Welcome to Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks! This will be a new addition to my blog. At Christmas I acquired a very small drone which will allow me to create birding habitat videos. I will only take videos of habitat, not birds! Drones are known for scaring birds which which would never be my goal. Instead I plan to introduce readers to the habitat at the various locations where I bird in Northeastern Minnesota! Eventually the walks will be added to my Northeastern Minnesota Birding Locations and be available linked via the free PDF download.

I am still learning my DJI NEO; thus I ask your understanding with these first “walks” as I am learning a new technology. My first walk introduces you to Amity Creek and the forest which surrounds my house including a frozen waterfall named THE Deeps. My second walk took place up at Greenwood Lake, and only 1/4 mile from my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. While on my second walk I head out onto an ice road, a rather unique kind of road only found in the far north. One may actually drive a car out onto an ice road!

Video Links for email subscribers to my blog:

• Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks 001: The Deeps
• Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks 002: Greenwood Lake

Of course since this post once again talks about Arctic Riviera Birding, here are some Great Gray Owl photographs I took this morning in Two Harbors … temperature of -12F at dawn. Three unique owls were photographed. Apparently owl #2 did not get the instructions and was just sleeping in the sun!

Owl #1 and Lighthouse #1

Owl #2

Owl #3 and Lighthouse #2 (sea smoke!)

At times the lighthouse featured directly above totally disappeared from view because of the sea smoke!