Update: Fall 2019: The Minnesota Birding News App has been replaced with the Minnesota Birding News Service which upon its roll out on October 19, 2019 automatically tracks content updates from 38 birding organizations with a primary focus upon Minnesota. The service is free and has no advertising.
Arctic Riviera … Lighthouse Society of America!
I am proud to announce that my “Arctic Riviera” photograph of the Superior Entry Lighthouse (Wisconsin) is the two page feature starting the Great Lakes Region / Chapter in the United States Lighthouse Society‘s new book, Lighthouses of America. The book has only five regions, thus to be one of the five prime photographs starting a chapter / region is a big deal!
It was a very cold day in January when I took the photograph … well below zero with a HUGE wind! The society is a 501C non profit which exists to promote the rich history and save American’s lighthouses.
Here is the Amazon link … still time to order and receive by Christmas! Your order will not affect my compensation. The book is already a #1 Amazon Best Seller! 
When Hairy Met Snowy (as in Owl)
I spent almost three hours well north of Duluth this morning, my first birding expedition in about one week. I was despairing of seeing anything after 2+ hours of nadda, zippo and zilch in terms of birds. My primary target were Spruce Grouse which definitely were a “no show”. However just before I was about to head home, jackpot!
Definitely an irruption … this is the 10th Snowy Owl I have seen since October! It was fantastic to find an owl in a rural location well north of Duluth which hunts during the day w/o fear of crows. My impression is the Duluth / Superior “industrial” birds tend to hunt at night due to the crows which mob any owl dumb enough to be out in the open. While most owls hunt at night, Snowy Owls breed in the land of the Midnight Sun up in the Arctic. Thus, these birds are used to hunting during daylight hours … assuming no crows. Oh yes, I also saw a Hairy Woodpecker shortly after finding Snowy.
Unfortunately I timed my close-up of the owl wrong. After waiting 15 minutes for the Snowy to pounce on some unsuspecting vole, or at least change perches, I zoomed in with my camera. Bad timing.