All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Do You Hoot?! (Free Children’s Books Downloads)

Background, Year 7

Starting today all three of our children’s bird books are available for download without charge!

During the Coronavirus crisis, Susan Larson Kidd (author of my first two books) and I have worked together to make the full electronic versions (PDF’s) of all of our books available without charge. If you like our books, please consider purchasing a printed copy ($12 each). It is our hope these books will provide you and that special child peace and serenity during these troubling times. Peace.

The three books are:

  • But That is Not Me!

    Book Theme (beginning reader’s book): Follow a Hairy Woodpecker around the northern forest as it learns about other birds, but also learns to be true to itself.
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  • Hey There Mr. Owl

    Book Theme (beginning reader’s book): Follow owls around the northern forest as they meet birds and animals while discovering their senses of touch, smell, taste, etc.
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  • Snowy’s Search for Color

    Book Theme (children’s picture book): Follow the adventures of a young Snowy Owl as it flies south from its home on the Arctic Ocean in search of color! The owl meets up with other owls, red foxes, and even Smokey the Bear! It is a magical journey.

I took this photograph last spring. It is a Great Horned Owl owlette with its Mom, a sibling to the chicks born last week and featured yesterday. These owlettes will be featured in my new upcoming book, Do You Hoot!

Great Horned Owl Chicks!

Year 7
I am a proud God Poppa! Great Horned Owl chicks! This is the second year in a row I have had the pleasure of watching this owl family. I have been visiting the nest almost daily since early February. Learn more about Great Horned Owl nesting habits. (via Cornell University)
 
At least two Great Horned Owl chicks have hatched … most likely over one week ago, but the owlettes are just becoming big enough to venture out from under “Mom” and give me a brief view. Mom still appears to be incubating / warming, thus a third chick may be present. The owls hatch on different days … sometimes with a few days in between … thus the size difference between the two birds.

Birthday Bald Eagles (and Hawk Owl)

Year 7

Today is my 64th birthday … kind of strange with Coronavirus. Family can not come over. Oh well … there is still birding! I spent the morning in Sax-Zim Bog, and then came home to bicycle along the North Shore of Lake Superior. I finished the afternoon with hike over to my own Great Horned Owls (not owlets yet … or they are hiding under Mom). It was a fun day, just not what I would planned a few weeks ago.

Birthday Bald Eagles (all different birds migrating into the Northland)

Pine Tree Bird

Railroad Bird

Cedars Take-Off Bird

Not to be outdone, I found a Northern Hawk Owl. If I can still find it by April 7th it might actually be nesting! I was lucky the temperature was still below freezing (30F) and the sun had just come out. I was able to mostly walk on top of the crust. When I broke through the snow was still two feet deep. After spending 20 minutes with this owl, I decided I had better hoof it back to the road before the hike would become a real slog (i.e. each step would break through the crusted snow).

I have higher resolution versions of all these images, but I decided to optimize this post for faster loading.