Category Archives: Year 7

Boreal Woodpecker School in Session!

Year 7

The Pandemic has not caused this school to be moved online! The young woodpeckers of the Amity Creek Forest have been busy learning what tastes good. Yesterday I had parents with at least one youngster show up in my yard for each of the following species:

  • Downy Woodpeckers
  • Hairy Woodpeckers
  • Pileated Woodpeckers
  • Yellow-Shafted Woodpeckers (Northern Flicker)

My morning actually started 25 minutes before sunrise. Shortly before 5 am I started my early morning hike in search of Hoot. I have not been able to find her the past few days. I believe the Great Horned Owls are focusing upon different prey and are hunting in another area of the forest. I will keep looking.

Amity Creek Forest at 4:55 am (light fog pre-dawn glow)

Finally, here are some Woodpecker School images. Downys, Pileateds and Yellow-Shafted Woodpeckers.

Common Loon Wolfpack of Northstar Lake

Year 7

Dawn this morning saw me out for a kayak paddle on Northstar Lake. This lake is the first lake north of the Continental Divide. My cabin is in the Suomi Hills region of northern Minnesota, and the waters in my lake via the outlet are the first to flow north to Hudson’s Bay. All the lakes to our south, even just a few miles away flow south to the Gulf of Mexico.

I found this Common Loon wolfpack fishing together. Given the loon’s location on the lake, they were obviously fishing deep (100 feet deep where the birds were located). I suspect the loons were after ciscos. In some lakes Common Loons battle, even to the death, over fishing territory. Apparently there are lots of fish in Northstar Lake (at least if you are a loon!).

Northstar Lake Common Loon Wolfpack (fifth bird not pictured)

Video (link for email subscribers)

After watching the wolfpack from a distance of about fifteen yards I went over to inspect a nearby beaver mound. It was quite peaceful. Near the beaver’s home I found a newly hatched loon with its parents. It was obvious my presence was not desired, thus I bid a hasty adieu without taking any photographs of the loon family.

Northstar Lake Beaver Mound (video link for email subscribers)

Finally, while doing some chores last night at sunset these thunderheads showed their beauty. As the storms were all to my east they were of no concern.