Tag Archives: WI North: Richard Bong Airport

Polar Vortex Northern Lights

Year 6, ,

The Polar Vortex is over! As I type out this post on Saturday morning it is a balmy 13F above zero (-10.5C)! Given there is no wind and the sun is shining, my ski will be heavenly a bit later this morning.

My own “last hurrah” was photographing the Aurora Borealis two nights ago. When my Northern Lights alarm awakened me at 12:30 am, a quick check of the technical numbers and cloud cover weather radar which revealed clear skies 20 miles to my north, by 12:45 am I was out the door and driving north. 37 miles later I arrived at a remote lake (Stewart Lake) and watched a nice display. The temperature was -17F as Lady Aurora danced across the sky for me including a small substorm. By 3:15 am I was home back in my nice warm bed. Here is a taste of what I watched.

Realizing many of you have never seen an ice road, I also took this photograph as the Aurora was calming down. I used a small flashlight to give about a one second burst of light to illuminate the scene. The structure on the right in the image is the dock at the boatlanding. I took my photos from terra firma only because the extra elevation made for a more interesting picture. I did walk quite a ways out onto the ice road checking out photo angles. 

Birding has not been a total bust in this cold weather. Over the past few days I have found lots of Pine Grosbeaks at a nearby old berry farm, and an immature red-tailed hawk which a Snowy Owl actually found for me (long story … thanks Snowy). The cold weather returns next weekend. The ice is forming rapidly on Lake Superior … here’s hoping trips to the Apostle Islands Ice Caves are in my near future (near solid Lake Superior ice).

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Owl Song!

Year 5

Very cool! Last night when I arrived home from watching this Snowy Owl, and while loading photographs onto my computer, I heard owl song outside. Yup, Mr. and Mrs. Great Horned Owl while hunting the Amity Creek Ravine right across from my yard decided to serenade each other. I put on my winter parka and went outside and listened to the duet for about five minutes!

It was an owly night in the Northland! I need to get an audio recording app for my smartphone. I have heard all kinds of owls sing, and can identify the following owls by sound: Barred Owls, Great Gray Owls, Great Horned Owl, Northern Hawk Owls and Snowy Owls (more of a clicking and screeching).

Main takeaway from these photos … if you are a vole, you are in BIG trouble!

And a short video of the owl hunting

Snowy Owls and Ships!

Year 5,

I love to work the “dark side”! This fact means I am often out and about before sunrise, or getting into position before dark. Given Snowy Owls have returned from way up north to winter on the Arctic Riviera here in Duluth, I visited Superior at sunset. The Richard Bong regional airport and its surroundings is a great place to see Snowy Owls. Approximately 45 minutes before sunset the owls wake up and get ready for their evening hunt. Check out the tops of light posts and signs near the airport while looking for Snowies. A drive through the Tri-State fair grounds right across from the airport is always a good idea.

I took this photo last night just before sunset.

After some time with Snowy I drove over to Skyline Drive in Duluth. Prior research via my Marine App indicated the Michipicoten (ore boat) would be arriving in Duluth at 5:30 pm (one hour after sunset). I knew the Bentleyville Christmas lights turn on at 5:00 pm, and thought the combination of the Michipicoten steaming into the harbor would make a nice holiday image!