Throughout this past week (Sunday through Saturday), I showed-around a bird
photographer visiting from California, and we covered the northwoods of
northern Wisconsin and far northeastern Minnesota. He has never
experienced the upper Midwest before. We were treated to the stunning
scenic views of rushing rivers through the northwoods of NW Wisconsin, the
rustic and awe-ing habitat of Sax-Zim Bog, great views of raptors at Hawk
Ridge, an intense of rush of raptors (as a cold front moved through) at Two
Harbors up the north shore, gulls throughout the Twin Ports, and closer to
the end of the trip, we spent a night in Grand Marais, MN – checking out
the Gunflint Trail near Canada!
Before showing the lists of birds seen per day over the past week, I wanted
to share a neat photo I took this morning at Sax-Zim Bog. The Bald Eagle
had a little scratch on it's face. It's one of my favorite shots this fall,
and can be found in the link below:
http://www.pbase.com/image/139799076
I’ve typed up a little summary of day-by-day sightings that were seen while
out in the field. Over the past week, I’ve shot nearly 3,000 photos, and it
will take me a little while to check through them. I am very excited to
share the photos with you!
*Nov 13 (Sax-Zim Bog - MN)*
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Northern Shrike
Hairy Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Common Raven
American Crow
Northern Shrike
Black-billed Magpie
Blue Jay
Gray Jay
Snow Bunting
White-winged Crossbill
American Goldfinch
*Nov 14 (Wisconsin Point – WI, Hawk Ridge – MN, **Canal** **Park** – MN)*
Red-tailed Hawk (including one dark morph)
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Bonaparte’s Gull (32!!)
Thayer’s Gull (8 Juvenile, 1 Adult) – all seen from the shore of Gull Bluff
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Blue Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Rock Pigeon
Snow Bunting
Common Redpoll
*Nov 15 (Brule River – WI, **Ashland** – WI)*
Tundra Swan
Mallard
American Black Duck
Black Scoter (4 of them, from Maslowski Beach – Ashland, WI)
White-winged Scoter (2 of them, from Maslowski Beach – Ashland, WI)
Canada Goose
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk – 1 dark morph
Bald Eagle
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Hairy Woodpecker
Blue Jay
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Dark-eyed Junco
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
American Goldfinch
*Wolves were heard from the southern edge of the Brule River. We were
photographing Red Crossbills in the bog habitat and heard the wolves off in
the distance. It was amazing!
*Nov 16 (**Duluth** – MN, Two Harbors – MN, up to Grand Marais – MN)*
…we left Duluth around 7 this morning, and headed up the north shore to
Grand Marais for the night; stopping at many places along the way. Agate
Bay and the main lighthouse walkway were explored, and a big push of
raptors came through during our early morning walk along the lighthouse
walkway. In one hour from this location, I counted and photographed 21
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS (5 were dark), 8 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 12 BALD EAGLES and 2
GOLDEN EAGLES. The raptors were cutting over the water and flying nearly
overhead as we were on the cliff of Lake Superior! Early migrating Bald
Eagles and winter finches were seen heading south around/after sunrise, so
many birds were tallied below. The grand tallies of the birds observed that
day are below.
Tundra Swan 28
Herring Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Rough-legged Hawk 25
Red-tailed Hawk 11
Bald Eagle 24
Golden Eagle 2
Common Redpoll 330
Bohemian Waxwing 18
Pine Siskin 6
White-winged Crossbill 55
Purple Finch 13
Snow Bunting 52
*Nov 17 (Grand Marais – MN, Gunflint Trail – MN, back to **Duluth** - MN)*
Horned Grebe
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Mallard
Ruffed Grouse
Rough-legged Hawk
Bald Eagle
Black-backed Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Blue Jay
Gray Jay
Black-capped Chickadee
Bohemian Waxwing
Pine Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
Common Redpoll
*We heard a wolf briefly once along the Gunflint Trail, and one of the
biggest surprises was seeing FOUR foxes!
*Nov 18 (Wisconsin Point – WI, Indian Pt. Campground – MN, **Canal** **Park*
* – MN)*
Mallard
Canada Geese
Lesser Scaup
Northern Pintail
LONG-TAILED DUCK – 1 (WIsconsin Point, seen with the flock of fly-by scaup)
Glaucous Gull – 3 (1 adult, 2 immature)
Thayer’s Gull – 3 juvenile, plus one 3rd-cycle at Canal Park
Iceland Gull – 1 adult
Great Black-backed Gull – one 1st winter
Rock Pigeon
*Nov 19 (Sax-Zim Bog – MN)*
Great Gray Owl - heard at sunrise, but not seen
Pileated Woodpecker
Black-capped Chickadee
Gray Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Dark-eyed Junco
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Northern Shrike
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
American Tree Sparrow
Pine Grosbeak
American Goldfinch
Common Redpoll
*one Porcupine was seen too!
Good birding,
Erik Bruhnke
Duluth, MN
--
*NATURALLY AVIAN* - Guided Birdwatching Trips and Bird photography
www.pbase.com/birdfedr
www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com
birdfedr@gmail.com
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