Tag Archives: MN North: Duluth

No Noose for the Duluth Mongoose!

Year 10,

Strange title? Yup, but it you are a child of the 1960’s you might remember this catchy phrase because my home town had the ONLY mongoose in the United States. Citizens of Duluth lobbied hard both the Secretary of the Interior, Mo Udall, and Senator Hubert Humphrey in an attempt to save our mongoose, Mr. Magoo! This small mammal had arrived illegally in America via an Indian sailor on a grain vessel. Given mongooses (mongeese??) reproduce rapidly and kill small birds and other rodents, the American government did not want any mongooses in the U.S.A.

Fast forward many years and this morning I watched a mongoose search for breakfast in Hawaii’s Lava Tree State Park. Anyhow, I am happy to tell you that citizens’ of Duluth’s efforts were successful and Mr. Magoo was saved. I hope you enjoy my images and video … and a blast back to the past. Our mayor at the time, George Johnson, was invited to appear on the TV Show, “To Tell the Truth”. His part of the episode about Mr. Magoo starts at the 8 minute mark of the YouTube Video (video link for email subscribers). My media is below the YouTube video of “To Tell the Truth”

Lava Tree State Park Mongoose (video link for email subscribers)

Meet Smokey, the Great Gray Owlet!

Background, Year 10,

Smokey, the Great Gray Owl chick is looking for a rainbow, and the first draft of his children’s picture book story is now completed (written and photographed). I took these images many moons ago on a damp, foggy summer day in Sax-Zim Bog. It was one of my most special times birding. Only one other time in my life have I ever found two Great Gray Owlets. Thankfully I kept the original image files from straight out of my camera, which allowed me to rework the photos for my upcoming new book. My skill at photo editing is now much more refined than when I first met Smokey (Smokey is the Great Gray Owlet on the right of the image)

In the second image, Smokey is begging for food … like most toddlers! The chick’s parent was sitting in a tree about 50 yards distant, and totally ignoring the screech.

A video of the two owlets (video link for email subscribers)

And my first bird photographs of 2023 … year 10 of this journey! I have seen this Snowy Owl a number of times including when these images were taken yesterday afternoon. This morning I searched for Snowy for 35 minutes before sunrise, hoping for a sunrise image. Not! My first images of 2023 were almost of Snow Buntings. I found a flock of over 200 birds, and waited and hoped they would fly towards me. Once again, not!

Snowy Owls Times Two!

Year 9

I had a great time watching not one, but two Snowy Owls hunt yesterday afternoon. At one point the female took exception to the male hunting near her winter territory, and chased the male out of the area. Like most owls, female Snowy Owls are larger than the males, but their feather coloration is also different. As a male approaches maturity it becomes increasingly “snowy white” and loses most of its black streaking. A male Snowy Owl that might be six years normally is “snowy white”. Learn more about Snowy Owls via the Owl Institute’s web page dedicated to Snowy Owls.

Here are my two Snowys. The first image was taken yesterday afternoon of the female. The second image was taken two days ago of the male. Note how the male (a young male which is likely is not yet of breeding age) is much more white.

Female Snowy Owl

Male Snowy Owl

Remember, if you like Snowy Owls, I give away PDF full versions of my children’s picture book, Snowy’s Search for Color. Learn more and get a copy. Printed copies will be available again in January.