Swimming in the midst of dreamy blue water the female of a pair of Common Loons provided a somewhat distant photo from the shore. The male Loon showed more signs of feather molting on its face, back, and sides. Part of a family group of Trumpeter Swans observed in Minnesota lakes country shows the cygnets are full-sized, but their wing feathers are only beginning to show now. The first Swainson’s Hawk fledgling of the season was attractively colored and already on the hunt for a garter snake. Showing a different look from the side, the recently fledged Swainson’s Hawk, still in the company of the adult pair, just caught a garter snake. Note the slight yellow breast color on this Dickcissel that has molted into alternate plumage and will soon migrate from the area. A lone adult female Ruby-throated Hummingbird graced my feeder after high counts of 4 prior to Sunday. The first sighting of a fledgling Red-headed Woodpecker in the company of the adult pair is always a point of interest each year.

Minnesota has been calling me for a couple weeks, and planned to head to Lakes Country Wednesday in search of birds and photo opportunities. So when my friend Linda called me from Big Cormorant Lake later Tuesday night, how could I resist the chance to visit an entirely different environment from my Great Plains surroundings. Ah, the air always seems fresher in the Northwoods and Lakes region of Minnesota, and the birds are different too – Common Loons, Trumpeter Swans, Bald Eagles, Eastern Bluebirds, Wood Ducks, Common Ravens, Belted Kingfishers, Pileated Woodpeckers, maybe an Osprey, and the possibility of migrating warblers!

Even so, it seems Loons are always my primary interest in their Minnesota range, with other avian sightings being supplementary (ha), but even during my ground-based birding adventure into the series of lakes southwest of the city of Detroit Lakes, I found myself standing on various shores to search for and observe Common Loons on beautiful blue waters. While visiting with Linda on her deck with another California visitor – Rick from Eureka – I could see a distant loon, then a second – and what a beautiful afternoon setting that was! Although it was hard to leave, after a great extended discussion peppered with laughs, I continued my drive to Pelican Lake and Little Pelican. My friend Andy, who I usually team up with for loon pontoon photo cruises has been busy in Fargo during my free days the past 2 weeks, but I stopped by his Little Pelican property to see what birds I could find.

Even before arriving at Andy’s place I observed and photographed a pair of loons from a distance on the northwest side of Little Pelican, and from Andy’s dock I could see the pair we photographed with a downy hatchling in early July near the south shore. Now the young loon was fully feathered in gray and white first-year plumage but still “connected” to one of the adults, probably the female. All the adult loons were just beginning to show signs of molting, especially on their face near the base of their beak, and some back and side feathers were missing. While appreciating the mosquito-less evening as it cooled, there was a Belted Kingfisher, a Black-capped Chickadee, and a few Barn Swallows on hand, but the woods were remarkably still and quiet.

In the Pelican Lake area, I observed at least 5 family groups of Trumpeter Swans on smaller marshes, and photographed 2 pairs with fully grown cygnets, although the young swain’s flight feathers were only beginning to be developed. Although it is late in the nesting season for Bald Eagles, I was surprised to see 2 fledglings perched next to their nest south of Pelican Lake. They may have returned to perch next to the nest to spend the night, or to await a food offering from an adult. During my return to Fargo I checked another marsh where an eagle might be present, but a Great Blue Heron and a couple Belted Kingfishers were the best I could find until 2 Cedar Waxwings materialized in flight (there may have been more). Overall, it seemed it was a bit of a subdued evening for the birds of Lakes Country, but I was happy to find 7 Common Loons total on a beautiful evening during my birding drive.

Local Highlights

Last Friday I observed the second fledgling Swainson’s Hawk of the season and the first fledgling Northern Harrier, already on its own and hunting diligently on the wing. The Swainson’s Hawk fledgling was a beauty with a distinctive orange-based underside that made it especially different from the adult pair hunting from large hay bales. Considering this was the first Swainson’s fledgling, and that I pass by this area at least a couple times per week, I figured the fledgling was a poor flier that relied on the adults for food, but neither assumption was accurate. The young hawk could fly quite well, and when I passed by a second time, I saw it hopping on the ground, then bending over to dispatch a garter snake.

