How could I have missed it??! National Squirrel Appreciation Day was only a few days back on January 21st. I even had a very recent taken photo of a squirrel … one of two Black Squirrels hanging out at the French River Bird Lutheran Bird Feeders. The black squirrels are somewhat rare up here in the Northland. Anyhow … somewhat belatedly … for National Squirrel Appreciation Day … here you go.
And the bird feeders I recommend to keep these pesky critters at bay (post 1 | post 2)
The last two mornings I have visited and hiked in the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area (and environs). Yesterday I saw nothing except white, but no birds or mammals. Today was the exact opposite, and wildlife was asking to be captured by my camera!
The most surprising event of the day was when a Red Fox Ran in front of me, but then came back to check me out. Color “red” curious. The fox walked within 8 feet of me, and looked me over. I guess I was boring because after a few moments it sauntered away (not run). I love the fact that I live near enough deep wilderness that mammals and birds are sometimes not scared of me.
And the fox decides to leave the boring human!
<Flash><We interrupt this post for an owl walk!> It is 7:15 pm and about 2.5 hours after sunset. My owls are hooting! (rather common this time of year). I have watched my local Great Horned Owls raise their families for five years … this will be the sixth. The earliest they have ever nested in February 8th. The latest was almost two months later in early April. My belief is the the severity of the winter dictates the nesting date. This winter is so mild I expect nesting to begin early, and maybe mild temperatures will mean triplets.
<Back to the post at 7:40 pm … a 25 minute hike in the dark>
Before I met Mr. Fox, I found this Black-Backed Woodpecker. I never would have found the woodpecker if I had not stopped to listen. My feet crunching on the snow during my hike drowned out the sounds of the woodpeckers. However occasionally I stop to listen, and this male bird was only 10 yards away from me, but in deep cover.
Moving on from the woodpecker pair (yes, I marked the territory of a pair for early this visiting summer), I found this Snowshoe Hare.
I love the “hop sequence of images!”
Finally, I said I was Birding in a World of White. The last two days have seen frozen fog flocked on all the trees. It’s gorgeous!
This definitely fits my January 10th Anniversary Hashtag theme of #365Birds01White
The Duluth / Superior Shipping Season ended two days ago on January 17, and will not resume until this spring on approximately March 25, 2024. The formal opening depends upon the amount of ice down at the Soo Locks. I had fun watching the Heritage Marine Tug, the Helen H. and the US Coast Guard Cutter, Spar, break ice. The law requires the Coast Guard to keep the shipping channels open, but the shipping companies must pay tug boat companies to keep the slips and wharves ice free. The ice breaking effort was to make it possible for the ore boat / freighter, the John G. Munson, to dock for the winter. In total eight freighters are doing their winter layover in our harbor (maintenance, repairs and upgrades). Much of the work is performed at the Fraser Shipyards.
The end result was the John. G. Munson was able to dock. I took this photo that night after the Munson had arrived. The ice has already refrozen and locked the freighter in her winter home. Three videos of the ice breaking operations follow the still images. 
The Helen H. combined with the US Coast Guard Cutter, Spar, to break the harbor ice.
And some videos of the ice breaking operations … (links for email subscribers: one | two | three)
This definitely fits my January 10th Anniversary Hashtag theme of #365Birds01White