Snowy Owl Winter Wrap-Up!

Year 6

Tomorrow morning Molly and I “get out of Dodge”! A friend will house sit while we travel south to enjoy bicycle rides in the Texas Hill Country and Arizona. It has been a great year for watching Snowy Owls (at least for me). While last winter was an irruption year, the the number of snowy owls was supposed to be down, here in the Northland I had some banner viewing experiences. Better yet, when I popped over to Sax-Zim Bog most folks wanted to see Great Gray Owls, which meant it was normally just “snowy and me” at sunset. Nice!

Here is one final Snowy Owl I watched at sunrise yesterday morning in Superior, Wisconsin … followed by a slide snow (manual slide advance) … my favorite Snowies from this winter. Enjoy!

Last Hurrah Snowy Owl
Perhaps I ate one two many voles!

Snowy Owl Winter 2018 / 2019 Slide Show
Snow Owls

Winter’s Last Hurrah!

Year 6

Winter is broken! Yesterday when I started birding in Sax-Zim Bog the temperature was -5F, but by the time I go home at 1pm the sun was high in the sky and the temperature had soared to 29F. Thus, I took a bicycle ride along the frozen shores of Lake Superior (my first of 2019). Today it was 10F when I left to watch a Snowy Owl at sunrise, and by this afternoon the mercury will rise to 40F. Let a slop begin. The snow pack is incredible, and with the forecast for heavy rain on Wednesday, there are already flood warnings. Thankfully, Molly and I will be getting out of Dodge. Thursday we head for points south with our bicycles. For approximately a month we will hang out in the Texas Hill Country, Big Bend National Park, and Tucson taking lots of a day rides!

However, back to birding. Yesterday was a beautiful day to be in the Bog. While I still needed my long underwear and heavy jacket, the lack of wind and clear skies were a birder’s / hiker’s delight. I found three different couples who appear to be setting up a house in the Bog. Here are some of my images. Both the White-Winged Crossbills, and the Gray Jays could nest within the next week. The Black-Backed Woodpecker family will wait till later in the Spring, but the two birds I found were definitely a couple.

Sunrise in the Bog … Hoar Frost at -5F

White-Winged Crossbills near the South Logging Road Trail

Gray Jays near the South Logging Road Trail

Black-Backed Woodpecker in the Warren Nelson Bog

Finally, if you are wondering why Molly and I are only taking day rides this Spring, have no fear. We have two bicycle tours planned for this summer and fall. Here is a quick map I annotated which shows where we have toured (over 10,000 miles by bike). I used both blue and red because some routes are near one another … easier to differentiate.

Gunflint Trail Car Wash: Moose Owned & Operated!

Year 6

If all the melting snow and slop has you in need of a car wash, just drive to the end of the Gunflint Trail near the Canadian border in the BWCA wilderness and park your car on the side of the road in the burned out region between Gunflint and Saganaga Lake. The moose will be with you shortly … however it is important to have salt on your car as the moose do not accept cash for payment.

Just after dark Saturday evening while picking up my boys at Saganaga Lake after their winter trek from Moose Lake near Ely to the Gunflint, three cars in succession got the “lick treatment” from two different moose!

I kind of feel like I should feature my boys. Skiing / snowshoeing 40 miles through the BWCA is a big deal. On the portages even with snowshoes the snow was up to their hips. Uff dah! When we had our celebratory dinner at Trail Center Lodge, the owners were so impressed with Carl and Erik, they offered to formally sponsor them for their next trek into the wilderness!

Dad (i.e. me) made certain I had two beers waiting for the boys when they finished! One quick aside, the Garmin InReach satellite communicators worked like a charm. Carl and Erik check in each evening and let us know all was fine. During the final day’s trek, they kept us updated on estimated time to the boat landing. This allowed Molly and me to be waiting when they finished.