Great Gray Owl Morning Magic!

Year 9

Magical! How else may one describe well over a half hour that a person spends with a Great Gray Owl shortly after sunrise? Such was the case yesterday morning when I found this Great Gray Owl hunting. For the next few weeks parent Great Gray Owls may be found hunting  early in the morning (first 2 hours after sunrise) up in Sax-Zim Bog as they work at feeding hungry owlets. Unlike the crowds of winter, I was by myself for most of my owl watching. Eventually, one person (a good friend) found me on the remote road and stopped to also watch. By that point it was fun to share with a friend!

I have included a HUGE number of images. However the first photograph and two movies will give you a quick idea of my magical morning.

  • Video #1 link for email subscribers … 3 seconds expanded to 25 seconds … about 40 photos)
  • Video #2 link for email subscribers (vole searching … as opposed to soul searching!)

More photographs of my Great Gray Owl Magical Morning. These images are from three different perches used by the owl. For about ten minutes at each location it would remain almost motionless, occasionally moving its head to better triangulate sound.

Pileated Woodpecker Drumming (video)

Year 9

Thanks to having three “drumming trees” in my yard, over the years I have learned to identify my local woodpeckers by their “drumming sound” … . Pileated Woodpecker yesterday evening letting my wife and I know who really owns our yard!

Unless a dead tree threatens your house, leave it be! You will be rewarded. (video link for email subscribers … Pileated Woodpecker drumming)

Nest Selection Time! Red-Headed Woodpeckers

Year 9,

For the second year in a row it appears that Red-Headed Woodpeckers will nest in Duluth, which is at the very extreme edge of this species’ northern range! To keep things fair, the birds seem to be sharing themselves across our fair city … one on the Western Waterfront Trail (this pair), and another looking for a mate inland from Lake Superior along the Lester River (private land). In both instances, these are the same locations as last year’s successful nesting birds.

Making their home selection: Red-Headed Woodpeckers

(video link for email subscribers)

Earlier this morning up at Hawk Ridge: Chestnut-Sided Warbler