Two mornings ago I hiked into the Joyce Estate in northern Minnesota. This beautiful northwoods getaway was a wedding present from a lumber baron to his new bride back in the earlier part of the 1900’s. The estate was over 6,000 acres of forest with 26 miles of shoreline on 11 lakes! Molly and I are writing and photographing an article for a regional magazine about this wilderness area.
While taking photographs, I heard lots of loons out on the lake. In fact (I counted), I saw 34 loons in a loose flock herding whitefish towards an underwater island! I have never seen this many loons at once, and I suspect these individuals were either already migrating south from points north, or will soon be starting their trip. (video link for email subscribers)
Here are three photographs of a Northstar Lake Loon which performed for me yesterday! It had just finished preening. Notice how its plumage is changing to its “drab winter look.” The final image is of its youngster, now truly a juvenile.
Finally, I drove over to the Bog this morning. While I did not see any owls, this Ruffed Grouse gritted up very near me.
We were over at the Bog Monday..nothing spectacular, but some nice hawk flying from a Red Tail, got to see one of the Magpies, and tons of various unidentified warblers and sparrows in the brush along Stone Lake Road. Really really quiet on the Warren Nelson/Woessner (?) Bog Walk!
I would expect hawk watching to get much better towards the end of the month … whereas the warbler flight is getting close to done. In addition, juvenile Great Gray Owls will be more readily found in October and November as these youngsters have to start doing all there own hunting. Deer hunting season is a favorite of mine for finding owls. I just do not bird where I find parked pickup trucks at the side of the road, and I wear blaze orange.
these loons and the grouse made the day!
thanks for sharing so much beauty with us