All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Hello Saige, Good Bye Snowys!

Year 12,

Today I met my eighth grandchild, Saige Hoeg! Molly and I are doing what is most important in life … enjoying family and this instance being introduced to a little girl who has brought joy into the hearts of her family. Saige even wore home from the hospital the same exact little yellow sweater which I wore home on a cold spring morning just shy of 69 years ago. Now, this “little yellow sweater” has been worn by 3 generations of the family … cue the choir and orchestra as everyone sings out that famous song from Fiddler on the Roof, Tradition! (video link for email subscribers)

And in our case … Saige in the Little Yellow Sweater!

Now, I’m actually not real writer in the family; that crown goes to my wife. If you would like to learn more about “the little sweater” and see baby photos from across the generations in said sweater, browse to Molly’s blog … Superior Footprints (as in both Lake Superior and Life’s Footprints). A big TV station down in Minneapolis / St. Paul even learned about our little yellow sweater and with our family’s blessing created a piece about the sweater for their show, MInnesota Live. Watch Minnesota Live’s short documentary via Molly’s blog.

Now didn’t I mention that in this post’s title that it was also Good-Bye to Snowy Owls? By the time I am again actively birding the Northland (about March 1st), most owls including Snowys will be working their way northward. Thus, yesterday morning I went owling and arrived in Snowy Owl Land (Superior, Wisconsin) well before sunrise. Apparently the folks who arrange successful birding expeditions decided luck should be with me. I found not one, but two Snowy Owls and watched them hunt starting for about one hour both before and after sunrise. Both owls decided it was time take a siesta and I drove home.

Superior Snowys!

Owl #1

Owl #2

The sun has finally truly risen, and both owls will be asleep very soon. Light conditions were changing amazingly fast, which forces the photographer to adjust how they approach taking a picture. While both owls were alert and constantly looking around which made me believe they were still hunting, it is equally possible they did not want to settle down to sleep till they had both upchucked their owl pellets!

Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders Update

Year 12,

Most of my loyal readers know I maintain bird feeders deep in the northeastern Minnesota wilderness 40 miles inland from Two Harbors. It’s been a while since I have given an update. My feeders and trailcams have been out all winter. There is a nice plowed parking lot right next to the feeders. Learn more about my feeders including their GPS location via my Minnesota Birding Locations web page.

First the birding update. This morning both Blackback Woodpeckers and American Three Toed Woodpeckers were seen near the feeders. Neither of these bird species would ever visit a bird feeder, but these birds love the habitat in the immediate area. Apparently the very tall dead tree within a few yards of the feeders is a preferred drumming tree. I have seen many species of woodpeckers using this tree to drum, including the male American Three Toed this morning. The other first spot to check for the Three-Toed and the Black-Backed is about 400 yards down the main snow mobile trail. Both species were seen in that area this morning. However, the habitat all the way down to the bog (8/10 of a mile distant via the trail)

The feeders themselves are very busy. In addition to the usual suspects, there were lots of Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, and Purple Finches visiting the feeders. Here is one of the Redpolls.

The mammals are also visiting the feeders. I assume the Canada Lynx is hunting the numerous Snowshoe Hares. The Red Fox is hunting voles that love to ear bird seed spillage, and the Timber Wolves are hunting whatever they darned please!

I have chosen to only show a video of the Canada Lynx taken last fall. This is a protected/endangered species, and my trailcam shows dates and times of day. I prefer not to make this information public. However, the US Forest Service is being given my Canada Lynx videos. I even found some Canada Lynx scat. Tomorrow I plan to go back with a plastic bag to collect same for the forest service. I suspect they will be interested in the Lynx’s diet.

Two more updates … folks … the trail is a snowmobile trail! My trailcam captured a car trying to drive down the trail, Forest Road #813. Driving a snowmobile trail in the middle of the winter is EXTREMELY dumb. The folks who did this are lucky they somehow managed to turn about w/o getting stuck. I guarantee not a single towing company would have been willing to risk the trail at this time of year. The car owners are lucky they did not get stuck. They would have to wait till the snow melt in April … and the ground firmed up enough for a truck to risk the drive to retrieve they car. The other item is DO NOT block the snowmobile trail when you park. The Aurora Snowmobile Club are a fantastic group, and they are the ones that are maintaining / grooming Forest Road #813. Thank you.

Red Fox at the Feeders (video link for email subscribers)

Timber Wolves on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)

Note: Even in the middle of a snowstorm, the second wolf found my trailcam! Watch to the end.

Canada Lynx on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)

In closing here is an image I took a few days ago near my house of a sleeping Boreal Owl. Once again, I chose to wait before posting. The Owl Irruption is crazy, or I should say people are crazy … thus the delay.

Lighthouse Great Gray Owls

Year 12

It should be no secret now during this Owl Irruption that there are three Great Gray Owls hunting the waterfront in Two Harbors. While most people tend to arrive after sunrise and enjoy watching the daytime hunt, I have a different goal … arrive 40 minutes BEFORE sunrise when the deeps oranges that come well prior to dawn may be seen out over Lake Superior. Such was the case this morning when I arrived at 6:20 am given sunrise would be exactly at 7:00 am. I wanted to beat sunup by 40 minutes. The only problem tends to be finding the owls in the pre-dawn darkness. Thankfully one of the three Great Gray Owls had chosen a perch well silhouetted against the sky. It was a beautiful morning! This irruption should end around the 1st of March. Enjoy while possible!

Great Gray Owl & Lighthouse #1 … 40 minutes before dawn

Great Gray Owl & Lighthouse #1 … 30 minutes before dawn

Great Gray Owl & Lighthouse #1 … 15 minutes before dawn

Great Gray Owl & Lighthouse #2 … 25 minutes after sunup