Great Horned Owlet Rescue … Times Two!!!

Year 12

Today was an unexpected but special day. Molly knows I have been experiencing M.O.S. (missing owlet syndrome). After six years of watching Les and Amy raise Great Horned Owlets near my home, I was looking forward to a seventh year. Although I found this season’s nest, four weeks ago for unknown reasons the nest failed (night time raccoon attack??).

Anyhow this morning I had some intelligence on a family of Great Horned Owlets within driving distance of my northern Minnesota home. Leaving shortly before 6:30 am I went to visit the owl location. After walking around for ten minutes, I heard an “owl squawk” which I recognized as a female Great Horned Owl. I knew wherever Mom was, the owlets had to be near by … I just did not realize how near the owlets were to me. I had been scanning high up in the white pines, but briefly I looked down and discovered two owlets were on the ground within 10 yards of my location.

I backed off immediately, as I was obviously too close. Unfortunately the owlets were on the ground within a fenced dog park. My inspection of the owlets told me their flight feathers were not fully developed, and that both birds had likely experienced a “controlled crash” from the trees the prior night. I realized this was NOT a good situation for either owls or dogs. They could not escape any dogs that found them within the dog park.

Thankfully for most of the time I was the only person present (no dogs). I contacted both the local police and DNR. Between the three of us, we briefly captured the owls and released them moments later outside the fenced in dog park area. Momma Owl was watching us the entire time. Both owlets are now still on the ground (not unusual), but in safer protected thickets where I assume they will use downed tree boughs to climb back up into some white pines. My thanks to the Minnesota DNR and the local police department (not named to protect the owl’s location). Both organizations responded to my help requests and were instrumental in saving the owlets. Normally one should leave owlets found on the ground alone, but not when the owlets could not fly and were within a fenced dog park.

Today was also my half way point for cancer radiation treatment (20 out of 40 treatments). God provided me a real gift.

Enjoy!!!

My view when I finally looked down, and not up into the trees!

Owlet A (trying to scare a dog which appeared at one point)

Owlet B (trying to scare me when I got too close)

Momma Great Horned Owl

The Rescue Video! (video link for email subscribers)

Owlet B in its new home outside the dog park

 

Migration Madness!

Year 12, ,

The birds are migrating! The birds are migrating!

A few days ago I had a most excellent time in the rain at Forest Hill Cemetery. During migration damp and foggy conditions will often bring warblers down to the ground (rather than high up in the trees). Such was the case in the drizzle, but with calm winds. The warblers still congregated at the north end of the first pond at the cemetery. This area was the most protected, and for over a half hour I had Yellow-Rumped and Palm Warblers within just a few feet of me. It was fun.

A few birds from that fun time in the rain …

Palm Warblers

Brown Creeper

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Once the weather cleared over the past three days I have seen an amazing number of Broad-Winged Hawks. These smaller hawks set up on the side of the roads and hunt for both songbirds and small mammals. This morning it seemed like these raptors were wherever I looked on Lake County Two between Two Harbors and my Greenwood Feeders.

Broad-Winged Hawks a Hunting!

Finally I apologize for the falloff in terms of post frequency. Some of you know that I am re-battling Prostate Cancer. Tomorrow will be my 20th radiation treatment (out of 40 planned). Thankfully the prognosis is excellent, but the treatments and medication tires me out. Essentia Health was very cooperative in terms of scheduling my appointments in the early afternoon. They understand part of the treatment/healing process is to continue doing the things a person loves … for me birding. Thus, a typical days sees me head out for the boreal forest around 6:45 am, and get back late morning …  then on to my daily radiation treatment. Unfortunately I have experienced some radiation side effects which my medical team has helped me battle through. However, by later in the afternoon I tend to be tired and thus blogging frequency has suffered. Sorry.

Is Spring Coming in the Northwoods??

Year 12

Yesterday I was able to drive my car to my summer parking spot on Forest Road #813 for the first time this spring. This allowed me to take new hikes and shift my trailcams to locations deep in the wilderness. During yesterday morning’s hike for the first time there were a reasonable number of migrants present (not a lot). It was fun to see kingfishers, wilson’s snipe and of course robins. At the bird feeders out by Lake County #2, purple finches rule and are getting to settle in for their breeding season.

My hike’s excitement was flushing a Northern Goshawk at almost the identical moment I heard a nearby Ruffed Grouse drumming. This coincidence led me down a rabbit hole when I got home … do Northern Goshawks with their prey preference for grouse respond and hunt based upon drumming heard. The answer is definitely yes! I found a University of Minnesota study which determined based upon their research in northern Minnesota that upon examining kills of banded grouse, 75% if these grouse were killed extremely close to their drumming logs during courtship displays. In other words, looking for a good female is dangerous!

Today’s photo of the day is of a recently returned Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. While some years a few will stay over in the Northland, this past winter these woodpeckers seemed to have all migrated south. One can tell this is a male because the red plumage reaches completely from the base of its back neck to its bill (not true for the female)