This past week has been simply wonderful, with so many bird experiences up here in Duluth. I’m finally getting around to catching up, by posting a few fun happenings over the past week… While showing people around the bog this past Saturday and Sunday, we observed several new migrants up here in the Northwoods, as well as a large variety of the beautiful birds occurring up here.
Before going over the sightings from this past weekend, I am really excited to share with you the fun flights of birds that have been moving through the Duluth area over the past week. This upcoming spring is my first spring as a hawk counter, and it is such a fun time being in non-stop suspense, waiting to see whatever beautiful raptor will slowly linger off in the far horizon, just waiting to be found... or possibly witnessing a bird (catching you by surprise) and flying low overhead. My friends Laura Erickson, Frank Nicoletti, and Dave Carman are also counting raptors this spring! Several raptors have flown by at eye-level, literally no more than 50 feet away from the road (straight out above the drop off). I’m really looking forward to sharing the excitement of raptor migration with all of you, as well as sharing a few pictures to show you what the spring migration is like. What you witness during spring raptor migration is much different than the fall migration. In the spring time, not only do raptors take different migration routes as they meander over and around different land formations, but the raptors themselves look different this time of year. They are experiencing different molt cycles, and their colors throughout their feathers literally GLOW, especially on sunny days… The ice and snow reflect light upwards, which illuminates these gorgeous birds flying by. The most common raptors that have been observed this spring have been the beautiful Bald Eagles! The gorgeous, deeper-flapping Golden Eagles have been making regular but smaller-scale appearances, in addition to a few Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks (I like to call them arctic fluffballs), and Red-tailed Hawks. A Sharp-shinned Hawk and several Cooper’s Hawks have been observed as well! Feel free to stop on by, we'd love to see you up here, and share the stunning views of raptor migration with you. Below are some of my photos from counting raptors this past week. This first link will has more information regarding the Duluth spring hawkwatching site: www.hawkridge.org/research/springcount.html Peregrine Falcon: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323771 Golden Eagle: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323770 Rough-legged Hawk: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323772 Bald Eagle (adult, then immature): http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323769 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323766 Saturday’s all-day birdwatching/photography excursion at the bog provided us with great looks at some of the classic bog-birds, plus several new arrivals in the area for the new year. After witnessing a fun and bird-filled day on Saturday, we ended the trip at nightfall, where we listened for owls. In one location in the bog, we heard the intermittent and soft-toned call of the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, the faster and bubblier trill of the NORTHERN HAWKOWL, and a distant GREAT GRAY OWL calling with the brief booming notes in the call. Here is the list from Saturday… NORTHERN HARRIER (female) – first one I’ve seen this spring Rough-legged Hawk – 6 light morphs and one dark morph Bald Eagle AMERICAN KESTREL (female)– first one I’ve seen this spring Great Horned Owl Great Gray Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Hawk Owl Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Shrike Blue Jay Gray Jay Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (male) – First one I’ve seen this spring Common Redpoll Yesterday’s visit to the bog was a little on the drizzly-side, however we still had some great views of the beautiful birds in the bog. In addition to the birds seen from Saturday, we also had a pair of Ruffed Grouse and 6 Sharp-tailed Grouse on Sunday. We stayed until about 3pm, and did not stay long enough to await the vocalizations of the owls at night. Here is a video I digiscoped of a female Northern Hawk Owl doing the “begging call.” http://naturallyavian.blogspot.com/2011/03/female-northern-hawk-owl-giving-begging.html Here are some of my favorite photos from this past weekend. Northern Hawk Owl with a wild rodent in the bill. We saw this gorgeous female hawk owl dive down and catch the little rodent, then fly to a nearby perch and swallow it whole! http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323610 Northern Hawk Owl, with another wild rodent – at nightfall: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323607 Northern Harrier (female) patrolling the fields: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323616 Black-backed Woodpecker flying behind a Northern Hawk Owl: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323601 Northern Hawk Owl in flight, then perched on a branch: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323611 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323613 Northern Hawk Owl (female) digiscoped: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133323609 There will be a free MOU trip to the Sax-Zim Bog this upcoming Saturday, March 26th, from 11:00am until dark. We will meet at Canal Park, and carpool to the bog. Please let me know if you are interested in attending this free trip, as there are a few more openings still available! Thanks :-) Good birdwatching, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN -- www.pbase.com/birdfedr www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com [email protected] ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
