Apparently my cabin is the territorial dividing line between two pairs of Barred Owls. Via my Birdnet-Pi I had learned the owls were present. However nothing prepared me for what happened at 4 am. Via the light of the full moon in the Boreal forest of northern Minnesota, two pairs of Barred Owls at first just hooted like crazy directly over where I was standing (two locations 100 yards apart). I then noticed the shadow of one owl flying and it went straight to the location of the other pair. This started 15 minutes of the most crazy hooting with short flights directly at each other. I was outside for 30 minutes, but my BirdNET-Pi  shows this hoot fest fight went on for almost two hours.

After coming back inside the cabin I did research via Cornell’s Birds of the World. I wanted to confirm that Barred Owl couples actual  fight, and the answer is definitely yes … and much more during mating / nesting season. As a f.y.i. my cabin is way north in Minnesota, and ice out on the lake was only 7 days ago. It is unlikely that the Barred Owls have nested yet, or if they have … only within the past few days.

It was an amazing experience!!!

• Link to my post about BirdNET-Pi and how to build / configure a unit
• Birdsong Listening Stations in NE Minnesota

Here is a screenshot I took from of my BirdNET-Pi shortly before 5 am. You will note the box ID’d the owls 429 times during the hoot fight fest. I do have a 15 minute audio file from the experience. I was dumbfounded when I first went outside around  4 am. I was hoping to track a single owl, but as the calls kept coming from different locations, I started to realize something special was happening.

Pre-Dawn Over Northstar Lake … Hudson Bay Watershed in Northern Minnesota. Image taken around 5:30 am this morning … 40 minutes before sunrise and about 50 minutes after the Barred Owl “hootfest” ended at 4:40 am. The Owls were still occasionally calling but the fight was over.

Even though my cabin has zero running water this time of year, and I knew Northstar Lake would be socked in with ice, I made the two hour NW drive over from Duluth. My lake in is the southernmost body of water of the Hudson Bay Watershed. All waters flow north! The forecast said the weather would be warm (70F) and sunny. Thus, I ignored the ice and stayed away from the shore where it was chilly and opened up the windows and doors … wanting fresh air inside after being closed up all winter. It is the fastest way to warm up a non heated cabin (or cool it down). Whatever the temperature is outside, eventually my cabin will reflect those conditions. Thus, if it’s 20F outside, it will be 20F inside. Thankfully I do have both a wood stove and fireplace for those chilly days.

Mother Nature came through. By early afternoon as I worked on a new wood shed, strong winds out of the south were pushing huge numbers of migration birds  Here is the bird report only one hour after sunrise this morning via my BirdNET-Pi. (click or press upon to maximize for easier reading)

After I finished my chores I took a hike and then sat on the front deck. The number of migrating Northern Flickers was amazing (some will stay in my local forest) . These birds were eating bugs off the ground, and I hoped if I stayed motionless long enough the flickers would forget about my presence. Northern Flickers are a skittish species. Anyhow, jackpot!

Did you know Bert and Betty, the Barred Owls have been waiting for me to pen an owl children’s book about their family? I have one problem … I have not been able to find the happy couple’s home. I have looked far and wide in the Duluth area for Bert and Betty without success. Now I may have a candidate couple at my cabin. Through my cabin’s new bird song listening device, BirdNET-Pi, I have learned there are Barred Owls at Northstar Lake. Last night they were recorded 45 times asking who was my cook! This would be too cool if I am able to find this happy couple. (my cabin’s listening station)

Just in case I don’t find this loving couple’s home, I would welcome help in the Duluth area. Barred Owls tend to nest in tree cavities. I would need access to your property from this time of year (courting / defining territory) through next June (Owlets fledging).