It’s a few minutes after 8 am. Sunrise was at 7:45 am. I have already been out birding twice this morning (it’s 4F outside). If folks wonder how I capture beautiful images, it is with lots of research and legwork. Even if you don’t want to take photographs, successful birding requires research and time in the woods … often unsuccessful time.

This morning at 6:15 while working on my computer, I heard Hoot’s parents starting to sing. Believe it or not, I was sitting at my desk with the window open (remember it was 4F outside); I wanted to hear the owls if they starting some pre-dawn song. My thermals were already on, and within moments I was outside hiking dark trails … almost running. I knew that in a few weeks my Great Horned Owl couple would nest. Now is the time to learn their pine grove preference. I was home by 7 am with more knowledge.

My second outing of the morning was an attempt to learn where the new Snowy Owl featured in this post was roosting for the day (unsuccessful). By 7:30 am I was inspecting its afternoon territory in the hopes it might be hunting just before dawn, and then show me its daytime spot.

I hope you enjoy this “new Snowy Owl”. It is a beautiful immature male. I hope to spend some great time with it before the 1st of March.

Aborted Take-Off

The Evil Eye

The Moment of Sunset

The amazing experience yesterday was finding a flock of well over 500 Bohemian Waxwings. The light conditions were dark … thus no pictures, but if one drives to the end of Homestead Road about 1/2 way between Lester River (Duluth) and Two Harbors there is a huge thicket of buckthorn to your left on West Knife River Road. As long as the food source holds out the birds will stick around. Early morning is the best for viewing. While buckthorn is an invasive species, the birds don’t seem to mind.