Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Think Like an Owl!

Year 7,

Advance research pays off! While this isn’t one of my best photographs of the Great Horned Owls that live near my home, I’m proud of the image for several reasons … a whole lot of research went into finding this bird.

  • Recently it has been difficult to find my local owl family. Thus, I decided to think like an owl. I remembered that while cross-country skiing at night last winter, I would often hear the owls hooting at a particular spot on the ski trails. Yesterday afternoon I hiked to this area, and explored. In my humble opinion it looked “owly”, but I did not find any birds. The pine grove was extremely thick and dark even during the brightest part of a summer afternoon.
  • This afternoon I returned and jackpot! I think this is the “Dad” of my local owl family. I took the photograph 5 minutes before a downpour hit (yes … got quite wet). The exposure time for this image was almost 1/2 second but thankfully owls will sit very still, and I had a monopod.

I knew my family of owls were still very much around. They actually woke both Molly and me up last night around 3 am. Long story short, there was a huge racket outside our bedroom window. I am convinced one of the parent had made a kill, and junior threw a temper tantrum when it did not get fed! The juvenile screeched extremely loudly at the top of the tree fifteen yards from our window. We could easily sit it. Like all youngster I finally realize the meal was not going to be provided, and it flew off to hunt on its own.

I also went up to Sax-Zim Bog yesterday morning where I found this family of Sandhill Cranes (two birds not in the picture)

 

Colors Around the Clock!

Year 7, ,

You can cut the moisture in the air with a knife. It’s humid, and shortly after sunset a thunder storm developed and worked its way out over Lake Superior. I drove over to McQuade Harbor (six miles away) and enjoyed some storm watching from inside my car. This is my favorite image with the gazebo in the foreground.

McQuade Harbor Gazebo Lightning Strike

As I’ve noted in many recent posts, the wildflowers are amazing right now. Here are a few images I took within the past few days. The fawn and doe know me personally, and walked within five feet of me before disappearing into the forest. On the other side of the road were hikers whom they wanted to avoid and I have a reputation with the birds and mammals as the “birdfeeder man”! (i.e.safe and provides food)

Late Season White-Tailed Deer Fawn

I also made a quick trip over to Sax-Zim Bog. When the weather did not cooperate I explored some logging roads east of Canyon and was rewarded with these sightings.

Sandhill Crane and Tansy (truly an invasive plant)

Wild Turkey Trot! (pretty certain this is two families of turkeys)

Turkey Trot the Movie! (link for email subscribers)

Northern Harrier at Dawn!

Year 7

Hoot was begging for food in a tree right our side my bedroom window at 3:30 am this morning. Once I realized what time it was, I thought just perhaps Hoot (the oldest of my Great Horned Owl family juveniles) was trying to tell me to get my “#*!0” out of bed, and go see the comet Neowise. By 3:55 am I was down at Brighton Beach on Lake Superior, and I owe my owl friend a big thanks. While I did not take any photographs of the comet (the horizon was already showing the pre-dawn light … sunrise was at 5:25 am), the view was amazing. I could easily see the Comet with my naked eyes, and by using my binoculars the comet’s tail was an awe inspiring sight. When the comet appears in the night time sky in true darkness in about one week, get out there! (good web site / blog for learning more about the comet … Astro Bob)

Given I was up so early, and only live 45 minutes from Sax-Zim Bog, I drove over to see if I might find some Great Gray Owls hunting just before sunrise. Nope! However, I found something which for me is much more rare, and by approaching very slowly with the sun extremely low in the sky and right behind me, a Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk). I have never had such a neat viewing experience of a Northern Harrier. For over 30 minutes I watched it hunt (unsuccessfully) and preen. These birds spook so very easily, but it could not see me due to the sun’s low angle. Thanks Astro Bob and Comet Neowise!

Northern Harrier Take-Off

Early morning housekeeping

A few other pics of the Northern Harrier (and a video … link for email subscribers)

One final image. I know the United States is sweltering in a heat wave. The temperature was 47F at 5:10 am, fifteen minutes before sunrise (lots of ground fog).