Category Archives: Year 7

You’re not in Kansas, Dorothy! Painted Bunting!

Year 7

Or even northern Minnesota! This morning I drove over to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary a bit southeast of Fort Myers. The sanctuary has a three mile boardwalk that winds through various habitat including a mangrove swamp. Wow … the habitat is amazing, and I have never walked within a Mangrove Swamp. I did not miss the frozen northern Minnesota bog!

The highlight of the morning for me was a lifer, the Painted Bunting. Better yet, by arriving close to opening at the Audubon sanctuary (7 am), I had a very private experience to begin with on the boardwalk. When I left just a bit before noon, the large parking lot was almost full. Moral to the story … bird early everywhere, but particularly in populous Florida.

Painted Bunting (male and female)

Little Blue Heron

Peekaboo Cardinal

Rory the Raccoon

Barred Owl

Anhinga

Quoth the Raven to the Snowy, Nevermore! (movie!)

Year 7

Okay, Edgar Allen Poe did not include a reference to a Snowy Owl in his famous poem, but somehow it seems appropriate.  My favorite lady Snowy found herself under attack yesterday afternoon (she is okay). In fact, given it was only one raven pressing home the attack, at times the owl chased the big black bird!

Raven Attacks Snowy Owl

The Movie! (link for email subscribers)

You will hear briefly some music during my short video clip. My phone was ringing (ignored). My ring tone is an excerpt from the Volga Boatmen. Kind of funny given what was taking place.

Once this attack was finished, Lady Snowy got her evening hunt underway. She was kind enough to even pose in non industrial locations, and allow a sunset photo or two. Due to this bird’s cooperation with me over the past week, I recognize this Snowy Owl is a true lady … and in the tradition of naming owls … I present:

Lady … the Snowy Owl

Lady at Sunset

Lady on the Hunt after Sunset

Just in case you might be thinking I was devoting all my attentions to Lady, I also enjoyed some time with this all white male Snowy Owl. However, this gentleman is “too cool” to ever do much of anything before sunset, let alone hunt. Thus, although he is an extremely handsome bird, I tend to ignore him.

All White Male Snowy Owl

I plan to take a few days off from blogging. Time to get ready for my visit to warmer climates!

Sax-Zim Bog Northern Hawk Owl

Year 7

Some days the birds just don’t understand. While this Northern Hawk Owl made itself available for photographs, in over an hour of watching the bird out in the country side never once did it move to the nearby spruce trees which were glistening with hoar frost on a cold sunny morning (-22F at one point). Oh well, even though I have often seen this particular bird on said spruces, it was a powerline photo for me.

Northern Hawk Owl

A few comments if you are visiting Sax-Zim Bog this winter:

  1. Only park on one side of the road. These dirt roads are not very wide and the locals don’t appreciate three or four cars on both sides of the roads. It’s hard to drive amongst the birders.
  2. Great Gray Owls are present on more than just Admiral Road. You do not need to be part of the crowd on that remote road. Explore the miles of other roads in the Bog.
  3. Be careful when you pull over to park. Snow plow drivers plow the roads wider than the actual road itself. Many visitors have suddenly found their cars stuck in deep snow as the outside wheels tip down into the roadside ditch. Tows are costly given the remoteness of the area.
  4. I have found dusk to be much better for seeing Great Gray Owls this winter. The mouse / vole population is quite high, and thus there is little reason for the owls to hunt past sunrise. Remember, sunset is the owl’s breakfast time. All bets are off during stormy, windy weather.
  5. Have fun and dress warmly. Temperatures in the Bog are routinely 15 degrees colder than in the Duluth area. Last winter Cotton, Minnesota (entrance to the Bog) had a temperature reading of -55F (actual temperature, not windchill)