We spent half the day Tuesday on our own & the tour started mid-day. Both Kent & I had weird dreams??? I realized this morning that my pant legs were an absolute mess from the muddy field the night before and made a note to wash them out. We went back to Aitkin in search of the Sharp-tailed grouse and I think we missed it by @15 minutes, oh well. Back to the Hotel to meet Alex for the start of the official tour @11:30.
Off to Duluth waterfront – actually the dump. Lots of Bald Eagles and 2 Red-winged Blackbird (rare here in February – 3 record in Duluth).
Duluth
Lots of Ducks & some Geese
Bald Eagles
Red-winged Blackbirds
Juvenile Bald Eagle
American Goldfinch
Rock Pigeon (I like to think of it as a Snowy Pigeon)
Eastern Cottontail
Red-tailed Hawk
Looks like nesting material but its too early for that -- some food in there somewhere
Sometimes you think you got the best photo you will ever get of a bird species and an hour later you realize you might be wrong… a great day for Northern Shrikes!
Northern Shrike #1
Northern Shrike #2
On to Superior, Wisconsin where we had 5 snowy Owls and more. A lovely first afternoon of the “official” tour and although it started out looking like a Bald Eagle day it ended up being a Snowy Owl day… Lots of laughs & great bird camaraderie.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl Scientific name is Bubo scandiacus, this Owl is Bubo plasticus (Joke credit: Alex Lamoreaux - um, maybe keep your day job)
Snowy Owl
Came in hot and landed on this pole -- no idea what that black thing is...
And a little video - look how its head moves!
Back at the hotel – I need stop by the desk & overheard that the water was likely being turned off. A watermain break nearby – Alex was planning on doing laundry – so he didn’t. I also could not wash out my pant legs…maybe tomorrow.
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