Category Archives: Year 8

56,038 Blue Jays Can’t Be Wrong!

Year 8,

Last year on September 22nd I wrote a post titled, 48,056 Blue Jays Can’t Be Wrong! This was the official count from Hawk Ridge, which is near my house. In fact, it was a record year for jays. Well, 2021 has now outdone 2020. The count as of this morning, September 26th is 56,038. If you like the color blue, you should be happy. It is a Blue Jay Bonanza.

Even though my yard has Blue Jays present all the time, I went birding yesterday afternoon to find Blue Jays (I know, sounds stupid). Not too surprisingly I was successful. My two stops were Stoney Point (a location that sticks out into Lake Superior near Knife River, Minnesota … a good migration stop) and the new public feeders at my church, French River Lutheran Church.

These first three images are taken at a small patch of sunflowers I found near the intersection of Alseth and Stoney Point Drive.

A Close-Up

Student Body

A Red-Breasted Nuthatch insisted on having its photograph taken. The bird reminded me of question I was asked by a young child while I was doing a public bird book reading at the library … “Why do nuthatches walk upside down?” I did not know the answer, but you can “bet your sweet bippy” I learned that fact immediately. The answer is by walking upside down on the trunk of a tree, nuthatches gain a perspective of finding bugs not seen by other birds. Very intelligent!

Post Ground Fog Owl Hunt

Year 8

I was not planning on heading over to Sax-Zim Bog yesterday morning, but when I got up and checked the weather forecast … ground fog burning off by 8 am followed by clear, crisp, light wind weather, I changed my mind and went “bog birding”. My hope was that after two nights of heavy fog, and now a morning of light winds I would find a Great Gray Owl out hunting long past day break just because it was hungry. My rationale was owls hate rain and other damp conditions (like ground fog). One of the compromises that allows owls to hunt and fly silently is their feathers, unlike other birds, are not very water resistant. Other things being equal, a Great Gray Owl will avoid hunting in wet conditions, and perch in an area that helps protect if from the wet weather.

Did I hit the jackpot! I found an owl hunting when I arrived in the Bog at 8:15 am. The owl did not retreat to the forest for a daytime perch till 10:45 am, 2.5 hours later. During this entire time, I watched the owl hunt … often from a distance of 30 yards. In fact, the owl  at one point snatched a vole only 10 yards in front of me. It is exhilarating to have a raptor flying directly at you … eye level … and then smash into the ground where you can almost touch the bird.

Anyhow … here are lots of photographs from yesterday. While it is nice to bird with friends, I was by myself the entire time. Given everything I have been through with my heart, it was extra special to enjoy such a dramatic morning with nature … just me and the owl. My batteries were recharged.

Great Gray Owl Take-Off

Tightrope Walking (see video post)

Fall Colors Pine Grove (I have no idea what the owl was watching high up in the sky … third image down … I could not see anything)

Tall Grasses Hunt (the owl attacked a vole only 10 yards from me … hard to back off a lens when you are this close)

Final Morning Hunt

Some other raptors from yesterday! I don’t just watch owls. American Kestrel and Red-Tailed Hawk.

If you’re still with me … a video of the Great Gray Owl hunting in the pine grove (video link for email subscribers)