The first thimbleberries are ripe! My local owls are aware this fact, and they have been hunting my yard each of the last three nights. As other animals and birds eat thimbleberries … wham! Owls eat them! Yesterday morning there was quite a mess of blood and feathers on our walk from a successful owl kill.
The owlets are still not proficient hunters. Last night a youngster sat in the dead tree right next to our bedroom window at 4 am and begged continuously for ten minutes. Not sure Molly appreciated the racket.
At 5:20 am the owls were still in the yard, when the robins woke up and took alarm at their presence. This soon attracted Blue Jays, and ultimately Crows. At 5:45 I went hiking and found the owls hunting next to Amity Creek. I suspect the idea was to catch any smaller animal taking an early morning drink. The crows were still giving the owls grief, and everyone, including me, moved around Lester / Amity Park for 20 minutes. We covered about one mile, and I often stopped to eat thimbleberries!
I believe this is the Mom owl … pic taken just before sunrise.
And one more BBQ Ruby-Throated Hummingbird photograph. The male flew in to feed four times on the Bee Balm but never gave me a clear view. Bummer.
Finally an update on Red-Headed Woodpeckers. Whereas before this year it is believed Duluth has never had a nesting pair, the second nest is now confirmed! What is interesting, but guess it should not be, is the similarities in habitat the birds chose. While the two nest holes are miles apart, both pairs of Red-Headed Woodpeckers chose dead trees within 50 yards of a river. The running water means insects.
