Tag Archives: MN North: Canosia Wildlife Area

Northern Harrier Nest!

Year 10
There are epic days while out birding, and seven days ago I had just such a day/find. I left home at 5:30 am and had actually not seen much, till my last stop of the morning when I found a Northern Harrier nest!!!!
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Actually, I know where the nest was located (young now fledged), but could not actually see the nest. Northern Harriers nest on the ground on small raised mounds of land in the middle of bogs. It is impossible to see their nests unless you are a glutton for punishment. One would need to wade through the swamp / bog braving all the horse flies, mosquitoes, other bugs to get anywhere near the actual nest. I stayed on dry land!
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A few days prior to my find I had noticed a male and female Northern Harrier on the wing at this location. The female dove down into the Bog, and disappeared. Seeing two harriers together made me wonder if a nest was in the vicinity and when I returned to that location … jackpot!  I now saw four harriers together … Mom and her three juveniles. In the intervening two days the young had fledged and often sat in a nearby dead Tamarack Pine. I proceeded to watch the juvenile Northern Harriers for hours. Their acrobatics as the young hawks learned to fly told me where the nest was located. The juvenile harriers would dive to the ground out of sight … at the same exact spot.
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Here are some images I have taken over the past seven days of the Northern Harriers.
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All Three Juvenile Northern Harriers

Learning to Fly

One Juvenile Landed on a Remote Road

More Images ...

I took all of my Harrier photographs from quite a distance while seated in my car. My tool for camera stabilization is a “bean bag mount”. I love the medium sized bag from Grizzly. They are inexpensive mounts and a person may place it directly on the window frame of a car. I have also placed mine on rocks, tree stumps, etc. to get a stable camera platform. It is easier to carry in a small backpack than a tripod. One does need to fill the bag with your favorite “stuffing. I am using dried peas! Link to the Grizzly company. I bought mine via Amazon … minimal cost.

Raspberries +Thimbleberries = Owls!

Year 10, , ,

I had my first “yummy” owl hike yesterday afternoon. Summer’s berries are becoming ripe in the Northwoods, and the birds (and small mammals) are very aware of this fact. For me ripening berries means I get to snack as I walk, but it also attracts other consumers which are perfect prey for young owls learning to hunt. In one of my bigger berry patches I found both Great Horned Owlets yesterday afternoon. Thimbleberries like shade, and the owls love the fact that this fruit grows underneath some of their favorite white pine perches.

I am pretty certain FuzzBall is the owlet in the back of these photographs. Fuzz is the older owlet, and thus has darker plumage. Junior still looks younger. Regardless, it was great to find them.

The Osprey Twins are getting big! As I drove past them once again an hour later Mom Osprey had left them in the nest alone for the first time. Big chicks require both parents actively fishing.

Once I actually got to Sax-Zim Bog, my best “bird” was this Alligator Snapping Turtle on Admiral Road. I was hoping I might find a few juvenile Great Gray Owls. I did see multiple Northern Harrier Couples hunting. Just like the Osprey family, the Harriers need to have both parents hunting for their young.

Finally, as the sun rose a bit in the sky and the day warmed, I was reminded by this Red Fox Kit of the song … Bring Back the Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer.

In closing pay attention to mid Summer to late Summer food sources. The birds are not starting to actively use these foods. Here on the shores of Lake Superior, some of the first southern migrants are now appearing as they leave the Arctic and start their long journeys to winter habitat. Remember, during the fall migration, birds will often linger in an area for significant periods of time if good food sources are near by.

In my own garden, the Bee Balm is starting to bloom, which means Chardonnay and Hummers!

Canosia Wildlife Preserve Osprey Fish Delivery

Year 10

Chicks are hungry, and starting to get BIG! Most of the raptor nests in the Northland are very busy right now, and the parents are having to spend an increasing amount of the day hunting. Within days most of the chicks will be large enough that moms will leave the nests and also start hunting (no need to protect the chicks). Actually with the Canosia Wildlife Preserve Ospreys they are actually fishing. This is just one of three active nests near the preserve.

Although it required over an hour of waiting near the nest, my patience was rewarded when Dad Osprey came flying in with a good sized fish about 8 am. Makes you wonder if he caught and had his breakfast before delivering to the nest?!

Here is the sequence of images documenting the fish delivery. If you maximize the final image you will be able to see two chicks. Wisely they kept low and out of the way till Dad left the nest. The third image best shows the fish in the Osprey’s talons. Enjoy!