Category Archives: Year 7

439 Families Now Hoot!

Year 7

439 people can’t be wrong! Yes, that is how many people have downloaded a free PDF copy of one of my children’s books as of this afternoon. It thrills me to help that many families enjoy the wonder of nature during these trying times, but specially owls! Make certain you get your copy (or copies) … follow this link.

Hopefully folks who read this blog understand my passion about nature and birds. Please note what you do NOT see on this blog (advertisements), and make sure you are aware that I allow anyone to download images for private non commercial use (see photo index). In these trying Pandemic times, the gift of nature is important.

However, just so I don’t sound like a broken record about my books and giveaways, I did go birding in Sax-Zim Bog this morning. Now that the sun rises a bit later (6 am), I am able to leave the house and arrive in the Bog a few minutes after sunup. Consider making a fall trip to the Bog. Right now the birds a flocking to prepare for the upcoming migration. I like to make a quick check for Great Gray Owls (none seen this morning), and then work the farm and meadows a bit south of the Welcome Center.

I found this beautiful Northern Harrier about 15 minutes after sunrise this morning. Any farm field which has newly baled hay is generally a good place to bird right now both for grassland birds and raptors.

Some closing comments … for those of you awaiting a printed copy of my new book, “Do You Hoot?”, it shipped via the US Mail about 30 minutes ago. Purchased sales have been amazing, and the first printing may sell out very soon.

Fly Eagle Fly! Dry Eagle Dry!

Year 7

After Molly had her “Swim With the Loons” two mornings ago, I doubted whether Northstar Lake would have anything equally exciting for me yesterday morning. However, one should never doubt nature. After HUGE thunderstorms blew through the night previously with over 3 inches of rain and downed trees, the sun finally came out at 9 am. I decided upon a pontoon boat ride to check out my local eagles. I have been surprised that the one eaglet present had not yet fledged.

I think Mom Bald Eagle was tired of waiting for her offspring to fly, and yesterday morning was the big event. I was actually surprised to see how well and often the Bald Eagle chick flew on its first morning. After all, it was only a few months ago I watched Hoot, my Great Horned Owl chick make its first short and very brief flights. It was quite apparent that eagles are made for soaring and gliding, whereas owls are not! The parent eagle would glide by the youngster … making sure to caught its attention, but then land 200 yards distant. If the kid wanted food, it had to move / fly.

The other surprise of the morning was watching one of the Bald Eagle parents dry its feathers in the sun (remember … 3+ inches of rain). While I have often watched cormorants dry their feathers after fishing, I had never seen an eagle strike up the same pose!

Bald Eagle Chick (just after its first flight … begging for some food in the first image)

Drying Feathers!

Bald Eagle Back in the Nest Tree

Do You Hoot? (In the News!)

Year 7

John Myers, the Outdoors Writer for the Duluth News Tribune (my local paper), has just published a great article about me and the Amity Owls. I have been watching this family of Great Horned Owls since late last November when the parents first started romancing each other. Here is a photograph I took a little over one week ago of one of the owlets, now essentially full grown. I wrote a children’s book about my experience which may be downloaded for free from my web site.