All posts by richardhoeg@gmail.com

An Explosion of Color in the Northwoods!

Year 5,

The winters are long and white here in northern Minnesota. The final snow this year did not melt till early May, and ice out on area lakes was mid May. While I love the winter, it also fantastic when the Northwoods finally explode with color once again. Over the past week color has been coming back to my world.

As a wildlife photographer, the combination of birds and blossoms is addicting! Over the past week I have camped out next Lilac and Crab Trees with my camera. This morning I almost despaired that I would find anything till a flock of migrating Common Grackles appeared. Jackpot!!!

Common Grackles … not so common!

Lilac Trees and Butterflies … Tiger Swallowtail and Monarch

Chestnut Sided Warbler

Spring Time in the Bog! Great Gray Owl!

Year 5

Folks often ask me at the Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center where I volunteer in the winter: “Is the Bog worth visiting in the Spring or Summer? Absolutely yes!”

This morning given light fog and no wind … perfect conditions to find an owl, I left home in Duluth at 5:20 am and arrived in the bog at 6:20. As the fog was burning off I found a Great Gray Owl and watched it hunt for one hour! Our owls live in the Bog year around, and given their young hatch right about now, some extra hunting is required to feed hungry chicks. Warning … I was extremely glad to have bug repellent. I would not have lasted five minutes otherwise.

My real excitement of the morning was watching this Northern Harrier hunt from very close, including seeing it eat some breakfast. Voles beware!

I never even looked for warblers! LOL. Broad Winged Hawk looking for breakfast …

Bobolinks looking for a good woman! (three different backgrounds … the artist in me)

Question: Why did the Turkeys and Killdeer cross the road?

Chasing the Northern Lights!

Year 5

As Steve Martin exclaimed in the movie, The Jerk, I’m in the phone book!!!

I feel a bit like Steve as today the Lake Country Journal published an article written and photographed by me on viewing the Northern Lights. The image found below I took last Fall at Stewart Lake near Two Harbors (Minnesota), and is the prime image on their web site! If you enjoy Minnesota’s 10,000+ lakes, the Lake Country Journal is for you. Its focus is enjoying the lakes region of Minnesota.

Remember to use my Northern Lights page of this blog to learn how to discover when the Aurora Borealis will dance across the northern skies.