Arctic Phase Great Horned Owl (and owlet)

Year 10

An Arctic Phase Great Horned Owl … and its owlet!!!! My oh my, was I ever excited yesterday evening when these two birds appeared, and I was not even looking for owls.
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An almost white Great Horned Owl is a rare color variation known as an “Arctic Phase”. Generally this color of GHO’s are found well north of Minnesota as one gets closer to the tundra line. Yesterday evening I was near Frank Lake in Alberta, Canada when Wowie, Zowie, UffDah … these two owls appeared.
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Frank Lake is a gem of a location both for nesting shore and water birds, and as a stop on the Rocky Mountain Bird Migration Route for many other birds. I am birding this region till Friday, including some excursions up into the mountains. Molly, my wonderful wife has been pressing me to go on a birding expedition, and this is the region I chose. Better yet, yesterday I was privileged to bird with two very knowledgeable local birders, one of whom is a retired college professor who made this region and its birds his research specialties. He was a wealth of knowledge as we birded till 10 pm last night. Wednesday the same two guys are taking me up into the mountains!

Time to go back out birding. I had a great time with both waterbirds and shore birds this morning … now a first quick jaunt up into the mountains.

Arctic Phase Great Horned Owl

Indigo and Red Were the Colors of the Day

Year 10,

Late Spring is a time of plenty for us birders. My first stop shortly after sunrise was the Hawk Ridge Ledges where Indigo Buntings were advertising for mates in full force.

Next I walked the woods only 800 yards from my own house. Apparently a pair of Red-Headed Woodpeckers are considering making my forest home their home! (Thanks to Ben Anderson who posted on eBird!) Red-Headed Woodpeckers may be expanding their range into the Duluth area. Each year a few more seem to nest locally, and now near my house!

24 Hours of Northland Owling

Year 10,

Early June is the time of year one often finds owls active after sunrise. Their owlets are getting big, and require lots of food, which means hunting lasts longer. Yesterday in addition to my local Great Horned Owls (see end of post), I watched a Great Gray Owl hunt for a bit shy of two hours up in Sax-Zim Bog. Actually the parent bird was still hunting when I left, but its hunting locale was getting to a boggy area where it was difficult to walk.

Sax-Zim Bog Great Gray Owl (dawn hunter – video link for email subscribers)

Hunting

Preening

Crow Fly-Over (the owl stands up tall and imitates a deadhead snag)

Back to Hunting

FuzzBall and its Great Horned Owl Mom