North Shore Fall Colors! Fewer people, cooler temps and things
you don't see in the cities. Large numbers of migrating raptors: bald eagles,
hawks, vultures and falcons. Great opportunities to see bold
wolves on and along HWY 61.
>>Report for October 14, 2013
Fall
Color Status:
Maples have
peaked, poplar / aspen and birch have also peaked but are
hanging on if you use our late season routes. Tamaracks are
hinting change to lemon yellow. Many types of raptors migrated overhead and the
bulk of migration has past,
sharp-shinned hawks, broad-winged hawks, turkey vultures and
kestrels. Bald eagles are still commonly seen and peak eagle
migration is still ahead as the waterways freeze up. Wolf sightings
are on an increase as winter approaches and are commonly seen
at night along or on HWY 61. Last week 4 wolves
running on HWY 61 near Croftville, less than two miles from
downtown Grand Marais. Many wolves have been seen at night
feeding on road kill deer. Generally fall colors are best for
maple and oak from mid September into late September. Colors for
birch and poplar / aspen are last two weeks of September into
early October. Tamarack
changes to lemon yellow at the end of October into November. We report fall colors into two areas; the
lower North
Shore and upper North Shore
below.
FALL COLOR REPORT FOR LOWER NORTH SHORE
/ DULUTH AREA / HWY 61 MILE 0 TO MILE 70>>>Duluth through
Little Marais, which includes
Tettegouche State Park, St.
Louis and Lake Counties. Current Report October 14 - maples
have peaked and fallen, poplar / aspen and birch are past peak, use
late season routes. Awesome time of year to
hike North
Shore trails and explore the area, as the leaves turn and
fall.
FALL COLOR REPORT FOR UPPER NORTH SHORE HWY 61 MILE 70 TO USA / CANADA BORDER
>>>All of Cook County from Schroeder up through Grand Portage,
Gunflint Trail and the Canadian border area. Current Report
October 14 - maples peaked and have fallen, pockets of birch, poplar / aspen
are hanging on. Use
late season routes. Awesome time of year to
hike North
Shore trails and explore the area, as the leaves turn and
fall.
Great opportunities exist for wolf, deer,
and red fox watching at night. Bald eagles and ravens can be
seen on road kill along Hwy 61 during the day. At mile 118
September 17 2012, wolves feeding on road kill deer on shoulder. During daylight;
ravens and bald eagles are feasting together.
|
Wolves in
broad daylight eating a carcass at mile 116.5 Hwy 61 [see
image to left]. Another wolf has been seen past two weeks
at night and during the day around Hwy 61 mile markers 114
to 118. Wolf sightings are on a sharp increase due to over
population and lack of fear for humans. We sat and watched
this wolf for ten minutes, rolling and chewing on a dead
animal. Areas east of Grand Marais to the Brule River have
been the hot spots again this fall. The past week;
between 9pm and midnight we've sighted 2 wolves,6 red fox and
30+ deer on Hwy 61 between Grand
Marais and
Judge Magney State Park.
Numerous road kill deer with eagles and wolves feeding.
Fall color routes |
Wolves are commonly seen on and along Hwy 61 in Cook
County in the; Lutsen area,
Cascade River State Park area, up and through
downtown Grand Marais, Colvill, Kadunce River Wayside area,
Judge Magney State Park and Hovland.
>>Keep these things in mind...
Watch for ticks... we've been finding very small deer ticks
on dogs and people. Hard to believe but, deer ticks are very
active during the warm fall days and often attach in the very private
body areas. Deer ticks are a recent invasive species that have
moved into North Shore areas, possibly from excessive deer
populations. (might be a good place to find an area to deer
hunt.)
Please be courteous to those that don't want to drive as
slow as you. Turn-out in a safe location and let faster traffic
pass. Not everyone is leaf looking. People live and work here
too. Thank you!
2013 Report Archives
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2012 Report Archives
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- last 2012 report.
2011 Report Archives
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- last 2011 report.
See fall color
images of Oberg Mountain from September 30th
See fall color images
of Cascade River from September 30th
SPECIAL EVENT>>Split
Rock Lighthouse State Park Beacon lighting and anniversary of
the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Nov 10th.
read more about this event...
This service is
made possible by the following businesses
Birds
Heading South:
A west or north wind, or combination of, are the best winds for
experiencing migration. Birds get stacked up along Lake Superior
as the wind pushes them towards the Big Lake. Easier to spot
species are; bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, broad-winged hawks
and turkey vultures as they move through the area. Over 5,000
broad-wings pass over
Hawk Ridge
on many days in mid September .
Fall color routes
Observers hit popular
locations and the shoreline to enjoy the lakeshore and passing
birds. Find out why birds get
funneled
along Lake Superior. Or find good birding
spots.
Many types of birds migrate through the Minnesota North Shore,
particularly large number of raptors. These 'birds of prey'
include; eagles, osprey, falcons, turkey vultures, owls, hawks
and accipiters. Shore birds and waterfowl also move through the
corridor along Lake Superior. Peak time for migration is mid
September to early October.
