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Photos: San Diego photographers seek Great Lakes birds

Instead of finding snowy owls Tuesday morning, Debbie Porter and Steve Haupp found Lake Superior sea smoke and a pileated woodpecker at Brighton Beach.

Woman admires pileated woodpecker
Debbie Porter, left, admires a pileated woodpecker while Steve Haupp, right, photographs it on a tree at Brighton Beach Park in Duluth on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

DULUTH — Photographers Debbie Porter and Steve Haupp traveled from San Diego, California, in search of birds. Specifically, they came looking for owls. They had already found some success with photographing great gray owls.

Photographer looks for birds
Steve Haupp uses binoculars to look for snowy owls and American black ducks.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

On Tuesday morning, Porter and Haupp faced the subzero temperatures by visiting Brighton Beach Park, hoping to find snowy owls and American black ducks. While they couldn't find the birds they sought, they did find something else to photograph: sea smoke on Lake Superior.

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Photographers take photos of sea smoke
Debbie Porter, left, takes photos of sea smoke. Steve Haupp uses binoculars to look for birds.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Woman takes photos of sea smoke
Debbie Porter photographs sea smoke.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

While Haupp continued searching for birds, Porter took the opportunity to photograph the sea smoke rising from the lake and caught a ship surrounded by steam. They eventually found a flock of ducks floating on the lake, but it wasn't the type they were looking for.

Shipping vessel surrounded by sea smoke
A ship is surrounded by sea smoke on Lake Superior.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Photographers take photos of ducks on lake
Steve Haupp and Debbie Porter photograph ducks floating.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Flock of ducks float on lake
A flock of ducks float on Lake Superior, surrounded by sea smoke.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

Unable to find the birds they sought, they returned to their car. As they were about to leave, they saw a different bird that stoked their excitement: a pileated woodpecker.

pileated woodpecker on tree
A pileated woodpecker taps into a tree at Brighton Beach Park.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Photographers take photos of pileated woodpecker on tree
Steve Haupp, left, and Debbie Porter photograph a pileated woodpecker.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

"We don't have these in San Diego," Porter stated as she began photographing the bird pecking away at a tree across the road from the beach. "This is what we came for."

Porter and Haupp took hundreds of photos. Haupp, at one point, made a bird call in an unsuccessful attempt to have the bird look in his direction. The woodpecker was unbothered as it pecked away at the tree.

It may not have been the specific birds they were looking for that morning, but for them, it was a find worthy of filling up the space on their cameras' memory cards.

Photographer takes photos of pileated woodpecker on a tree
Debbie Porter takes photos of a pileated woodpecker on a tree.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Man admires pileated woodpecker
Steve Haupp takes a moment to admire the pileated woodpecker.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Two photographers take photos
Steve Haupp, left, and Debbie Porter, right, take photos at Brighton Beach Park in Duluth.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group
Pileated woodpecker on tree
A pileated woodpecker is perched on a tree.
Wyatt Buckner / Duluth Media Group

Wyatt Buckner is a Digital Producer for the Duluth News Tribune, where he has worked since June 2022.
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