Southbound Birding

Year 12

Stay tuned to learn if “boy birder” can find his feathered friends on his way south from near the Canadian border in northern Minnesota to the southern reaches of our beautiful country, Florida. He will escape the owl invasion of 2025, and hopefully discover new plumage power. This trip across our country from north to south will take 4 days, with a first stop in Green Bay Packer Country as he attempts to learn how three of his grandchildren ever came to be Cheeseheads.

Fact Check:

  • Bird Boy is almost 69 years old, but he still often acts like a little kid
  • The Owl Irruption will continue till at least March 1st. As crazy as this may seem, watching a Great Gray Owl is almost becoming boring. The key word here is “almost”.
  • This epic journey will be repeated later this month, Northbound Birding.
  • The journey begins now in the pre-dawn darkness of northern Minnesota. Les and Amy are hooting their love as I put the final items in our car.

10 Owls Can’t be Wrong!

Year 12

This winter birding season is crazy … crazy good in many respects. Yesterday a friend came north from the Twin Cities to hopefully see some Great Gray Owls. Anyhow, “old gray” came through and in only 3 hours of birding we saw ten owls … four by ourselves without another human present.

Another crazy aspect about this winter’s birding is twice in the past week I have gone out looking for Pine Grosbeaks. These beautiful birds this winter are a much harder find than owls. In fact I have only seen two Pine Grosbeaks all winter. I have lost track of how many Great Gray Owls I have watched.

Some pics from yesterdays’ owling … I only photographed 8 of the 10. I let my friend photograph the other two owls. Don’t miss the hunt images or the Ruffed Grouse at the end of the post.

Great Gray Owl #1

Great Gray Owl #2

Great Gray Owl #3

Great Gray Owl #4 (Signs of an Irruption)

Great Gray Owl #5

Great Gray Owl #6

Great Gray Owl #7

Great Gray Owl #8 (The Hunt … Unsuccessful)

Closely inspect these next two images. The owl is essentially hovering in place, but losing altitude as it adjusts its attack using sound triangulation. A Great Gray’s ears are offset and its brain essentially uses trigonometry to collect the sound and determine attack vectors.

Two Ruffed Grouse

Grouse #1

Grouse #2

On the Waterfront Before Sunrise

Year 12

I took time out from birding yesterday morning to enjoy snow and ice with some industrial stuff down at the Duluth Harbor. The bridge is the old Interstate Bridge which closed just before Christmas in 1961. I can just barely remember this bridge in my early childhood memorials (learn more about the bridge from the Duluth News Tribune). The remaining piers are used now as a fishing platform. One may walk out next to the shipping channel.

After reliving childhood memories at the bridge, I drove over the the Port Terminal and photographed this laker. The shipping season has about three weeks left. Thus, this ore boat may just be taking a short break.

I also had a fun time all by myself with the Northern Hawk Owl two evenings ago. I really enjoyed the solitude. While I am glad other folks are getting to experience the owl irruption, I miss having the Great Grays all to myself (selfish … I know). The crows are getting crazy at one location, which I am now avoiding.