Now that deer hunting season (firearms) is over in NE Minnesota, this coming weekend I will be setting out and filling the bird feeders on Old Vermilion Trail just north of Duluth. In addition, if snow comditions merit I will track the trails for Nordic skiing. Stay tuned, I first need to eat some Thanksgiving Turkey. Learn more about my favorite birding locations in the Duluth region of Minnesota.
Category Archives: Year 6
Snowy Owl Trifecta!
Visiting my new grandson gave me the opportunity to bird Lake Michigan, and this great lake provided a GREAT opportunity. The Oconto, Wisconsin breakwater has had three Snowy Owls hanging out during the day. I assume at night they are having duck for dinner (lots of migrating ducks in the area).
The Snowies are very distant, and the sun angle is always wrong at this location, but still a great way to start the season for Snowy Owls. I used digital zoom for these images, which gave me an effective reach of 130x magnification. The Canon SX70 did quite well!
Snowy Owl #1
Snowy Owl #2
Snowy Owl #3 (wants to be a lighthouse keeper)
Snowy … the Movie! (Youtube link for email subscribers)
Catching Up … Looking Back … Looking Forward
I am at the start of a Thanksgiving tour which includes meeting my new Grandchild, Crosby, followed up by another long drive to spend Turkey Day with my other children and their families. Finding time to bird will be difficult, particularly areas in which I am not familiar. Thus … catching up of a few tasks:
- Sax-Zim Bog Birding Report: Snow has come to the Bog, as have two Northern Hawk Owls! Winter finches as I forecast are very hard to find. The owls have not yet established winter hunting territories and are ranging around quite a bit.
- Minnesota Birding News: Out of Beta! Now Released! Installed and running without issues by 80 people. Get this free service which I created and be informed about current news within the Minnesota birding community (38 sources at present)
White-Winged Crossbills, unlike the finches, are in evidence in the Bog … there is a good crop of pine cones for Crossbills.
The forgotten videos (at least by me!). I took both of these short videos over the past month, but forgot to post same. Rectifying that omission now.
Sleep Saw-whet Owl (video link for email subscribers)
Snow Geese of Superior (video link for email subscribers)