Red-Tailed Hawk Love Birds!

Year 10

Molly and I are spending a little over a week in Tucson, and down in the Desert SW birds are already well into the mating season, including these two red-tailed hawks which I saw a bit after sunrise. One issue I had not anticipated is roaring rivers in the desert. Two dry washes which I normally use on my birding hikes were totally impassable due to rivers which had appeared.
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Get this, if we wanted to take a drive in our car and climb a bit in elevation there is a winter storm warning for the next 24 hours. Even down at our elevation of 2,400 feet snow is likely tonight. Tomorrow’s sunrise photography assignment may be photographing the snow covered desert!

Cementing the Love Bond

One Hawk Checked Me Out!

5 Minutes Before Sunset Yesterday Evening at our AirBnB (looking away from the setting sun)

Barred Owl Nest!

Year 10

Excitement shortly after sunrise this morning! At least for me, but the Barred Owl was just trying to enjoy the sun’s warming rays on a cold winter’s morning (1F). I think that this bird is actually on a nest. Barred Owls love to nest in tree cavities. It is also amazing how much earlier in the winter that owls nest down in the Twin Cities area. I am visiting my daughter’s family, and back home on Amity Creek my own Great Horned Owls are still waiting for warmer weather, but they should also nest within two weeks.

Surfing the Arctic Riviera at Stony Point

Year 10

The Arctic Riviera lived up to its name this morning! I was actually out birding between Duluth and Two Harbors along Scenic 61 looking for Bohemian Waxwings in fruit trees when a raft of surfers caught my attention. By northern Minnesota standards it was a great morning … crystal clear and sunny with zero wind (temperature was -6F). The surfers were enjoying the rolling waves at Stony Point which resulted from yesterday’s winter storm. Yup, there is a dedicated group of individuals who surf the Great Lakes, braving Lake Superior’s 36F degree water.

While I was photographing the surfers, a gentleman came over to my car. He asked if he might photograph me while I was photographing the surfers! Turns out there was a team of two folks (writer and photographer) doing a story for the Wall Street Journal! Yup, our Arctic Riviera reputation is getting around the United States.

Surf City USA on the Arctic Riviera (at Stony Point)

The Movie (link for email subscribers)

Two still images … photography was difficult due to the angle of the sun.

In case you missed my other Arctic Riviera post this week, here is just one of my images from that post which I named Arctic Mound Snowy Owl Take-Off. The State of Minnesota is using this Snowy Owl photo from my post for their official tourism site.

That’s it for today, and so long from the Arctic Riviera!

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