Category Archives: Year 8

Cyborg Birding

Year 8,

My adult children say better a Cyborg, than a Borg! Events over the past three days have been interesting:

  • 3 mornings ago: Watch Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise (bike ride in afternoon)
  • 2 days ago: Rest day prior to surgery when it was moved up by almost 7 weeks
  • Yesterday: Surgery

Without going into all the details, I am doing fine this morning (post surgery). My planned Ablation (blocks extra electronic signals in the heart) turned into a Pacemaker Replacement to get a new model implanted which 100% controls your heart. Some pacemakers assist the heart, but the more complex “3 lead” versions totally control the heart. Shut my pacemaker down now, and you shut me down.

I am beginning to feel like the “6 Million Dollar Man” for those of you that remember the TV show from the early 1970’s (TV video trailer link for email subscribers). You would need to be a “sci-fi freak” (which I am) to understand my Cyborg / Borg opening sentence. The statement was sent by one of my kids after I texted them this video clip last night. Towards the end of the video, the narrator talks about all the operations and devices installed in “Colonel Steve Austin”. (Wikipedia link)

Over the next 7 to 14 days after recovery from surgery I will learn my new normal. Prior to this point, I got tired very easily but was still pushing my myself to hike, bike and bird. Birding and blogging will be part of the new equation.

Now on to some birding. As noted three mornings back I had the good fortune to watch a Great Gray Owl hunt just after sunrise. Given the combination of ground fog and forest fire smoke, the light was a bit subdued which kept my friend out past sunrise. The owl’s feathers were quite wet from diving into sopping wet grasses. Here are a few of the images I took …

How many of you have Guard Dogs? or at least does Fido let you know when strangers appear? While I don’t have a dog anymore, I do have a “Guard Hummingbird”. Apparently my Bee Balm is prime stuff and worth guarding from other hummingbirds. This female or immature male has set up shop in a small dead tree ten yards from my flowers. Any other hummingbird which appears get quickly chased away! I like these photos because it gives a clear view of the hummer’s feathers.

Smoke Town Birding

Year 8

Have you ever heard of S.A.D.? Seasonal Affective Disorder is a depression (Mayo Clinic Link) most common as the amount of daylight shortens as winter approaches. In much of America this summer, the disorder should be renamed to Smoke Affective Disorder. If you’ve looked up in the sky almost anywhere in the United States or Canada, blue skies are extremely rare as smoke fills the skies from forest fires.

When I got up this morning it was dark at sunrise. An hour later it was still dark. I hate all this wildfire smoke. The forest fire season started early this year due to the drought, and will likely last till the fall rains come in September. Ugh. Do you have S.A.D.? I certainly do.

Regardless, I did go birding around 10 am this morning … very late for me. Stopping at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, I was pleased to find three green herons hunting the pond with islands. I suspect there is a nest tucked into the willow trees on the island. Even with S.A.D., I had fun!

Some notes:

  1. I’ll be offline for about one week. Was thrilled to learn some heart surgery was moved up 1.5 months to Thursday. I am doing fine, but still have issues related to my new heart valve. Not in any danger.
  2. Yogi continues to attack my bird feeders. I am stubborn in keeping them up all summer long. The latest attacked was at 3:30 am two night ago. Heard and then saw Yogi. He is BIG!
  3. The Great Horned Owl chicks start begging every night about 9:15 pm. Occasionally they visit my yard. Have not been able to find their daytime perching spot. If you live in Duluth Lakeside and hear night time screeching look up to the tops of the trees. You may see an owl silhouetted against the sky.
  4. The second Red-Headed Woodpecker nest ever found in Duluth (any year) was successful!
  5. There are some Chukars running around Duluth Lakeside. As these birds would be crazy out of range, must be escapees from a game farm, . Tend to be found around 46th Avenue East.

Begging Blue Jays

Year 8

The official winter migration south begins today, August 1st. Although it may seem like we are still in the midst of summer, the food sources will soon get scarcer. Birds know this fact, and many species are already working their way south:

Current migration conditions for today. Hummingbirds and Arctic Shorebirds are already well into their migrations. Birds that eat bugs will be next. While Spring migration is a quick affair, during the Fall, birds will pause their movements southward and linger if a good food source is apparent.

The latest to fledge in the Amity Woods are Blue Jays. Here are three photos … one of an adult flanked by two “begging kids”. Do these juvenile Blue Jays ever remind you of your own children?!