All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Northern Shrike Sensation!

Year 12

While down in Florida recently I had a number of opportunities to watch and photograph Loggerhead Shrikes, the southern cousin of Northern Shrikes. In Florida the Loggerhead Shrikes were very accepting of human presence, and I was often able to get within 15 yards of the species. However, Northern Shrikes which breed every summer up in the Canadian Boreal Forest normally spook very, very easily. Getting close to the northern cousin is darned difficult. Both versions are known as “Butcher Birds”. Shrikes, actually a songbird, think like a raptor and catch small mammals, birds and insects. Have some nearby barbed wire? Shrikes will often impale their prey on the barbs for a future meal.

Thus, it was a fantastic morning on Wednesday when I managed to actually get close to a Northern Shrike, and watch it hunt for over 15 minutes. (video link for email subscribers)

Northern Shrike (7F in Northern Minnesota) (I have no idea what the shrike is watching in the 2nd image, and it is all puffed up against the cold in the 3rd photo)

The Southern Cousin … a Florida Loggerhead Shrike (70F outside!)

Great Gray Owl Hunts in the Pre-Dawn Light near a Lighthouse!

Year 12
There are magical moments in life … including one yesterday morning well before dawn. I watched this Great Gray Owl hunt in the pre-dawn light over Lake Superior with the Two Harbors lighthouse light blinking in the background. I like the period 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise because of the deep orange colors. Depending upon cloud conditions, I have found the reds and pinks tends to come 10 to 15 minutes before sunup.
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I left before the sun even rose above the horizon. I needed to drive north and refill the Greenwood Creek Birdfeeders. Here is a sequence of images and a movie of my special moment (video link for email subscribers)
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Great Gray Owl Hunts 35 Minutes Before Sunrise

Now in Sequence … my first view of the owl …

After 10 minutes the Great Gray moved to a pine tree

However, I really got excited when the owl moved to another tree in line with the lighthouse!

8 minutes later, I captured the pre-dawn takeoff. Notice the lighthouse is shining in the first photograph, but not the next three images. Total elapsed time for these four photographs is about 1/2 second. This is why one MUST use burst mode for photography. Lots of action happens in micro seconds.

The Movie!

Northern Snowbird vs. Southern Beach Bum Owls!

Year 12,

Molly and I just completed 3 days of driving across America … south to north. During my last day in the Fort Myers area I revisited the Pelican Ballfields in Cape Coral. Although for this northern boy the winter temperatures seemed warm early in the morning (45F and sun), I suspected the local Burrowing Owls might think that a calm, sunny morning after two days of rain and mid 40’s were worth catching the sun’s rays like their northern cousins. Upon arriving home, I visiting with the northern cousins of the Beach Bums!

I was correct in that assumption, the “beach bum” owls were out getting warm near their burrow’s entrances.

“Beach Bum” Burrowing Owls of Cape Coral!

Northern Owls love to sit in the sun on sunny calm windless mornings. Look for the owls on the northern side of forest roads catching the rays from the sun in the southern sky. Anyhow, upon arriving home yesterday afternoon a bit before 3 pm, after taking 1/2 hour to unpack and stow away warm weather gear from the car, I was off to enjoy our local owl irruption. I did not need to travel far, and found two Great Grays hunting.

Great Gray Owls … the northern beach bum’s cousins!

Owl #1

Owl #2

I was actually home from my birding excursion within two hours of when I first got home from Florida. It was time for a leisurely glass of wine!