During late summer, Swainson’s Hawks in my area turn to an easy to catch and abundant food source in garter snakes, and the timing coincides nicely with the post-fledgling period of Swainson’s. Now that I think about it, I almost never see the other hawks in the area – Red-tails, Ferruginous, and Northern Harriers – with reptilian prey; just Swainson’s. Considering the number of Swainson’s Hawks on territory in the area, I expect to see many more fledglings in the coming days and weeks. During a mid-week birding drive along my Raptor Route, I observed a total of 19 Swainson’s Hawks, 5 Red-tailed Hawks, and 1 Ferruginous Hawk for a total of 25 raptors.

When I checked a wetland west of my office that has been a center for brood rearing among a variety of ducks I was surprised to see 7 White-faced Ibis, a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret in the company of many Blue-winged Teal and Gadwalls. Some mini-falcons were evident in the area, with a Merlin actively chasing a songbird in falcon fashion, making quick turns and dives after the songbird that made even quicker maneuvers. A group of 5 American Kestrels was also an interesting sighting, and the fact that they were making fledgling-like chase flights that seemed to have a degree of “fun” involved they may have been a family group. There were also 2 single adult Red-headed Woodpeckers in that area, and fledglings should appear soon.

Dickcissels were actively foraging among buffalo berry bushes, and while they were no longer singing, the males were mostly molted into their basic plumage with a hint of yellow remaining on their breast. Perhaps a good indication of the growing pheasant population in the region, Thursday evening I observed a frequently seen brood just a half-mile south of my office, with 3 more broods foraging between 1 and 2 miles south. These are broods that moved into open areas where I could clearly see them, but there are likely more broods scattered among the taller cover in the area.

I continue to see an occasional Turkey Vulture or 2 on the wing, probably migrating. An American Bittern was a good sighting to the south Saturday, and I appreciated an interesting observation of an adult male Northern Harrier. As it hunted low over a green alfalfa field, it made a dramatically tight turning circle that flushed 2 Sharp-tailed Grouse, apparently upset by the overhead activity. Among a few scattered yellowlegs and Killdeer at Charo Marsh, a group of 7 Wilson’s Snipe was foraging in the shallows, as was a lone Long-billed Dowitcher. To cap the week off, Monday’s highlights included a pair of Bald Eagles, a Cooper’s Hawk, a lone American Kestrel, a few late Orchard Orioles and Dickcissels, a Northern Flicker, 2 single Red-headed Woodpeckers, and a pair with a recently fledged Red-headed Woodpecker (with a gray head, see photo).

Yard Birds: The molting male Ruby-throated Hummingbird appeared to have vacated the area by Thursday, but there were 3 females and 1 male hummingbird Friday. There were no males since Saturday, but there appeared to be 4 females. Then, Saturday through Monday there was only an adult female holding down the nectar feeder. An adult Yellow Warbler and a Song Sparrow were momentary migrant visitors Sunday, and a Northern Flicker called from a nearby tree a few times during midafternoon. Monday produced a noontime visit from a small mixed flock of Yellow Warblers, Chipping Sparrows, and Least Flycatchers that included a minimum of 3 of each species, although there may have been more beyond my field of vision from my editor’s desk.

Labor Day Weekend has always been a turning point in the seasons, and September 1st, the true holiday on Monday, is the beginning of the meteorological fall season. The nesting season is for all intents complete, although there are still ducks and raptors in post-fledging mode, but migration is on for some species and it’s exciting to see new birds filtering into areas surrounding your local areas and beyond. Enjoy a little extra birding time over the holiday, and appreciate that it’s a good time to invite a spouse, family member, or friend to join you on one of your outings. Have fun birding!

Article and Photos by Paul Konrad

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