledgling Mountain Bluebird with Male from RMNP and Willet from Walden Reservoir.

  

Fledgling Townsend's Solitaire and Clark's Nutcracker from RMNP.

  

Dusky Flycatcher and Violet-green Swallow in RMNP. I did not get a photo of my lifer Cordilleran Flycatcher.