Saturday morning I was treated to something I rarely get to watch. While I often see both Red and Gray Foxes (Gray frequents my feeders), it is unusual that I get a nice vantage point for watching a hunt. These canines have a particular way to capturing their prey … launch off their hind legs … leap through the air … and land with their front legs down to capture their prey.
I was quite a ways distant, but if I had been close the fox would have seen me and run into the woods.
How many of you remember the days before one could even rent VCR tapes? In my youth during the early 1960’s this meant gathering around the TV as a family to watch “Sunday Night at the Movies”! Everyone hoped the two networks (CBS and NBC) had picked a film the entire family would love. Here in Duluth we had only two TV stations (ABC was still somewhere off in the future). Heck, our city at the time did not even have a McDonalds.
Thus, I bring you 365 Days of Birds at the Movies … on Sunday night (at least that is when I am blogging). (Image courtesy of FreePik.com)
Here is a short YouTube clip of the NBC Sunday Night Marquee Opener from the early 1970’s (video link for email subscribers).
Here are my movies, which started with an unexpected session the North Shore Duluth Scenic Railroad’s Steam Engine! I was hiking / birding in the woods near my home yesterday afternoon when I thought: “Is that a steam engine whistle?” Yup! The North Shore Scenic Railroad was out testing #332. The train was over three miles away from me when I first heard it. I upped my hiking pace … hurried home … and went to find a steam engine one mile away from my house!
And Now the Movies! (all videos taken during the last seven days)
North Shore Scenic Railroad Steam Engine #332 (video link for email subscribers)
Ring-Necked Pheasant near Sax-Zim Bog (video link for email subscribers)
Steam at Sunrise over Lake Superior (video link for email subscribers)
Most folks think winter starts on December 21st. People who pay attention to the “meteorological calendar” might say December 1st, but individuals who live in northern Minnesota would be excused if they said about November 1st! Yesterday I was wearing shorts for a hike in the woods (47F and some sun), but today required a heavy jacket gloves and pants. Future weather forecasts have lows in the mid 20’s, and highs in the mid 30’s.
The blast of cold weather with strong NW winds, and even a sprinkling of snow on the ground brought snow buntings south with a vengeance. The number of these small birds hanging around is amazing … from flocks to well over 300 birds to just a few. By the time the snow buntings reach northern Minnesota from their summer homes in the Arctic, they have significantly less white plumage. Hopefully I will see some late this winter on their way back north. They are little white puffballs. When I see snow buntings I know that this season’s migration is over in terms of birds which “pass through”. The only remaining birds to now arrive are those Arctic birds which will winter on the Arctic Riviera (Duluth area)
Anyhow … some pics of buntings from the last two days
