Category Archives: Year 8

Great Horned Owl Triplets: They’re Back!

Year 8, ,

They’re back! Like a herd of dust in a cloud to turtles! I had been hoping the Great Horned Owl owlets would return to my favorite pine grove. As a reminder, I have been following the parents for three years, and each of the past two summers the owl family has moved back to my favorite pine grove for July and August. I had always felt the move corresponded to other birds fledging and thus prey opportunities had changed. Young Robins, Grackles, Flickers, Blue Jays and Crows are now great targets for young owls learning how to hunt.

Thus, this morning I was hiking by 5:30 am, and was shortly rewarded by spotting two owlets sitting within inches of each other. Although the photography conditions were still somewhat dark in the pine grove, I set the ISO high on my camera. For some strange reason, I could not get a focus lock. Yup, good photographers make dumb mistakes, and I made two such mistakes this morning.

  1. My lens was still set to manual focus (moon photography a few days ago)
  2. Above problem now being solved … while moving to a better vantage point … crack … I stepped on a dry stick. I know better. While my owls put up with me being close, they hate loud unexpected noises like a stick breaking. Both owlets flew off immediately.

After 30 minutes additional hiking I located the third owlet with some thanks to the local robin population which were clucking like crazy and helped me locate junior. Here are two images.

A wood duck family I found just after sunrise yesterday morning. The sun is very low in the sky, making me almost invisible to the duck family. The sun was directly behind me back. In the second photo, something caught the duck family’s attention, but I personally had no idea at what they all were looking.

Finally, here are two short videos taken over the past few days … the wood duck family and the Common Loon on its nest. (video links for email subscribers … wood ducks … common loon).

Sandhill Morning in Canosia Wildlife Preserve

Year 8

Live in Northland (or visiting the Duluth area)? Folks need to bird a hidden gem not known to most people named the Canosia State Wildlife Management Area. My favorite entry point is at the end of the public part of West Lismore Road (parking area and DNR trail gate). With a short round trip hike (1 mile) I can visit an active osprey nest, a huge Great Blue Heron rookery, and enjoy a large beaver dam which attracts all kinds of other birds and mammals (rookery involves some bushwacking). Keep your eyes open while driving along the Lismore Road (off Lavaque Road). The pond and surrounding woods often yield other sightings. Most years, early in the morning I find Sandhill Cranes.

Here are a few Sandhill Crane images I took at sunrise three days ago. My goal was to see if the Osprey chicks were yet making an appearance, but given they were still too tiny to really show above the edge of the nest, I spent time with the Sandhills. One photography note for these cranes. You need to take your photographs soon after sunrise. Their plumage is pretty but the light colors get blown out by bright sun later in the morning.

Northstar Memories and Magic

Year 8

Apparently yesterday’s post was popular. I heard from many of you via the comments, or privately. A rather large number of folks know the song My Paddle is Keen and Bright. This fact is not surprising.

While I normally do not post family photographs on my blog, I’ve decided to make an exception. This small Northwoods cabin was a major purchase for a young couple many years ago. Molly and I have never regretted spending the money. Our cabin is the kind of place most folks do not think still exists … small, cozy and warm. We do have running water pumped out of the lake, and a 1950’s era white GE refrigerator, but no microwave, TV, and heat other than a wood stove. In short Northstar Lake, “Hoeg Hollow”, is one of those special spots where families recharge and experience the passing of the years.

Molly kayaking under the Northern Lights

Three princesses and a ninja in front of the outhouse (all grandkids)

A selfie … watching last summer’s comet

The cabin …

Molly swimming with the loons …

Family boat rides … Spot and Cyrus. Spot was my fishing buddy for many years. She is buried at the cabin.

Magic nights … Milky Way overhead

Winter … wood stove heat … use the outhouse … running water is me (Dad) drilling hole with manual ice auger 200 yards offshore and “running” it back up to the cabin in buckets pulled on a sled.