Category Archives: Year 10

Snowy Owl in a Snow Storm

Year 10

Earlier this month I photographed a Snowy Owl in front of the rising full moon. Having completed that photography assignment, when the winds let up a bit yesterday afternoon I headed out in search of a Snowy Owl. My goal was to find a Snowy Owl and photograph it during a snowstorm. That assignment is now somewhat complete. This particular Snowy Owl did not choose the most photogenic of perches (an old radar tower). Oh well, I guess I will still have to work at this task!

Snowy Owl in a Snowstorm

The Movie! (link for email subscribers)

Ice Cleat Birding

Year 10

An hour before sunrise this morning, in the dark, I stood under a tall white pine tree and listened to an owl duet. Yup, my local great horned owls will be nesting soon. However, I had little to fear during my hike through the darkness. I was wearing ice cleats. Given the temperature reached 37F yesterday afternoon with plenty of sunshine, and we had two inches of fresh white fluffy stuff overnight, there was lots of ice under the new layer of snow … extremely hazardous.

Take a look at my ice cleats shown below. I wear a size 11.5 insulated duck boot, and it is very easy to pull the cleats on and off. Better yet, the cleats make for secure hiking / walking. Remember … Duluth is very hilly. Ice and hills are not a good combination but I personally had nothing to fear. My ice cleats are from Unigear. Here is the Amazon link. I have no financial interest in Unigear, nor do I receive any money for providing this link.

Spring Migration Starts in the Dead of Winter!

Year 10

It may seem like the dead of winter, and even though today is February 18th and a ton of snow is on the ground, spring migration is officially in progress! While Owl Quest 2023 was a complete and total bust (in terms of finding owls), I saw hundreds and hundreds of Snow Buntings. These beautiful little birds are already working their way through northern Minnesota back to the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Snow Buntings have learned to find farm fields with less snow, or where plows have cleared the shoulder of snow … which means seeds for food.

The other bird which is busy migrating is the Bald Eagle. While some eagle stay in the Northland year round, many head south. The eagles that migrated are also now working their way north. Look for Bald Eagles to arrive on location as soon as there is any open water (think streams, rivers, and where same empties in lakes and ponds)

I found some Bald Eagles this morning not to long after sunrise … enjoying the warmth of the rising sun till crows took exception to their presence.

Some Talons!