Oct. 23, 2016 - More North Shore Birds

This Black-capped Chickadee was photographed at Taconite Harbor on our recent trip to the North Shore. It’s perched in an Alder bush and those are Alder cones to the left of the bird.

ChickadeeBlackcappedTaconiteHarborCookCounty20160918

I always enjoy seeing Gray Jays when I go to the North Shore. This one was on the General Grade Road in Lake County.

JayGrayGeneralGradeRoadLakeCounty20160920

Red-breasted Nuthatches are pretty common in the woods along the North Shore. This photo was taken on the Sawbill Trail. Notice that the feathers on top of the head and those on the bird’s back are the same blue/gray color. That tells you it’s a female.

NuthatchRedbreastedfemaleSawbillTrailCookCounty201609921

Here’s a male Red-breasted Nuthatch, also photographed along the Sawbill Trail. The feathers on top of his head are black.

NuthatchRedbreastedmaleSawbillTrailCookCounty201609921

The birds pictured above are all year-round residents of northeast Minnesota. This Blue-headed Vireo nests in the woods along the North Shore but migrates south for the winter.

VireoBlueheadedSawbillTrailCookCounty201609921

Most warblers have already migrated out of Minnesota by the end of September. However, this Nashville Warbler was not ready to leave yet and was photographed on the Sawbill trail.

WarblerNashvilleSawbillTrailCookCounty201609921

When Diana and I visited Sugarloaf Cove, we watched a bird banding session. A group of dedicated birders does this on Saturday mornings from spring through fall. Diana (on the left) was delighted to release one of the banded Chickadees. You can see it flying away near the top of the photo.

DianaBirdBandingSugarloafCoveCookCounty2016017

This last photo was taken at our home in northern Minnesota. It’s a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. The mottled pattern of its feathers provides great camouflage against the bark of a White Pine tree.

SapsuckerYellowbelliedjuvenileDunningLakeItascaCounty20160911