With a temperature of -14 degrees Farenheit, my morning started with me bundled up in layers of winter clothing, watching steam slowly rise off the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
What an incredible sight!
Along with 20+ other dedicated birdwatchers from southeast Michigan, I made the trek to the Upper Peninsula this month for a winter birding trip to see birds that are often only seen in the far north.
We started our first day of the trip at Sault Ste. Marie on the shoreline of the almost completely frozen St. Marys River that flows southward from Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
Our goal: searching for the rare Harlequin Duck as well as other waterfowl and raptors.
If you look carefully at the trees that edge the steamy water, you’ll notice a black blob near the top of a tree.
That’s one of three Bald Eagles we saw perched on tree branches on the riverbank.
Why is there steam rising from the frozen waters?
When the air over the water is colder than the surface, steam rises.
Creating a mystical look over the river as the sun rises.
Amazing view, despite the bitter cold temperatures of a February morning in northern Michigan.
