Tag Archives: MN North: Lester River

Distracted Before Sunrise!

Year 11,

This morning I got distracted on the way to a pre-sunrise appointment. As I approached my car, I noted Les, Poppa Great Horned Owl, was still hooting … albeit slowly and softly. I thought, I wonder if Les would answer me??? I stood in my dark driveway 45 minutes before sunrise and started hooting. Apparently my hoots weren’t too horrible. Les answered me and started calling out much louder and more frequently!

Realizing I really needed to get going, I jumped in the car and started the drive to my appointment, but I did not get far. Once again I became distracted. The pre-dawn light  over Lake Superior was wunderbar … with the Lester River Bridge and its antique lights in the foreground. I pulled over and a photo session ensured. Thankfully the great folks at Essentia’s Cardiac Rehab know me well, and understand both owls and sunrises occasionally make it difficult for me to arrive on time. Today was one of those mornings. Do you hoot in the dark? I do!!

Lester River Bridge Lake Superior Pre-Dawn Light

Amy … the object of Poppa Owl’s (Les) affections and hoots. Image taken this afternoon.

Fuzz Ball is Doing Fine!

Year 10, ,

The Great Horned Owlet I rescued two nights ago is doing fine. Even after last night’s 37F low temperature, the little owl is still very alert and tracking well. Getting the youngster back up into the nest tree was difficult, but the right action. Given the bird was still so very young, it was not able to branch, climb or make short flights. After an assessment that there were no injuries, some assistance was required. It is also obvious that the parents are definitely feeding the owlet at night. There is lots of poop present!

Here are three images of the owlet’s family from over the past two days. In the first photo its sibling seems to be wondering … where is Fuzz Ball? While in the second and third pics Momma Owl stands guard (sunset and sunrise pics). Crow attacks are common.

The other owlet

Sunset Guard Duty

Sunrise Guard Duty

While I have not had much time to get anywhere else birding as Fuzz Ball has been my focus, three days ago I made a quick trip up to Sax-Zim Bog (Gray Jay / Canada Jay), and I found a Common Merganser couple had moved into Lester River now that the current has slowed way down.

Meet Me at Lester River!

Year 9,

Lester River has finally turned on! Our huge snowfalls and rains meant the river flow has been extremely high this spring / summer, but with August approaching the current speed has finally fallen to late summer velocities. The end result is food may finally be more easily found within the river … for fishing and bug eating birds. This morning when the sun rose high enough in the sky to start kissing the ravine’s river bottom (about 7:30 am), feeding got real busy.

One wants to bird on the “non lake” side … not the mouth of the river on the Lake Superior side of the highway. If traffic is difficult, use the Lakewalk tunnel to safely pass under the road. Your birding should be two fold. First use the overlooks and viewpoints next to the ravine to scope things out. I quickly determined three young kingfisher chicks were demanding to be fed, and the local cedar waxwing population was ambusing bugs from tree tops and branches. Activity slowed down by 9 am.

Cedar Waxwing’s

Belted Kingfisher

Hooded Merganser (female w/o much of a hood … perhaps a juvenile)

A Merlin Surveys the Area and Scouts for Breakfast at Stoney Point