Category Archives: Year 7

Fall Colors!

It’s nasty cold today … huge wind out of the NE off Lake Superior with some drizzle and clouds (50F).  In short, it is beautiful day to enjoy the Fall colors and photograph birds (and watch surfers on Lake Superior!). To take photos on a day like today one needs to push the ISO up, rely upon burst mode, and find birds. There is no shade or shadows to ruin an image, and colors are deep / intense.

Today’s player include: Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Mourning Doves and of course … old “Blue!”


Now for a public safety announcement. Wear a helmet 100% of the time when cycling. Yesterday afternoon I had a nasty crash which resulted in road rash, a fractured rib or two and a BROKEN bicycle helmet. My Garmin which I always wear recorded I was motionless for over 12 minutes. Obviously I was knocked out for part of that time and received a minor concussion. The rest of the 12 minutes was spent sitting, stunned, next to the road. If I had not worn my helmet, I might not be creating this post.  It was very strange to wake up … stretched out on the ground and be staring directly up into the faces of two walkers. For 15 minutes I could not remember what had happened, or where I was … I just knew I hurt.

My bicycle helmet showing the crack right behind my temple area. Be safe!

News from Hoot!

Hoot has some great news to announce:

  • Virtual Seminar: Watching the Amity Owls Grow Up
    • Rich will be the presenter at the Duluth Audubon Society’s October meeting. Everyone is welcome, and there is no charge to attend. In fact, Rich turned down the speaker stipend. Hoot would would want me to support the Audubon Society, and therefore would not want me to accept pay.
    • October 8th at 7 pm Central Time (via Zoom)
    • Reserve the time on your calendar now. Rich will post a registration link soon.
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  • Do You Hoot? – 2nd Printing now released and shipping.
    • Advance orders (thank you!) were mailed first class via the US Postal Service earlier this morning. The Post Office estimates those books will arrive on Saturday.
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  • Buy a copy of Do You Hoot? (immediate shipping)
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  • Download a free PDF copy of Do You Hoot?

48,056 Blue Jays Can’t Be Wrong!

The word is out … good sunflowers seeds and cracked corn at Richie’s Bar and Grill (fine bird dining in the Northland since 1956). Yup! The official Hawk Ridge Count for this migration season as of a few moments ago is 48,056. My home is about 4/5 of a mile (and 600 feet down in elevation) from Hawk Ridge. During September and October, the staff at Hawk Ridge count birds from the viewing platform. The hill over Lake Superior is one of the top locations in mid America to get a first hand seat at the bird migration. This year’s Blue Jay numbers are epic.

Given my location near the base of the ridge, it is a constant blue parade at my feeders. Now that fall foliage is almost at peak, the colors are glorious.

Fall Colors as seen from deck this morning.

Yesterday the sunrise was eerie in Sax-Zim Bog. The smoke from the western wildfires was quite evident (God Bless all those folks dealing with that horrible situation). My vantage point for this image was on Sax Road looking back towards Hwy #7 and the RR tracks.