The Duluth Delta: a Birding Trip to MN

Sunday: February 11th Well it was our last full day in Minnesota, and I felt that we had spent the perfect amount of time on this trip. Today we would try for a few more targets and then make our way back to St. Paul, mostly through Wisconsin. So we checked out of our hotel and began the day's route. It would be similar to yesterday's in that we'd be birding up 61, but we wanted to make a few different stops. Our first stop was the mouth of the Lester River, where a big group of Mallards had been seen lately. We needed Mallard on the trip, but no birds were present at this small pool of unfrozen water. We did enjoy seeing an adult Bald Eagle show off its prowess in the soft morning light. Bald Eagle We hopped back into the car to head up the highway. Waves of Red-breasted Mergansers flew down the coast as we stopped to scan. We passed the Boreal Owl spot, but there wasn't anything quite as impressive to stop for. As we continued to cruise up the road, I saw

Saturday: February 10th As fun and exciting as birding trips are, they are hard! Combining weeks of planning, expectation, money expended, and research with travel, sleep deprivation, and constant contact with others (no matter how much you like them) can cause friction. But it's all part of the trip. And it makes it memorable. That's how I remember day 3 of our trip. After our previous full day at the Bog, we were not in such a hurry to get started. Our researching lead us away from another visit to Sax-Zim and towards Two Harbors and even further to Lake County (though not to Grand Marais as we originally planned). We started the day leisurely, heading towards Highway 61, the mecca of Boreal Owl irruption reports, and stopping for breakfast at Uncle Loui's Cafe. They meant it when they said they open at 7. We and others arrived early to sit and wait in the dark. The lights turned on at 7 am sharp, and Phil Collins-the voice of the 80's- began to fill the room. We

Friday: February 9th So we were a bit disappointed about our start, but that's how birding goes. We focused our thoughts to the possibilities of Day 2 at the famed Sax-Zim Bog. We awoke early enough to carry out our twenty minute dressing routine and head to the Bog to arrive before sunrise. Our first plan was to head down McDavitt Road, a spot that had appeared frequently in the posts from the area. Birding in Minnesota is very different from Georgia birding, and I don't think I was prepared for just how different it would be. With the sun breaching the horizon, we discussed potential game plans. Should we drive or walk? Well I'm big on walking; it allows the use of all the senses. I wasn't dissuaded by the -29 degree temperature reading on the dash. But it quickly became apparent that splitting up and covering distance on foot was not the best idea. As I walked down the road, I saw one Pileated flyover, but the most striking thing was the silence. Ice formed in my n

Who are we? Jim Hanna : https://ebird.org/profile/MTU4MzE0/US Chris Skelton: https://ebird.org/profile/MjI0MjQ5/world John Patten Moss: https://ebird.org/profile/MzM3Nzc3/US-GA

What a trip this was: five days in the subarctic frigidness of the Minnesota Taiga. Only a serious birder could hatch a plan like this, especially one from the South. But back in the fall of 2017, my uncle Chris Skelton was already scheming about a birding trip to Minnesota in midwinter. I expressed interest, as did our longtime Georgia birding friend Jim Hanna, and soon enough, it was upon us. Thursday: February 8th 6 a.m.: We meet at the Pre-Flight parking area on the west side of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This is a decision that would fill our Minnesota days with the tune of Rocket Man. After greeting, we hopped onboard the shuttle to head to the thick of it. As we waited in the airport in the early morning hours, we dreamed of Minnesota specialties, spoke of our potential first species/lifer, and said goodbye to the South for a little while. Although Uncle Chris and Jim had both visited the state before, this would be a first to me. My expectations were wide ope