Fall color routes
>>>MORE ABOUT WINDS AND MIGRATING BIRDS...
Image above was
taken at 5pm Oct 9th overlooking Grand Marais from the east.
Notice turkey vultures near center right. Migrating birds were
using the east winds to their advantage and the crazy cloud
formations made a great backdrop.
Migrating birds are numerous along the whole North Shore, with
large numbers of birds concentrated along the shorelines when
the winds are out of the north, west or combination of.
Reluctant to cross the Big Lake, migrating birds become funneled
along the shoreline and the hills along Lake Superior. Best
areas for spotting migrating birds is within 1-2 miles of the
shoreline of Lake Superior when these conditions exist.
Don't miss stopping at Hawk Ridge on your way up or down.
Read more about Hawk Ridge and other great places to view
migrating birds below... |
|
>>>Duluth
- Hawk Ridge | Grand Marais area
| Scenic Hwy 1 toward Ely | Current
bird migration report
In Duluth,
Minnesota at Hawk Ridge Nature Preserve
>>>We think Hawk Ridge is the best spot for viewing migrating birds in the
Midwest!
The combination of fall colors, birds migrating over and the
great view of the Duluth Harbor is fantastic!
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS in record numbers at Hawk Ridge!
Often 1000s are counted in a single day in September. Hawk Ridge is a nature preserve dedicated to birding, and is
one of the best places in the mid-west to see migrating birds, especially raptors. "Raptors" are birds of prey, such as bald eagles and red-tailed hawks. Check out the
Hawk
Ridge Web site for Public Programs, directions and a
map.
One of the more spectacular migration events is the kettles of broad-winged hawks seen from Hawk Ridge above Duluth, Minnesota. During the fall these football sized raptors/birds of prey are in large numbers called "kettles."
From approx. August 25th -
September 30th the BWHs gather together and form what looks like a moving tornado.
Over 50,000
migrating birds pass
over Hawk Ridge each year during the fall migration. Check out the
Hawk
Ridge Web site for Public Programs, directions and a
map. A great place to stop and experience a
very unique event, take a break from driving! Nice place to see fall
colors, click here for more details and
directions.
Events and bird counts, directions and more.
Request lodging information at:
www.northshoreinfo.com/lodging or check out the dining opportunities.
----------------------------------------------------
Overlooking Lake
Superior and Grand Marais, Minnesota
These
are great places too!!
There are two other, less known places to view the migration, the first one is 2
miles up the Gunflint Trail/County Road 12 out of Grand Marais.
The Pincushion Mountain Recreation Area is a right-hand
turn onto County Road 53. It has a large parking area and is a paved road,
off of the Gunflint Trail/County Road 12. Nice place with trails
for Mtn. biking and hiking. The second one is just west of
Pincushion along the same bluff overlooking Grand Marais, the
Old Ski Hill Area/Sawtooth Bluff. Turn west/left
onto County Road
64, about 2 1/2 miles from Grand Marais or less than a 1/2 mile after the
Pincushion Mountain Recreation Area turn. Once you're on
County Road 64 it is about 2 miles all the way to the end, where
there is a great view of Grand Marais and Lake Superior. You'll
see numerous communication towers near the parking areas.
Request lodging information at:
www.northshoreinfo.com/lodging or check out the dining opportunities.
----------------------------------------------------
Along scenic Hwy 1 toward Ely, Minnesota
Another great
place for birding all season long!
The Birch
Lake Dam
The Birch Lake Dam is located on the South Kawishiwi River, this is Ely area ornithologist, Bill Tefft's all time favorite location for birding—and Bill has
birded across the region for more than 25 years. The area which
was first mentioned in one of the oldest guides to birding in
Minnesota, has been a hot spot for literally decades. Tefft says
it is still one of the most dependable birding spots in the
area. Lots of morning sun attracts the warblers, flycatchers and
other birds. Water is right there, so waterfowl can be counted
on. You can even walk along the dike that extends on either side
of the dam for a better look at the surrounding treetops.
Adjacent is a gravel road which is also a birder's fun spot to
check out.
Request lodging information at:
www.northshoreinfo.com/lodging or check out the dining opportunities.
----------------------------------------------------
North Shore Fall Colors!
Request lodging information at:
www.northshoreinfo.com/lodging or check out the dining opportunities.
Take your pick of over 25
North Shore Fall Color Tours™ from northshorefallcolors.com.
Try one of these routes for wildlife viewing, hiking, biking,
driving, canoeing or sailing on the North Shore! Use
caution some road and trails are not for all/any vehicles.
Daily Fall Colors Report |
Why do leaves change color?
Special
topics:
Why
do leaves change color
| Weather for the
Minnesota North Shore
North
Shore Lodging
Specials |
North Shore Fall Color Tours™ from northshorefallcolors.com
Try one of these routes while your hiking, biking, driving, or
sailing on the North Shore!