Yesterday the weather was horrible with an Alberta Clipper (3 inches of snow plus 45 mph wind gusts), but the two days that bookended were fantastic! One day was cloudy, and one day was sunny. I am pretty certain this is the same owl. Enjoy, I know I did. This evening I was privileged to watch a peregrine falcon attack the owl for over 20 minutes!
Tuesday Snowy Owl
Thursday Snowy Owl (just a few minutes before sunset)
Summer is here! The lupine are blooming on the North Shore of Lake Superior! Oh yes … there was also a steam engine train this morning! Enjoy the whistle in the video.
Steam Train & Whistle (steam engine lupine video link for email subscribers)
#duluthtrains #visitduluth #exploreminnesota
Yesterday afternoon I found a Barred Owl in some Duluth prime habitat … tall trees with lots of cavities near wetlands and a small pond. Over the next few weeks I will see if the owl agrees with me and it wants to nest in this area. I hope.
Duluth Barred Owl
And I was super careful to not flush or scare the owl … it was sleeping by the time I left.
Tomorrow morning it is off to Sax-Zim Bog before sunrise. Part of my search will also include hoping to narrow down nesting territories. While Great Horned Owls nest in late January to February, Barred and Great Grays are now thinking of love. My owling plan is to arrive on Admiral Road around 7am … 15 minutes before sunrise … and then bird Admiral, McDavitt and Arkola Roads in that order. My logic is it has been both relatively cold and super windy for the past few days. Tonight’s forecast has continued strong winds plus a good chance of precipitation, but a few hours before dawn the weather is supposed to change … much lighter winds with cloud cover till around 9 am. I am hoping to find hungry GGO’s and a the bonus would be finding females being fed. Temperature will be chilly … 10F with chill factor down around -7F. The Bog is now almost 100% devoid of other birders. Thus, I will have all these areas to myself.