12/28/2018
We really wanted to start out our Big Year..well, big. Peter and I kicked things off by spending the first few days of the Big Year in northern Minnesota. On December 28, we landed in Minneapolis late and met up with Peter's friend, Jay, Jay's wife, Maureen, and their sweet 9-month-old boy, Kieran. It had been a long day of traveling and we treated ourselves to some pub grub and a delicious IPA by Surly, a local brewery.
12/29/2018
The next morning, we got up early and headed north towards Duluth, about a 2 hour drive from Minneapolis. We started at Canal Park, where a continuing Tufted Duck had been seen just a few days prior. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the frigid wind whipped my face; growing up in South Florida did not prepare me for how cold it was going to be. We saw several Common Goldeneyes, Herring Gulls, and I got my lifer Common Mergansers, but no sign of the Tufted Duck. We warmed up in a coffee shop with hot chocolate and updated our lists.
Shortly after, we made our way to Sax-Zim Bog. This gorgeous and large protected area was covered in snow, making it look like a fairy tale come true. Driving in, we saw a flock of tiny birds flutter from the road and quickly stopped to investigate: Common Redpolls - another lifer for me! We continued driving, heading towards the visitors center, where I got my lifer Black-capped Chickadees (which were prolific in numbers for the duration of the trip, but still exciting at first), Canada Jays, and Pine Grosbeaks. The stunning plumage of Pine Grosbeaks is something the field guides can't even capture. I was also able to finally get a good look at Red-breasted Nuthatch, a bird I'd only heard, but never seen. After chatting with the naturalist, we set back out to walk a short boardwalk where I got my lifer Brown Creeper, a bird that had been eluding me. We continued by car in our drive-by-birding adventure.
Peter and I were scanning treetops intensely before he stopped the car and yelled "Snowy!", We got out to view what looked like a large snowball at the top of a dead tree. I didn't believe it at first, but we put the scope on and sure enough, both got our lifer Snowy Owl! We were absolutely ecstatic. Snowy Owls are one of those magical sightings that remind you why you bird. This Snowy was the first of two that day, which was incredible, and a great highlight to our day. We believe the second Snowy was one that hadn't been previously reported.
After driving and scanning for a while, we tried for Boreal Chickadees at one of the feeder stations and met a kind father and his enthusiastic son. The sun was setting quickly, and we wanted to try for the Northern Hawk Owl that had been seen off a trail. We all headed there, learning that we had missed the Boreal Chickadee by a few seconds. The walk along the Hawk Owl trail was absolutely frigid, and, unfortunately we didn't see the owl. Great Grey Owls were proving to be elusive too. . .
After sunset, we made our way back to Duluth. We ate at a delicious local pizza shop and shared some sweet, rich stouts at Canal Street Brewing Company.
12/30/2018
The following morning we woke up early to make our way to Gunflint Trail - a scenic byway that leads nearly to the Canadian border. As we began driving the byway, I couldn't help but notice how incredibly beautiful all the snowfall was, and wondered about how all the creatures living there must be feeling. It was rugged and raw out there; besides a few cabins and small resorts, it was true wilderness. We walked a Moose Observation Trail and saw multiple fresh tracks. A groomer told us the moose had been there only minutes before his machine scared them off. We were walking among giants. I am sure they were nestled behind the trees, watching us from a distance, unbeknownst to us. I thought about how graceful and secretive they were, despite their size, contrasting to how clumsy we were, loudly crunching snow in all our layers and gear.
After about 40 miles, we reached the end of the byway and turned around. We were feeling a little down about such a low species count, but nature responded accordingly. Within a few minutes, we had great views of a lone Black-backed Woodpecker - a lifer for us both! It made the entirety of the drive completely worth it! This was one of Peter's target birds that he'd tried for several times. We were both overjoyed! Right after seeing the Black-backed, we saw a flock of Common Redpolls and Pine Grosbeaks, which rounded out the byway travels.
We headed to the town of Grand Marais to eat lunch, and scoped out the harbor there only to find more Common Goldeneyes and Herring Gulls. We started back towards Duluth, stopping at Cascade Falls to get a glimpse of the beautiful frozen waterfall. We then stopped at Sugarloaf Cove to walk a short and beautiful trail alongside Lake Superior. We only saw a few common feeder birds there, but the walk was beautiful enough to make up for the lack of species.
The sun was setting quickly, and we wanted to try another area of Lake Superior for rarities. We made a last ditch effort at Black Sands Beach, but to no avail. We ended the day at Hoops Brewing in Duluth, where we enjoyed some local beers and board games while we updated our lists.
12/31/2018
We wanted to get the most we could out of Sax-Zim Bog, so we headed there again early Monday morning. Almost 6 inches of snow had fallen overnight, and driving was hazardous. I was shocked thinking about how residents here would deal with weather like this for months on end. After a rough start to the drive, we headed north. We began at the feeders where we had missed the Boreal Chickadee, and were able to get a great look within just a few minutes! We then scanned for Great Grey Owls, but with no luck. One birder said his wife was on the Hawk Owl trail looking right at the Northern Hawk Owl, so we immediately headed there and braved intensely cold and snowy weather to get a look at this beautiful and rare owl! We were thrilled - it's always exciting when you can get a lifer together. Our luck was looking up!
Another tip from a birder allowed us to view an adorable porcupine hanging out in a tall spruce. We drove towards a feeding station where Evening Grosbeaks were reliable and got amazing looks at two gorgeous males. Shortly after, we headed back toward Duluth. On our way back, we got some not-so-great looks at a Rough-legged Hawk, way in the distance.
We were on a time budget, so we scarfed down some Chipotle and checked Canal Park and Pier B for one last Tufted Duck effort. It was brutally cold, by far the coldest weather I've felt. The Tufted Duck evaded us again, only to be reported at the same location 45 minutes later. We felt a little defeated after receiving that news. It seemed as though the Tufted Duck did not want to be seen by us.
We booked it back to Minneapolis and straight to Fort Snelling State Park. With the day fading away, we birded quickly and I got my lifer Trumpeter and Mute Swans! We also got great views of an otter chowing down on fish and added a few more common birds to our Big Year list. After the sunset, we joined a candlelight walk hosted by the state park and enjoyed some hot chocolate and s'mores. On the way back to the car, the true children in us couldn't help but stop to slip and slide on the frozen lake with some of the residents. We closed out New Years by sipping IPAs at Lakes and Legends Brewery and eating tacos. We didn't quite make it to midnight to celebrate the New Year, but in our defense we did have to make a 6 AM flight the next day!
Our goal by the 1st had been 100 species. By the end of the trip, we were at 80. What the trip may have lacked in numbers, it made up in rarities we wouldn't have been able to get elsewhere during the year. Additionally, the beautiful views and experience of traveling to a new state and new habitat was a treat in itself! Traveling on the plane ride home, I couldn't help but feel so lucky and grateful to have a partner like Peter. He's gifted with planning and scoping out the best spots to maximize species. He is the most passionate person I've met, and I couldn't ask for a better adventure or birding partner. I can't wait to see how the rest of the Big Year unfolds.
Warmest wishes,
Heather
Hope you can get back north soon - I hear it is a finch eruption year that won't come again for 6 years. - Dana