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Minnesota's Northwoods

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Minnesota's Northwoods MINNESOTA’S NORTHWOODS A SPECIAL DEPARTURE FOR THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY GOLDEN-WING SOCIETY MAY 31–JUNE 5, 2019 Great Gray Owl © Erik Bruhnke HOSTED BY: MELISSA WALKER, CORNELL LAB LEADERS: ERIK BRUHNKE, VENT & GUSTAVE AXELSON, CORNELL LAB LIST COMPILED BY: ERIK BRUHNKE VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM Every year VENT offers special departures with the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Golden-wing Society. This summer, a birding adventure between the two organizations took place in Minnesota’s Northwoods. Every day we were treated to a rich array of bird life among vast forests, lush prairies, and expansive shorelines. The tour started off with a tasty dinner in downtown Duluth on our first evening together. While walking to the vans after our meal, we were treated to an incredible display of the locally-nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons calling overhead as the lead falcon carried a pigeon, dropping feathers throughout the air like delicately falling snow. The whole spectacle went on for no less than five minutes! I think we all went to bed dreaming of those Peregrine Falcons and with anticipation of the exciting birds to come. On the first morning of the tour we headed to the renowned Sax-Zim Bog. An early morning scope-filling view of a Sedge Wren left us in awe. The sun had just come up over the fog, the air was cool, and this dapper bird filled the air with all its beautiful might. Not far from us were singing Chestnut-sided Warblers and Alder Flycatchers among the alder thickets. Several Wilson’s Snipes winnowed overhead as they displayed their rush of ethereal A Home -Sweet-Home Of The Sedge Wren And Many Other Birds! © Erik Bruhnke wavelengths for their mates. The morning continued with many highlights. After the morning of birding we visited the Wilbert Café for lunch, where we fueled our afternoon with homemade pastries, pies, and more. The afternoon was spent back in Sax-Zim Bog. One of the pleasures of Sax-Zim Bog is that its habitat and birds are exceptionally diverse. It truly takes several days to attempt to savor the nooks and crannies of this 300-square-mile birding hotspot. Throughout the afternoon we enjoyed a plethora of habitats that offered us amazing views of many birds from Bobolinks to Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, and from Lincoln’s Sparrows to Golden-winged Warblers. We also had glimpses of Black-billed Magpies, the easternmost year-round Black-billed Canada Jay © Erik Bruhnke Magpies on the continent! A family of Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Minnesota’s Northwoods, Golden-wing Society, 2019 again-renamed Canada Jays brought big smiles to our faces! Our next day would have us trekking well north of Duluth into the beautiful Superior National Forest. While on the way up into the forest, we checked out a gorgeous patch of old growth black spruce trees. From the roadside this habitat looked really good for a variety of specialties. Upon closer inspection we couldn’t have begun to prepare ourselves for the thrill in store…moments after checking the tree tops, several male Cape May Warblers came into view, all singing away! Their bright yellow plumage complemented their orange cheeks perfectly. Simultaneously there were several sharp-plumaged Tennessee Warblers that made themselves known around the spruce branches, each one exhibiting its own insect feeding frenzy. Far northeastern Minnesota is one of the few (and very limited) regions of the Lower 48 where this species breeds outside of its more widespread range of Canada and Alaska. A Blue-headed Vireo sang along the outer perimeter of the woods, only to be followed by Yellow-rumped Warblers and Blackburnian Warblers. The show wasn’t done there yet…halfway up the spruces was a family of Boreal Chickadees, one of the uncommon and special treats of the deep spruce forests! What a show! Before lunch we checked out several lengthy stretches of dense spruce trees and came across a point-blank Spruce Grouse watching us—another spruce specialty (and sneaky bird) for the morning! The rest of the morning was a scenic drive through the heart of the Superior National Forest. Magnolia Warblers and American Redstarts flitted throughout the balsam fir branches, and Northern Parulas patrolled the upper limits of the pines for their daily insects. After a homestyle lunch we birded our way Spruce Grouse © Erik Bruhnke down the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior. Sky-blue waters graced the horizon to our left as ancient stands of paper birch and mixed spruces thrived to our right. The sights were amazing, and we made sure to take a few moments to view Split Rock Lighthouse. This historic lighthouse’s base is located atop a 130-foot cliff above Lake Superior. The day came to a special end as we dined atop the J.J. Astor, a fine dining establishment that provides a gently-rotating view over the beautiful harbor of Duluth. