Oct. 16, 2016 - North Shore - Migrating Birds

During our fall trip to the North Shore, I saw several species of migrating birds. This Horned Lark was photographed at Taconite Harbor. Horned Larks are found year-round over most of the United States. Some of them go to the northern parts of Canada to nest in the summer. They are strictly open-field birds, however, so they don’t nest in northeastern Minnesota where it is mostly wooded. Therefore, when I see them along the North Shore, I can be pretty sure they are migrating.

LarkHornedTaconiteHarborCookCounty201609922

Another bird of the open fields is the Lapland Longspur. They nest in the far northern treeless areas of Canada. Winter finds them all across the Great Plains in the United States. I found this Longspur at Taconite Harbor with the flock of Horned Larks.

LongspurLaplandTaconiteHarborCookCounty201609922

American Pipits are a third species that often migrates with the Horned Larks and Lapland Longspurs. They breed on the far northern reaches of the Arctic Tundra and also on the highest, treeless tops of the Rocky Mountains. They migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter. Pipits, Longspurs, and Horned Larks are all small birds, 6¼ to 7¼ inches long. This photo was also taken at Taconite Harbor.

PipitAmericanTaconiteHarborCookCounty20160918

At the Grand Marais Harbor I found several migrating shorebirds. Sanderlings nest in a limited area in far northern Canada. But in winter, they are found along the east, west, and Gulf coasts of the United States. Sanderlings are small shorebirds, only 8 inches long. This bird still has some of its darker breeding plumage feathers. Click on this link to see them in their tan winter plumage. It helps them blend in with the dry beach sand. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Birds/Birds-ST/Sanderlings/

SanderlingHarborcampgroundGrandMarais20160919

There was also a Ruddy Turnstone at the Grand Marais Harbor. Like the Sanderling, it nests in the far north and spends winters along our coasts. It’s a little bigger than a Sanderling; about 9½ inches long. This bird is already in winter plumage. Click on this link to see its colorful harlequin summer plumage. http://www.earlorfphotos.com/Birds/Birds-ST/Turnstones/i-zzSjXVd/A

TurnstoneRuddyHarborcampgroundGrandMarais20160919

The third type of shorebird I found at Grand Marais was a Semi-palmated Plover. It nests all across Alaska and northern Canada. This little plover, 7 inches long, doesn’t nest on the tundra, however. It prefers gravel bars along rivers or ponds.

PloverSemipalmatedHarborcampgroundGrandMarais20160919

This plover just picked up a something to eat.

PloverSemipalmatedwithfooditemHarborcampgroundGrandMarais20160919

Here’s a close-up with a better look at the food item. I don’t know what it is but if you do, please leave a comment below identifying it for us.

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