While all the recent Hoar Frost and Freezing Fog makes for beautiful conditions, animals and birds may not like the frozen moisture. Yesterday morning I found this Great Gray Owl hunting after the fog lifted. You may need to maximize the photograph, but in addition to the frost encrusted cedar branches, the owl itself has a lot of frost on its body. It’s tough being a bird out there in this environment.
Tag Archives: MN North: Two Harbors Highlands
Hoar Frost Owling Reprise!
When I got up yesterday morning at 5 am, the skies were clear and the stars were sparkling. This condition meant only one thing to me, I had to head north of Duluth and see the hoar frost in the sunshine. Thus, 45 minutes before sunrise I drove north deeper into the Boreal Forest. I was hoping a Great Gray Owl would sit in the sunshine in a frost encrusted tree. Although I never found an owl in a super white ice encrusted tree, this bird was cooperative in a semi ice covered tree … and out in the sun. Enjoy!
A Hoar Frost Landscape (no bird!)
Great Gray Owl
Sunset Great Gray Owl
There are magical evenings, and then there ARE magical evenings. I ended 2020 with an experience even I found hard to believe. With about 30 minutes of light left before sundown my friend Ed found a Great Gray Owl in the Boreal Forest within a few miles where I was owling. He was kind enough to send me a text, and thankfully we both had cell service. The owl did not mind our presence … was out in the golden evening sun … and moved perches whenever it was within minutes of being encompassed by shade. I actually walked away from this owl while it was still out hunting in the sun. I did not want to get home late for dinner, and had a 45 minute drive ahead of me. Given sunset is at 4:30 pm this far north, darkness comes early!
I hope you enjoy all these photographs, and I will admit there are more images than a normal post, but I was excited … still am. Once again, the golden color in the photos is because I took most of the images within minutes of sundown.
The two “take-off” sequences bring forth two important points:
- Based upon time in the woods, I understand birds. The owls told me when they were about to take off. It was not dumb luck.
- Even with knowing a bird is about to take-off, it is supremely important to use “burst mode”. Each group of photos is about one second in total duration. Thus, a lot happens in a very short period of time.
Great Gray Owl Flight Sequence
Take Off of a Great Gray Owl
Great Gray Owl just “Hanging Out”!
