Always put off supper! I was about to lay and light the BBQ for dinner when I learned a Northern Saw-whet owl was snoozing away the afternoon up at Hawk Ridge (only two miles from my house). I quickly told my wife dinner would be delayed!

Speaking of owls … don’t forget about my book rollout event on Saturday, Snowy’s Search for Color. See details (children’s book readings and adult birding seminars … free)

The owl was just beginning to wake up 50 minutes before sunset!

Most of the time, the Northern Saw-whet looked like this … ZZZzzz

Northern Minnesota can be a strange place. Yesterday I spent the day at my small Northwoods cabin near the Canadian border. I had to deal with a ice blockage in my water system. Yes … it’s been a cold spring. When I remarked upon this about the “strangeness” of blowing out ice in a water system, two friends commented about similar experiences they had had in the past few days. One person was trying to plant white pines in a boggy section of her yard. Her shovel hit ice one inch down into the ground. The second person has a pile of dirt which she wants to use for gardening, but the dirt pile is frozen a few inches deep. In my case, this is the second time in 30 years of owning our cabin where I have had to combat the Minnesota permafrost.

This morning yelled Spring! The blossoms are finally blooming up on Hawk Ridge. One crap apple tree was particularly beautiful, and I waited for the birds to pose for photo ops. Thankfully the blossoms attract bugs which attract birds. Life is good!

Indigo Bunting Blue Morning!

Black-Capped Chickadee

Red-Eyed Vireos and Chestnut-Sided Warblers need to learn to pose in my desired tree!