Great Gray at 200k!

Year 4
A very important part of wildlife photography … given the wilderness roads I travel, is a reliable car. I dare not get stuck or have breakdowns. I am often off the grid with the inability to phone for support. In the winter when on roads like the Tomahawk Trail (pictured on a different day), another car may not come by for hours, if not all day. My all wheel drive Subaru Outback has been my friend for the last 200K!
 
I found this Great Gray Owl about 2 miles before I hit 200K!

Yard Birds! Northern Shrike

Year 4

What are some exciting yard birds which have visited you? Today I added a cool new bird, a Northern Shrike! While working on my computer this afternoon I glanced up and saw the shrike!

My yard is very popular with songbirds due to the six bird feeders, and thus a predator like this Northern Shrike. To describe my yard … it is on the edge of a pine forest, across the road from Amity Creek, but also has an open area where I have tall grasses and a garden of perennials.

This photo taken through the window! Last winter I had a Barred Owl which hunted 5 yards from our living room window. For three weeks it would set up shop late every afternoon right above the bird feeders and await an unwary squirrel or vole. We learned we were not allowed to watch from the window seat in the living room (five yards away from the owl), but were permitted to watch the owl from our dining room window … ten yards away from the owl. These were the owl’s rules, not ours! 🙂

Finally, I am participating in Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch. Today was one of my count days. Thus I get to add a Northern Shrike!

Rescuing Sky, the Snowy Owl!

Year 4
Thanks to all who helped me with our Snowy Owl rescue out on the Duluth Harbor ice. I delivered the Snowy, now named “Sky” to Wildwoods (as in Sky Harbor Airport). The owl is very thin, but there was no evidence of any car strikes. 
  • Tom: Thanks for going home to get the wood and fish net. Duct tape is an amazing product. With it we were able to construct a 20 yard long rescue device.
  • Judy: Thanks for your initial concern, and sticking it out with me. It is your video of the actual rescue included with this post.
  • Ginny: Thanks for all your photos, and the blanket which I used to warm up with when I got out of the harbor. My feet and legs were frozen.
Some history about our efforts. I first spotted the owl shortly before sunrise sitting out on the ice. A sighting of this kind is not unusual … actually rather common. I took a few photos and left the owl alone. Returning after church I discovered the owl had only moved a few feet in hours. It did not take notice of us, even when we tried to scare and flush it.
 
Having hand rescued a Snowy Owl back in October, with thanks to Frank Nicoletti who is the head bander at Hawk Ridge, I knew how to hand capture this owl. The ice was very thin. Thus I was not willing to walk out on said ice. With our Snowy Owl capture device, I waded in up to my knees … breaking the ice (some nice cuts on my shins), and pushed the ice out of the way. I then netted the snowy and pulled it back to where I could grab the owl. As soon as possible upon getting on shore we put a blanket over the snowy to try and limit its stress.
 Video of Snowy Owl Rescue

A few more notes … In the morning, the owl appeared to be fine. When I returned after church I heard it had not moved at all. In addition, a person who was near by had taken dogs for a walk. When that person first got out of their car, the dogs ran over to the owl (the dogs did not attack or touch the owl). I knew that in the Arctic where Snowies nest both Arctic foxes and wolves would be perceived as dangerous by an owl. Thus, any owl that would not move or fly away when confronted by canines had to be in need of help.
Video Taken at Sunrise

 I had never expected to hand capture a Snowy Owl back in October. I told everyone it was a once in a lifetime experience. Well … with the irruption of Snowies I have now worked at saving two owls. I hope Sky recovers. It is in good hands.
 
I will post updates about Sky on my blog.
Oh yes … yesterday I also saw a health Snowy Owl in the Duluth area!