Category Archives: Year 6

Birding Online Seminars Hosted by Me!

Background, Year 6

Hi everyone, I have decided to try something new for my birding educational efforts, free online seminars. I will be using a service named Zoom (learn more). For my first seminar, the topic will be finding Snowy Owls in Duluth / Superior this winter. (talk screenshots and maps)

If this experiment is successful, I will host additional seminars, and maybe some general Q & A sessions without a specific topic.

  • Online Seminar: Finding Snowy Owls in Duluth / Superior this Winter
  • Date: Wednesday, November 6th, 2019
  • Time: 7:00 to 7:30 pm
    • First 15 minutes … presentation
    • Second 15 minutes … Q & A

Register via this link (Seminar is full … registration is closed … sorry)

It was almost two years ago today that I rescued Silver. Thus, the topic for this online seminar seems a good choice.

North Shore Birding

Year 6,

Need  a quick birding fix and in the Duluth area? At this time of year I love driving the Two Harbors Expressway in search of hawks up to the Stoney Point area, and then take Alseth Road to the shore (birds pile up on Stoney point during migration). I drive home on Old Superior Street (starts at McQuade Road). Most folks don’t even realize that there is another road between Scenic 61 and the Expressway. Total miles driven round trip from Lester River are only 15, and during migration there can be all kinds of surprises.

While not a surprise, I enjoyed watching this Red-Tailed Hawk hunt near Stoney Point.

Red-Tailed Hawk Take-Off

When I got home, a visitor came to my yard in search of leftover birdseed on the ground. Wonder what the buck is saying to me? (photo take from my window seat in the living room)

Sax-Zim Bog Great Gray Owl (video)

Year 6

When is a vole not a vole? When it is a small rock!

This morning I had the pleasure of watching a juvenile Great Gray Owl hunt. I was dumbfounded when the owl repeatedly dove to capture a certain rock. However, this bird is still learning to hunt, and I also noticed its landings are not picture perfect. Quite frankly I am not used to watching a Great Gray Owl land on a road.

The final bit of amusement was when the owl disappeared into the forest. For over ten minutes I watched the area into which the bird had disappeared with extreme concentration. When I finally turned around I discovered the owl was toying with me, the human. It had come back out to the road and landed on a tamarack pine less than 10 yards behind me. Who knows how long it had been watching me! LOL!

There not feet, they’re talons!

I see you!

Watch Out Vole (or rock!)

(link to YouTube)