Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Owlets Growing!

Year 8,

My Great Horned Owlets are growing fast. About one week ago I could barely see them in the nest. Now, by 3:15 pm … long before sunset … both parents were hunting to satisfy their demands for food. I remember my own Mom claiming I was a bottomless pit when came to eating. The twins are similar, and always want to eat.

Momma Owl coming back from a hunt. Which way do you think the wind is blowing?

Guard Duty …

The other reason for the earlier than normal hunting may be our ugly weather. Today is finally dry without fog or high winds … much better hunting conditions.

This morning I took time off from the owls to check local ponds. The number of waterfowl is still not large, but I did enjoy seeing Mr. and Mrs. Bufflehead. They are an early migrant as they will nest near the Arctic Ocean.

Rain Bird Migration

Year 8

The weather has been horrible the past three days … 40F, high winds, rain, and today … dense, dense fog. Given the winds have been out of the Northeast, you would think any self-respecting songbird would hang tight and wait for favorable conditions, but nooooo!

My feeders have been visited by Common Redpolls, Slate Colored Juncos, Fox Sparrows, American Tree Sparrows, Pine Siskins, and even one Yellow-Rumped Warbler (plus my local usual suspects). While it may seem crazy to keep feeders out early in the spring (think Black Bears), and I will have my feeders ripped down, these birds ARE hungry. I get to see warblers eating suet; siskins eating suet, and redpolls eating suet. None of these birds normally eat these foods, but when your starving …

Most of the these birds are headed up to the northern Boreal Forest or the southern Tundra. The photographic conditions have been horrible … very low light and long shutter speeds. However about one year ago I first tried “auto haze remover” for Lake Superior Fog. It works pretty well.

Common Redpoll (female)

American Tree Sparrow

Owl Photo of the Day … Wet Mom

Not to be outdone … Wet Owlet.

Mom was only sitting five feet from the nest, directly on the other side of the trunk. How many of you Moms ever hid from your children before?!

Mom on the Guard … Ponds Melt

Year 8,

Yesterday was significant in turns of birding in NE Minnesota … two big events:

  1. Pond Ice Out
  2. Mom is Off the Nest

The big storm that took place two nights ago dumped enough rain, and created additional current in areas streams that any pond with a decent inlet / outlet is now ice free. In addition, after almost two months straight on the nest, Mom Great Horned Owl is now helping out Dad Owl with hunting duties. She still sits very close to the nest most of the time (ten feet away), but just not in the nest. Her owlets are getting to large.

This photograph was taken at Hartley Nature Center. Although the Trumpeter Swans indicated their displease with the presence of the Canada Geese, the swans were obviously just migrating through. If they had planned to nest at Hartley, they never would have allowed the geese in such close proximity. Ice Out on the ponds mean the duck migration will not really start in force (perhaps delayed by the forecast NE winds over the next week).

Meanwhile back at the old homestead, my Pileated Woodpecker visits many times per day. The male (pictured below) uses any one of three trees as sounding boards and drills his territorial announcements while the female eats. Once she is done, he moves down to the suet. I like to keep the meat suet up for the woodpeckers at this time of year. I wonder when my first bird feeder bear attack of the season will occur? Real beef suet is aromatic, and will definitely attract Yogi and Boo Boo.