Category Archives: Year 12

Scoring the Owl Trifecta: Boreal, Great Gray & Great Horned Owls

Year 12, ,

The Owl Irruption means crazy birding excursions like mine yesterday afternoon are possible. In just over one hour, I saw all three species of these owls: Boreal, Great Gray & Great Horned Owls. I consider myself lucky to live in the Northland where all three of these owls species both live, but also some of their cousins from north of the border will occasionally pay us a visit. Normally owl irruptions end on or about March 1st, which is only 11 days away. Anyhow, yesterday’s terrific trio! Did I mention it was cold? All three owls wanted sun, but also to avoid the fierce Northwest wind. This morning it is -15F to 25F below zero depending upon where you live (real cold air collects at the bottom of hills).

Boreal Owl (sleeping in the sun … it did apparently not move for the next four hours)

Great Gray Owl (trying to get comfortable within its pine needle mattress before a snooze)

Amy! My local Great Horned Owl

The sun is finally peeking out between the trees at 7:20 am. Time to go make my rounds of all three bird feeder stations. My feathered friends should all be hungry after such a cold night.

Signs of Spring Birding

Year 12

As I type this post the temperature is depth charging to the minus teens below zero (not including windchill). In addition snowstorms will be hitting the northland at least through the end of March. Yet here we are midway through February and birds are starting to think of spring:

  • Black-Capped Chickadees are singing their mating calls
  • Great Horned Owls have ALREADY nested
  • Snow Bunting are migrating north through the area on their way up to the Arctic Ocean (yes … the Northward Spring Migration IS in progress)
  • Sharp-Tailed Grouse are starting to dance on their LEK’s

Finally,  Tom Turkeys are now strutting, displaying and courting their lady loves! This guy was doing his best to impress a female gaggle of turkeys. Regardless, enjoy the current blast of winter and start looking for spring activity.

Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks

Year 12,

Welcome to Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks! This will be a new addition to my blog. At Christmas I acquired a very small drone which will allow me to create birding habitat videos. I will only take videos of habitat, not birds! Drones are known for scaring birds which which would never be my goal. Instead I plan to introduce readers to the habitat at the various locations where I bird in Northeastern Minnesota! Eventually the walks will be added to my Northeastern Minnesota Birding Locations and be available linked via the free PDF download.

I am still learning my DJI NEO; thus I ask your understanding with these first “walks” as I am learning a new technology. My first walk introduces you to Amity Creek and the forest which surrounds my house including a frozen waterfall named THE Deeps. My second walk took place up at Greenwood Lake, and only 1/4 mile from my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. While on my second walk I head out onto an ice road, a rather unique kind of road only found in the far north. One may actually drive a car out onto an ice road!

Video Links for email subscribers to my blog:

Of course since this post once again talks about Arctic Riviera Birding, here are some Great Gray Owl photographs I took this morning in Two Harbors … temperature of -12F at dawn. Three unique owls were photographed. Apparently owl #2 did not get the instructions and was just sleeping in the sun!

Owl #1 and Lighthouse #1

Owl #2

Owl #3 and Lighthouse #2 (sea smoke!)

At times the lighthouse featured directly above totally disappeared from view because of the sea smoke!