Category Archives: Year 4

Christmas Birds! (owls and more)

Year 4

Sometimes … you just have to go birding!

When things went surprisingly well at Target yesterday and I finished up stocking stuffer purchases by 7:45 am, I said to myself: “Self … you are only 35 miles from the Bog. Given the 3+ inches of new snow flocked on the trees and the weather radar shows clearing skies … get thee to a Boggery!”

And I did … Sax-Zim Bog bound was I! It was a fantastic morning. I only spent two hours birding, but what a great two hours it was.

Merry Christmas!

Pine Grosbeak (male)

Great Gray Owl on the Hunt … Voles watch out!
… The 4th image in this series was taken upon returning to a favorite hunting perch!

Back at home … not a Partridge in a Pear Tree, but a …
… Mourning Dove in a Pine Tree!

Northern Hawk Owl Sunrise

Year 4

Over the past week I have started to learn the winter hunting territories of three owls north of Duluth. This morning I decided to see if I could find one of the owls before sunrise and take a photograph in the pre-dawn light. I think I succeeded! This is a Northern Hawk Owl, a winter visitor to northern Minnesota … truly a snow bird. The image was taken 15 minutes before sunrise. I also have posted a photograph of the same exact owl taken 20 minutes after sunrise, or 35 minutes later … same tree but slightly different angle. The temperature was 3F, and I walked back to my car and warmed up between photo sessions!

Minnesota Birding News App

Background, Year 4

Update: Fall 2019: The Minnesota Birding News App has been replaced with the Minnesota Birding News Service which upon its roll out on October 19, 2019 automatically tracks content updates from 38 birding organizations with a primary focus upon Minnesota. The service is free and has no advertising.