Comet Neowise Aurora Borealis

Year 7

There are special moments in life. Last night while viewing and photographing Comet Neowise, I suddenly realized that Lady Aurora was starting to dance! While her performance was subdued, in combination with the comet and it was truly a masterpiece. When the Northern Lights started to show some faint pillars I could see with my naked eye, I quickly through on my wide angle lens and captured these scenes.

My small Northwoods cabin is 60 miles south of the Canadian border in northern Minnesota. At 12:15 am last night in addition to the light show, I had Loons yodeling through the night, a Barred Owl hooting … “Who Cooks for You? Who Cooks for You?, and finally a Beaver was making its nightly rounds. When the Beaver surfaced less than five feet from my dock and did a HUGE tail slap, I almost went swimming in reaction!

Yes, it was truly a magical night on Northstar Lake. We have owned our piece of paradise for 30 years, and last night will definitely be recorded as epic in the cabin journal.

Lady Aurora Dances for Comet Neowise

Hoot Bait! (Raccoons Move Into White Pine … movie)

Year 7

While taking a break this afternoon I suddenly noticed motion in the white pine above our bird feeders. Apparently after last night’s big rain and thunderstorm a local raccoon family decided to look for better accommodations.  Our white pine has one section that is hollow. It was fun watching the family move in, but they may have a rude awakening tonight. Both raccoons and owls are nocturnal, and my Great Horned Owl family of five hunts in my yard every night starting at 10 pm.

While Hoot may be to small and inexperienced yet to catch a raccoon, either parent owl would find catching a raccoon, particularly the babies not much of a problem. It will be interesting to see what evolves. There are definitely more than two raccoons in the tree (two seen in the video).

Raccoons move In to hollow White Pine

Count the noses! (I do not know the total count is of raccoons)

Raccoon Movie-In … the Movie (link for email subscribers)

Morning at the Pond (Sandhill Cranes & Colts)

Year 7,

I owe one to the bugs … all those swarms of mosquitoes and deer flies. Let me explain. About one hour after sunrise this morning I arrived at the trailhead to the Great Blue Heron Rookery in the Canosia State Wildlife Preserve. Less than five minutes into my hike the swarms of bugs in combination with the thick undergrowth drenching me (thunder storms last night), I remarked to myself that my walk was definitely not fun! I turned around and bid a hasty adieu to the woods.

When I got in my car to escape the bugs, a short drive down the dirt road found me unexpectedly meeting a brand new family … two Sandhill Cranes and their two colts (chicks). They were out in the open near a pond with lots of wildflowers on the shore. I was in photographic heaven!

{Just below all the Sandhill Crane photographs and movie you will find an audio recording I took of Hoot last night at 3 am. I was standing in my bedroom next to the window!}

Sandhill Cranes and Colts

Movie! (link for email subscribers)

One final item … I have often remarked that many nights I can hear Hoot, the Great Horned Owl, from my bedroom window. I made this audio recording last night at 3:15 am of Hoot. She was screeching (two toned) and demanding to be fed by her parents.

Hoot at 3 am … audio only … recorded next to my bedroom window! (link for subscribers)