All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

Snowplow Train … The Movie!

Year 6

I had never seen a snowplow train at work until this morning. While out looking for Bohemian Waxwings I became distracted by this “boy toy”! We have had approximately 20 inches of snow in Duluth over the past five days. This amount of snowfall requires some work on the part of the local railroad, particularly clearing the “high and deep” snowbanks which have been created by “road plows” at each railroad crossing. The video … three parts in total … runs about two minutes. Steps #1 and #2 for clearing the snowbank may catch you by surprise. There are a lot of gadgets and attachments on this train!

Snowplow Train

Video

Bohemian Birds!

Year 6

As in waxwings … the latest in my sub-Arctic birds seem to be arriving in the Duluth area. Given Lake Superior is 100% iced over in our neck of the woods, my friends should feel right at home. Yesterday morning I watched a flock of over 200 Bohemian Waxwings undulate through the sky, occasionally stopping in some preferred tree to eat.

These are the best photographs I could get. It was early morning with thin clouds, not the best for photography/ However, the best time to find any bird is to get out early when my fine feathered friends will want to feed. Given the cold temperature (about 7F), the waxwings were all puffed up against the cold. I tired to refind them this afternoon when the sun finally popped out, but nada.

Actually, my primary activity these days is shoveling (two 6+ inch dumps in the past four days, with another due to arrive after midnight) and cross-country skiing. The snow depths in the woods are amazing.

Bohemian Waxwings

Yard Bird. Northern Shrike!

Year 6

I first noticed this Northern Shrike on Wednesday before the snowstorm. I wondered if it had found my bird feeders, and was now taking advantage of the situation. This morning I discovered the answer to my question is a definite yes. It took a run at a mourning dove (unsuccessfully).

My tweety birds had better watch out, a new guy is in town! It was fun to watch it hunt. I was amazed that the shrike was willing to announce its presence by singing, which is what originally attracted me to it a few days ago. While I am familiar with the rasping call of the shrike, the more melodious sound I had never heard. When that song appeared in my yard on Wednesday I looked around to find the source. It was familiar to the second song down in the list on this Cornell page on shrikes.

I hope to get some real close-ups if the bird sticks around for the winter. There is certainly plenty of prey to hunt.