Catching Up at Year’s End

Year 3,

Time to clean up photographs from the past two months as I sit here on the first day of 2017. There are two birding trips I never reported upon, and have some good images. Back in mid November I took a drive up Lake County #3 which leaves the Northshore of Lake Superior at the mouth of the Stewart River.  This is an occasional birding route of mine, and 13 miles inland I catch the logging road, East Alger Grade to connect to Lake County #2 which comes back down into Two Harbors.

The second trip was a few days prior to New Year’s when I drove down to Canal Park. In addition to hundreds of bouncing goldeneyes, there is one beautiful male long-tailed duck.

Rough-Legged Hawk on Lake County #3

Canal Park Goldeneyes and Long-Tailed Duck

Bouncing Bobbleheads!  🙂

Birds Behaving Badly! Pileated Woodpecker Fight

Year 3
Why can’t we Northland residents just be friends?!
 
Yesterday Mr. Snowy Owl and some crows had a fight. Today it was Madam Pileated Woodpecker and a Red Squirrel having an altercation over who belonged in a certain tree. If anyone thinks taking photographs like this one are easy, they’re not! I watched this Pileated Woodpecker for over 1/2 hour in the 20F conditions. I had to first find a bird, and then slowly work my way closer without spooking the woodpecker. 99% of my visit with this bird was boring, but then bang!
 
View a video and images of the Crows attacking the Snowy Owl in yesterday’s post.
Pileated Woodpecker Wings

Crow Attacking Snowy Owl at Dawn (video)

Year 3

20 minutes before sunrise, I found my first Snowy Owl of the winter! A few minutes after sunrise, the local crow population also discovered Snowy. However, the male owl defended himself well, and refused to be forced off his perch. Thus, I had a fantastic time early this morning and spent 1 & 1/2 hours with this cool bird. I hope you enjoy a few of my photos, plus the video. In total I took 416 images this morning. Hopefully this Snowy will establish a winter territory where I found it … which would mean over two months of Snowy Owl watching / enjoyment.

The short video of the crows attacking the Snowy Owl is at the bottom of the post.

Attack!

Mr. Snowy twenty minutes before sunrise

Getting the evil eye from a Snowy Owl!

White Fluffball

Hanging Out After Sunrise … Crows are Gone!

A video of the crows attacking the Snowy Owl