Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Bohemian Waxwings ID’d by my Haikubox!

Year 11

500+ Bohemian Waxwings stopped by for lunch yesterday. I was peacefully eating my own sandwich, oblivious to the outside world when my Haikubox notifications went off on my phone. I stepped over to the window, and Uff Dah! It was a mass feeding frenzy 50 yards away. The Bohemians quickly stripped the mountain ash trees in my yard of their berries, and then moved across the road to a large stand of buckthorn (interesting study from the University of Minnesota on Buckthorn and Birds) stripping those trees of their fruit in minutes.

So what the heck is a Haikubox? The answer is … a small device that listens 24×7 to birdsong and is hooked up to the Cornell School of Ornithology. I choose the species about which I wish to be notified, like Bohemian Waxwings, but not Black-Capped Chickadees. I like the little guys, but given my seven bird feeders, my phone would be sounding constantly with notifications. Instead I choose to be notified about any new specie, birds returning during the spring or fall migration, and my local favorites (like my local Great Horned Owls). You may wish to read my full Haikubox review. As always I receive ZERO compensation for any birding device I review, or any other financial consideration.

Bohemian Waxwings of Amity Creek

Bohemians … the Movie! (video link for email subscribers)

In total I watched the waxwings for over an hour. After they stripped the trees of their fruit in my yard, and across the road next to Amity Creek, they moved upstream. I followed for about 1.5 miles eventually finding a small bridge behind which I could hide and use as a bird blind.

Near my yard

Upstream by the bridge

If you’re still with me, here is a screenshot of my Haikubox notifications and my hiding spot next to the bridge. The Bohemian Waxwings would fly by under the span and land on the ice near me.

Great Horned Owl Loves its Winter Perch

Year 11,

How do I know this fact? Every morning for the past 25 days I have checked in on my friend, and Poppa Great Horned Owl is always on its favorite perch. Thus, what defines a great perch?

  • Near where his “lady love” sometimes comes for a visit
  • Protected and hidden from above and those pesky crows.
  • Shielded both from fierce winds off Lake Superior, and out of the NW

I have tried to find where Momma Great Horned Owl likes to perch, but other than a general idea I have failed. However, the duo seems to be interested in a couple of nesting spots near where Poppa resides … we shall see. I took this image a few days ago shortly after sunrise.

I do know that the owls hunt my feeders. 3 nights ago around 4:00 am I heard a hooting duet outside my bedroom window (we keep a window open all winter long …). Anyhow I threw on a jacket and went out on the deck in my PJ’s. The stench of skunk was strong, and I knew Pepe Le Pew had met its demise. Great Horned Owls are one of the few animals or birds willing to prey on skunks. It was obvious what had happened. There were two skunks that visited our bird feeders every night … my trailcams now only show one. I suspect the duet during the early morning hours took place after Poppa fed Momma skunk (normal this time of year … she is developing eggs)

On a sad note, a friend let informed me that the Sax-Zim Bog Snowy Owl was struck by a train around noon yesterday. Unfortunately this owl obviously liked to hunt near the tracks. Yesterday it was actually sitting on the tracks, and did not move away fast enough. The owl most likely did not understand trains which do not exist in the Arctic.

SuperbOwl Sunday

Year 11

It has become traditional for those of us who don’t “live for the Super Bowl”, but love birding to focus upon a certain effort on a particular Sunday in February. In my case it may be withdrawal symptoms from sitting through four Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl defeats during my high school and college days. My friends at college loved to tell me how my much loved Vikings were choke artists. I had problems not agreeing with the sentiment.

Regardless, I decided to focus of SuperbOwl Sunday today. Shortly after sunrise we had a rare commodity here at the Head of the Lakes, sun! I easily found, Les, my love struck Poppa Great Horned Owl. This morning Les was not willing to wake up. Unless you are a photographer that is a good thing … the owl was obviously not stressed by my being in the vicinity.

This afternoon, I returned to the Lester / Amity Forest Trails. For a long time the owl ignored me. In fact, while it looks like Les is looking at me in the second image, he only perked up when  two cyclists rode on the trail ten feet below my spot, and near his white pine. The cyclists never saw me or the owl.  Happy #SuperbOwlSunday.