Category Archives: Year 4

Christmas Birds! (owls and more)

Year 4

Sometimes … you just have to go birding!

When things went surprisingly well at Target yesterday and I finished up stocking stuffer purchases by 7:45 am, I said to myself: “Self … you are only 35 miles from the Bog. Given the 3+ inches of new snow flocked on the trees and the weather radar shows clearing skies … get thee to a Boggery!”

And I did … Sax-Zim Bog bound was I! It was a fantastic morning. I only spent two hours birding, but what a great two hours it was.

Merry Christmas!

Pine Grosbeak (male)

Great Gray Owl on the Hunt … Voles watch out!
… The 4th image in this series was taken upon returning to a favorite hunting perch!

Back at home … not a Partridge in a Pear Tree, but a …
… Mourning Dove in a Pine Tree!

Northern Hawk Owl Sunrise

Year 4

Over the past week I have started to learn the winter hunting territories of three owls north of Duluth. This morning I decided to see if I could find one of the owls before sunrise and take a photograph in the pre-dawn light. I think I succeeded! This is a Northern Hawk Owl, a winter visitor to northern Minnesota … truly a snow bird. The image was taken 15 minutes before sunrise. I also have posted a photograph of the same exact owl taken 20 minutes after sunrise, or 35 minutes later … same tree but slightly different angle. The temperature was 3F, and I walked back to my car and warmed up between photo sessions!