While I have tried via many, many hikes, I have not been able to find Les, Amy and their owlets this spring. However, I would like to introduce Stella and the twins, Vox and Pax! Obviously there is a Great Horned Owl Poppa (named Stan), but he is shy when I am around with my camera. I gave the twins names not normally associated with any given sex. While I am able to tell adult Great Horned Owls apart, I personally can not make this judgement with owlets.
I have watching this owl family for about a week, but have yet to have a “sunny photo opp session”. Images with the great yellow orb will come. For now, here is this year’s Great Horned Owl family (not yard birds, but not to far from my home)
The Twins (Pax and Vox)
Momma Great Horned Owl (Stella is always watching her owlets)
The swallows return to Capistrano, and White Pelicans return each spring during their northern migration to fish the spawn just above Duluth’s Chambers Grove Park (a fantastic viewing spot). Yesterday afternoon, when the rains abated and the sky became brighter (still cloudy), much of Duluth including me decided to make the trek to watch the event.
For the next 2+ weeks there will be HUGE numbers of White Pelicans roosting on the island reefs just offshore from the park. The birds will be close! Make certain you walk a bit upriver to points that let you view the other side of the island. There will be many more active pelicans than the pelicans near the park which tend to be resting (many birds have just completed a long flight). The pelicans on the other side of the island and upstream tend to spend more time fishing.
Here are some of my photos and videos with explanations from yesterday afternoon …
Not Welcome Here! (remember … this is courting season and birds get feisty. The White Pelican walking up onto the reef was encouraged to move elsewhere!)
Some landscape views of the island and reefs (there were easily 250+ pelicans at Chambers Grove)
Fishing (the pelicans fish like wolf packs … surrounding spawning fish … one pelican catches a fish then the entire “student body” arrives … videos included in this sequence)
Fishing Videos of the Spring Fish Spawning Run on the St. Louis River
Mother Nature will keep the Northland quite wet over the next few days. Thus, it seemed like a good time to “kick back” while I am housebound and publish some spring birding notes. Here goes, in no particular order:
Ponds and lakes in the Duluth area have experienced ice out, or at least have large areas of open water. This is a great time to photograph waterfowl as they move northwards using the latest open ponds.
Chambers Grove Park at Duluth’s Fond du Lac neighborhood finally has hundreds of white pelicans. Best days to visit are sunny, calm mornings. The pelicans really start moving around once the sun pops up over the trees around 8 am and warms them up. The fish spawn is running a bit late on the St. Louis River, which is why the pelicans like this spot.
Forest Hill Cemetery’s ponds and grounds are great for bird watching during migration. You are often able to get close to many duck species. The male common merganser was photographed at Forest Hill. Use your car as a blind. Do not get out of your vehicle. In addition, let the ducks swim to you. Don’t keep moving your car.
North of Duluth and inland of Two Harbors, roads which were not plowed all winter are mostly snow free. However, shady “east-west” roads are much wetter than “north-south” roads given the amount of sun that reaches the roadbed. Given the amount of rain received over the past week you will find local flooding. The picture of the Spruce Grouse running across the snow was taken two days ago (April 24th) next to Stoney River Forest Road
Mammals are moving around towards summer habitat, but trails are real wet and messy. Yesterday I was not able to reach my goals for where I wanted to hike because of flooded areas over the trail I was hiking. However, ticks are out. I pulled five ticks off myself after a different hike yesterday.
If you want to drive back roads right now during this period, I advise using a vehicle with all wheel or 4 wheel drive. Major dirt roads which are plowed all winter should be fine for two wheel drive cars.
