Signs of Spring Birding

Year 12

As I type this post the temperature is depth charging to the minus teens below zero (not including windchill). In addition snowstorms will be hitting the northland at least through the end of March. Yet here we are midway through February and birds are starting to think of spring:

  • Black-Capped Chickadees are singing their mating calls
  • Great Horned Owls have ALREADY nested
  • Snow Bunting are migrating north through the area on their way up to the Arctic Ocean (yes … the Northward Spring Migration IS in progress)
  • Sharp-Tailed Grouse are starting to dance on their LEK’s

Finally,  Tom Turkeys are now strutting, displaying and courting their lady loves! This guy was doing his best to impress a female gaggle of turkeys. Regardless, enjoy the current blast of winter and start looking for spring activity.

Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks

Year 12,

Welcome to Arctic Riviera Birding Habitat Walks! This will be a new addition to my blog. At Christmas I acquired a very small drone which will allow me to create birding habitat videos. I will only take videos of habitat, not birds! Drones are known for scaring birds which which would never be my goal. Instead I plan to introduce readers to the habitat at the various locations where I bird in Northeastern Minnesota! Eventually the walks will be added to my Northeastern Minnesota Birding Locations and be available linked via the free PDF download.

I am still learning my DJI NEO; thus I ask your understanding with these first “walks” as I am learning a new technology. My first walk introduces you to Amity Creek and the forest which surrounds my house including a frozen waterfall named THE Deeps. My second walk took place up at Greenwood Lake, and only 1/4 mile from my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. While on my second walk I head out onto an ice road, a rather unique kind of road only found in the far north. One may actually drive a car out onto an ice road!

Video Links for email subscribers to my blog:

Of course since this post once again talks about Arctic Riviera Birding, here are some Great Gray Owl photographs I took this morning in Two Harbors … temperature of -12F at dawn. Three unique owls were photographed. Apparently owl #2 did not get the instructions and was just sleeping in the sun!

Owl #1 and Lighthouse #1

Owl #2

Owl #3 and Lighthouse #2 (sea smoke!)

At times the lighthouse featured directly above totally disappeared from view because of the sea smoke!

 

Birding the Arctic Riviera in NE Minnesota

Year 12, ,

I had already planned on using this title, Arctic Riviera, the focus of my next post. After all, the temperature fell to -34F (not windchill) this morning as I headed out long before sunrise. My goal was to find Pine Grosbeaks, which are a MUCH more difficult find this year than Great Gray Owls (go figure). Yes, Pine Grosbeaks are staying up north in Canada due to a banner Boreal forest food crop, while Great Gray Owls have pressed south in almost record numbers (joining our native Great Grays).

At my first Pine Grosbeak stop on a remote dirt road, I put the passenger front window down to listen for these finches. I easily recognize their call, but nada. Upon attempting to raise the window, nothing happened. Remember, the current air temperature was -34F. Repeated attempts to raise the window failed, including the window reprogramming trick I learned years ago for Subarus. In the end the window went up a few inches but then refused to budge further. I suspect my car did not like the severe cold.

Time out … often in this blog I have talked about the need for emergency kits. In addition to extra car keys, I carry extra warm clothes including choppers (warm mittens), a towing cable, a bow saw, jumper cables, and now a self jumping kit. The warm clothes came in handy as I needed to drive the almost 50 miles home at highway speed with the windows open. Even with the heater on it was a chilling experience.

Thus, I talk about birding the Arctic Riviera. Lake Superior’s North Shore / Forest is the riviera for many Boreal and Tundra Birds. Leading me to express how much fun I had yesterday with two difference owls:

  1. I visited the Two Harbors Great Gray Owls and had fun photographing them moments after day break with both the lighthouse and sea smoke in the images! This is a true trifecta of three items into one photograph, and Sea Smoke only forms when the difference between Lake Superior’s surface water (just above 32F and the air temperature … well below zero … is extreme)
  2. Yesterday afternoon I found a new Snowy Owl … its location known only to me! During this owl irruption, it has been difficult to have a “private viewing” with an owl. Eventually I will share the location with a few good birding friends, but for the moment it was just Snowy and me!
  3. Both of these owls are visitors who are enjoying the Arctic Riviera and came from “Up North”.

Rich’s Snowy Owl (I have no idea what the Snowy Owl saw in the final image, but the hunt was on!)

Great Gray Owl, Sea Smoke and a Lighthouse