A light southeast wind yesterday pushed minnows against the Lake Mille Lacs western shoreline just south of Garrison, and a flock of migrating Bonaparte Gulls took the opportunity to go fishing. This lake is near the Mississippi River and thus the flyway. The image is a combination of three photos.
And some single images of the Bonaparte Gulls …
Today should have been a great birding day, but it wasn’t! I was hoping and expecting to see Great Gray Owls in the Pine Island State Forest wilderness west of Big Falls, Minnesota. The wind was dead calm … the skies were overcast and dark … it is mid November (i.e. owls start hunting meadow voles). Even when the owls did not appear, Toomey-Williams Forest Road always provides excitement, except when it doesn’t.
Oh well, last week I had a great time birding just north of Tucson. I always enjoy seeing the “metallic blue cardinal” which is otherwise known as a male Phainopepla.
Tomorrow I will give Toomey-Williams one more try. The sun is even supposed to make an appearance in the morning. Thankfully all was not lost today. I am at our small Northwoods cabin which is actually shut down for the season (read … no running water or heat except for the wood stove). After supper I really wanted a treat and discovered a 10 year old container of Jiffy Pop. All the other food had been taken home for the winter. The Jiffy Pop popped. “It’s as fun to make as it is to eat! Jiffy Pop”. (Jiffy Pop TV commercial from 1980 … email subscriber link)
In my post published earlier this morning I wrote about Great Horned Owl variations in plumage color … often called “phases” or “morphs”. While I’m sure most birders understand the concept, it can be helpful to see the different variations next to each other.
First in this post you have the “Desert or Southwest Phase” Great Horned Owl which I saw yesterday afternoon in the Sonoran Desert a bit north of Tucson. Here is that bird and its grayish / white feather colorations which tends to match its habitat found in the desert
Second I present the “Arctic Phase” Great Horned Owl which tends to be found in the northern Canadian Boreal Forest I saw this owl and its youngster during the June of 2023 in Alberta. This owl’s feathers are more white which helps for winter camouflage during that long season of the year.
In closing here is my own “Boreal Forest Phase” Great Horned Owl which tends to be the most common in North America, and helps the owl blend in with its forest habitat. This bird is the female Great Horned Owl that has nested six years straight near my home in northern Minnesota. You will note this owl’s feather coloration is much more brown and gray. Note how the coloration blends with the white pine tree in which it is perched.
If you wish to reach more about the Great Horned Owl, browse to Cornell’s All About Birds web service. This link will take you to the identification page for Great Horned Owls. Regional Differences including plumage color or phases is discussed towards the bottom of the web page.