Category Archives: Year 5

Sax-Zim Bog Barred Owl

January 21, 2018Year 5MN North: Sax-Zim Bogrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Yesterday I took three friends up to the Bog. The weather was weird … over 40F, no wind, and bright skies … in short not a Minnesota winter. Only five days earlier we were in the midst of a two week long cold snap where temperatures in northern Minnesota were well below 0F every night.

If you are planning a trip to Sax-Zim Bog, make certain you visit the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog web site and review the “Plan Your Visit” page. Download a map. Believe it or not there are lots of birds, including owls which do not live on McDavitt and Admiral Roads. While we did make a brief visit to the South Logging Road off McDavitt to see a Northern Hawk Owl, most of our time was spent on roads where we were the only car / people in sight. This meant we had to find our own owls, but also insured my friends experienced a more true wilderness experience. Get off the main drags!

Here are a few photographs from yesterday …

Barred Owl
I was thrilled to find a Barred Owl out hunting around 10:30 am. I consider this bird nocturnal.

Be One with the Tree, Luke SkyWalker!
When Great Gray Owls see their enemies (ravens, crows, and eagles), these birds stand up very straight to minimize their profile from above lessening the chance of an attack.

Gray Jay
Canada’s new national bird enjoys eating off a deer carcass.

One Second of Flight: Great Gray Owl

January 21, 2018Year 5MN North: Two Harbors Highlandsrichardhoeg@gmail.com

Oh man … what a morning north of Duluth. I lost track of the number of Great Gray Owls I found out hunting. The wind was dead calm, and the light was fantastic. At one point, I could see three different great gray owls hunting at the same time!

Here is a sequence of eight photographs I took of one owl after it had just successfully dispatched a vole. Enjoy! (click/press upon any image to view at higher resolution)

Snowy Owl Hat Trick!

January 19, 2018Year 5MN North: Duluth Harborrichardhoeg@gmail.com

In the movie “Dances With Wolves”, Kevin Costner spends his time with a wolf. For me yesterday it was all about Snowy Owls. This winter season has been incredible in terms of the number of Snowy Owls which have migrated down from the Arctic. Since late October, I have personally hand captured / saved two owls which were in distress.

These events as well as my outdoorsy reputation have led to me being included in an article by Minnesota Public Radio, been featured as the Star Tribune’s first outdoors people profile, and other media items via news networks as far away as Europe.

Yesterday I decided my recent fascination with Great Gray Owls needed a break. Thus, instead of birding the wilderness north of town, I concentrated on industrial haunts in search of Snowy Owls. I was not disappointed. Here are some images of three owls I found, returning shortly before dusk when the male Snowy Owl would be active, and not sleeping.

Snowy Owl Sunset