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Minnesota’s Northwoods, Golden-wing Society, 2019 The next morning was the start of another picture-perfect day…the immaculate weather continued, and our first glimpses of the day were dazzling, with lines of Canada Geese roaming along the horizons and right over our heads. Throughout the morning we had further views of birds like Mourning Warblers throughout the bushy thickets and Clay-colored Sparrows among the meadows. A very close view of a perched Broad-winged Hawk was enjoyed by the entire group too! An afternoon was soon to be spent atop Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory. Duluth is readily known for its intact greenspace and welcoming atmosphere to outdoor enthusiasts, including birders. One of the less- known treasures of Duluth is its hawkwatching scene. Every fall, Male Indigo Bunting © Erik Bruhnke immense waves of raptors and songbirds alike fly down the North Shore of Lake Superior and funnel past the big bluff on the edge of town where Hawk Ridge is located. The fall Northern Goshawk numbers are legendary, as are the tens of thousands of Broad-winged Hawks that fly past. It was great to experience this spot, even when seeing “just” the summertime breeding birds. A dapper male Indigo Bunting sang at eye level for us, feet beyond the drop-off. With the Lake Superior backdrop miles away and the bird just beyond arm’s reach, this bird shone as if it were out of a dream! Our fourth and final day of birding started off on a high note as we explored the tamarack forests of Sax-Zim Bog one more time. After several days of searching, the group was able to enjoy a Great Gray Owl…and it was a solid twenty-minute scope view of a hunting Great Gray Owl! This gentle giant worked the wooded edges; its gray-mottled plumage contrasted against the recently- emerged, lime-green tamarack trees. An afternoon visit to the Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center invited all of us to explore the conservation efforts and amazing outreach of the nonprofit Friends of Sax-Zim Bog group. A Connecticut Warbler chanted its teepa-teepa-teepa song deep in the forest as our Sax-Zim Bog visit came to a close. Great Gray Owl © Erik Bruhnke Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Minnesota’s Northwoods, Golden-wing Society, 2019 We ended our last afternoon by birding along Park Point, the world’s longest sandbar located in the central part of Duluth. Common Terns nest in the immediate area, and we had great studies of this species bounding back and forth over the distant waters. Before the day came to a close, we spotted a lone Black-bellied Plover and saw an uncommon Franklin’s Gull. A closing dinner of delectable and locally-sourced dishes wrapped up this boreal adventure. Cheers to the amazing world of boreal-nesting birds among this beautiful ecosystem. Walleye Served Over A Bed Of Wild Rice © Erik Bruhnke KEY: SZB – Sax-Zim Bog SNF – Superior National Forest HR – Hawk Ridge PP – Park Point D – Downtown Duluth BIRDS: COMMON NAME SCIENTIFIC NAME Waterfowl Anatidae Canada Goose Branta canadensis SZB, HR Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator SZB Wood Duck Aix sponsa SZB Mallard Anas platyrhynchos SZB, SNF, PP American Black Duck Anas rubripes SNF Green -winged Teal Anas crecca HR Pheasants, Grouse and Allies Phasianidae Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus SZB, SNF Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis SNF Wild Turkey Meleagris gallopavo SZB Pigeons and Doves Columbidae Rock Pigeon (I) Columba livia D, SZB, HR Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura HR, SZB Swifts Apodidae Chimney Swift Chaetura pelagica D, PP Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Minnesota’s Northwoods, Golden-wing Society, 2019 Hummingbirds Trochilidae Ruby -throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris SZB, PP Cranes Gruidae Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis SZB Plovers and Lapwings Charadriidae Killdeer Charadrius vociferus SZB, PP Sandpipers and Allies Scolopacidae Black -bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola PP Wilson's Snipe Gallinago delicata SZB Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Laridae Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan PP Ring -billed Gull Larus delawarensis SZB, D, PP Herring Gull Larus argentatus D, PP Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia PP Common Tern Sterna hirundo PP Loons Gaviidae Common Loon Gavia immer SZB, PP Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae Double -crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus D, PP Herons, Egrets and Bitterns Ardeidae Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias SZB, PP Green Heron Butorides virescens SZB New World Vultures Cathartidae Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura SZB, SNF, D Osprey Pandionidae Osprey Pandion haliaetus SNF Hawks, Eagles and Kites Accipitridae Northern Harrier Circus hudsonius SZB Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus SZB, SNF Broad -winged
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