Category Archives: Year 2

Raptor Roulette at Sax-Zim Bog (Yr. 2: Day 61)

March 23, 2015Year 2MN North: Sax-Zim Bogrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Any vole or mouse which ventured out of its burrow this morning into the fields of Sax-Zim Bog was playing Russian Roulette, or should I say Raptor Roulette. While the bog is known as the place to visit in the lower 48 to see Arctic birds that winter in northern Minnesota, and the “grey ghost” … the great grey owl, with the melting of the snow and warming temperatures the raptors are returning north. A trip through the bog this morning provided many opportunities to watch hawks and eagles hunting … quite often successfully.

View this project’s Flickr photo stream. (click upon images to view at full size)

Bald eagles often scavenge, and I found this eagle working over a black bear carcass which I have been visiting for over two months.

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This Northern Harrier made a kill, and after eating some of its breakfast was driven off its kill by these two crows.

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A rough-legged hawk hunts the Bog

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All is not kill and be eaten … this purple finch sang from the treetops and ate some buds!

The Aurora Hunter’s Wife! (Yr. 2: Day 56)

March 20, 2015Year 2MN North: Forest Hill Cemetery, MN North: Little Stone Lakerichardhoeg@gmail.com

My wife, Molly, is a freelance writer for Lake Superior Magazine, and maintains her own blog. This morning she posted a story about the life of an aurora hunters spouse. Sound familiar for any of you?! LOL! I think she could have just as easily written the entire same article about birding! Here is an excerpt from her article … as well as the link to the full content:

I’ve gotten used to living with an Aurora Hunter. The constant monitoring of atmospheric indicators. The blips and beeps that go off night and day from apps informing him of favorable conditions. Flinging around mysterious terms like Kp index, solar wind speed, Bz and coronal mass ejection. And the nocturnal trips out into the dark and cold. All in search of Northern Lights. (read full article on Molly’s blog, Superior Footprints)

Molly was a good sport, and she went Aurora chasing with me on my second straight night out watching the Northern Lights. Here are two photos from last night, with Molly: (see my prior’s night’s efforts when the Aurora display was even more awe inspiring)

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Oh yes … I still went birding after a nap … found this American Black Duck duo!

St. Patrick’s Day 2015 Northern Lights Display (Yr. 2: Day 55)

March 17, 2015Year 2MN North: Boulder Lake, Northern Lightsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

At 2:00 a.m. my Northern Lights app alarm went off. A quick check of the numbers revealed the conditions were looking insanely good. This fact plus clear skies and no moon meant a trip north of Duluth twenty five miles to the frozen ice of Boulder Lake was demanded. By 2:40 am I was on the ice, and stayed there till 5 am. The Aurora filled the sky, even sometimes to my south. The peak of the Zodiac even had flashing lights for almost an hour. Here are a few photos from last night … a true start for a St. Patrick’s celebration!

Matt joined me on the ice around 3:30 am. Got a nice photo of him changing camera settings during a “quiet period” of lights!