All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Of Comets, Moose and Large Kitties …

Year 11,

This morning I went comet hunting … arriving at 5:50 am with fantastic views of Lake Superior’s eastern skies. Sunrise was at 7:06 am; thus I was in position during the prime viewing hour (about one hour before sunrise). Although I scanned the eastern skies for 20 minutes with both my naked eyes, and binoculars, I saw zippo. The skies were super clear without humidity, and I was at a non light pollution location.

Four years ago from my cabin I had a great time with Comet Neowise at my northern Minnesota cabin near the Canadian border. That time I scored fantastic views of both the comet and the Northern Lights at the same time!

After striking out with the comet I drove inland to the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area. Something has been damaging my bird feeders, but I don’t think it is a bear. Thus I wanted to pull my trail cam’s simm card and move the camera to watch over my feeders.

When I pulled the images off my trail cam this morning I was excited to find pictures of a Bull Moose and a Canada Lynx. I know Poppa Moose is interested in the Cow Moose which has been hanging around the Greenwood Creek Bog all summer. Notice how Poppa Moose has branches stuck to one antler! He also has his nose to the ground. Moose have poor eye sight but great sense of hearing and smell. Perhaps he smells his lady love?!

Trailcam Pictures – Greenwood Creek Bog

The only bird that was willing to pose for my camera this morning was this Bald Eagle near McQuade Harbor. Molly and I are now up at our cabin and tomorrow means a pre-dawn trip to Toomey- Williams Forest Road west of Big Falls for me.

Fall Colors! Spruce Grouse

Year 11

Thankfully sunrise is now rather late, 7:05 am. This allowed me to head up to the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area before sunrise and still get back in time for church at 10:00 am. It was a fun morning with lots of fall colors, one Great Gray Owl and a number of Spruce Grouse.

Look carefully at this first image. I took this photograph last week smack dab in the middle of the burn area. While there are hundreds of acres which burned right down to the topsoil, there are also regions in the Greenwood Fire Burn Area where the fire shot through the region … burning the small trees and undergrowth but leaving the tall white pines undamaged and alive. In fact, the extreme heat causes the pines to drop their cones and start the next generation of forest. Wildlife loves these burn areas. Earlier last week I saw a huge Bull Moose right at the edge of the burn area. It was obviously munching on new growth trees (and perhaps looking for a female … it’s rutt season for moose)

This morning while the Great Gray Owl I found at sunup was ready to hide immediately from the bright sun coming up over the pines, I did find some cooperative female Spruce Grouse. Notice the fall colors in the background of the photographs.

Finally, I seem to never photograph Black-Capped Chickadees. I changed that trend this morning! The chickadee is perched on a tree killed by the fire.

Stony Point Peregrine Power

Year 11

Peregrine Falcon Power! I took these photographs a few days ago at Stony Point which is about 1/2 way between Duluth and Two Harbors. The weather overnight had been fine with a decent northwest wind. I knew this meant migration was most likely in progress.

Stony Point juts out into Lake Superior. Thus the North Shore which is a local migration highway sees lots of migrating songbirds. Raptors like this Peregrine time their migration to hunt those same migrating birds. This falcon was perched on the highest White Pine Tree in the vicinity, and it was hunting shortly after sunrise.

If you have a local migration highway (river, very large lake, decent sized hills, etc), head out birding during the Fall Migration after an overnight with a strong North or Northwest wind. Often the number of songbirds you see will be amazing, but also watch for raptors hunting those tweety birds!

If you maximize the first image, you will see the migration. The black smudges were blue jays way up high. The falcon was looking for easier, unsuspecting prey.

If you are near the North Shore, tonight’s weather and winds look like a strong burst of birds should migrate south overnight.