Tag Archives: WI North: NW Wisconsin

Washington Post, the Davidson Windmill & the Northern Lights

Year 13,

I almost never enter photography contests, but I just made an exception to that rule for  the Washington Post. One of the contest rules was the image had to be taken within the past 12 months. While submission of a birding image might seem obvious, I decided to provide a photograph taken last November of the Davidson Windmill and the Northern Lights. Here is the image I submitted. In my comments to the Washington Post I noted that I practice realism in my photography. Thus, this photo closely represents what I saw that night last November with my naked eye. I did NOT run up the ISO thereby allowing my camera to record something different than what was showing in the heavens above!

War Bird Take-Off of the Dawn Patrol! (Snowy Owl)

Year 13

It has been a good couple of days with my neighborhood snowys. The clouds were rolling in as dawn approached this morning, and a Snowy Owl was supervising this WW II PBY Catalina Flying Boat’s preparation for its “dawn patrol!” The best part of the experience for me was when while standing 50 yards away from the owl in the pre-dawn light, the Snowy Owl suddenly cried out a long piercing scream. My conjecture was it telling another nearby Snowy Owl that this territory was hers … or perhaps she is truly a “war bird” and this was just her battle cry! Regardless, it was my winter birding highlight.

Perhaps you would like to see this same owl, but with a milder photograph theme?! Okay … same perch as the almost full moon rises behind the Snowy Owl two nights ago. Night patrol?!

Now we must leave War Bird Snowy Owl and spend some time with the bird which hunts close by … and let me watch the later afternoon hunt including Take-Offs, Flights, and Landings.

2nd Snowy Owl … Perched, Take-Off & Flight and Landing.

Perched

Take-Off & Flight

Landing

First Birding Sunrise of 2026 (2025 ReCap)

Year 13

Before sunrise this morning I visited some Snowy Owls near my home. While it was below zero and gloomy at my house, surprisingly the sun tried to break through the clouds at sunrise behind a Snowy Owl. Thus … the first birding sunrise of 2026 on New Year’s Day. How poetic!

Snowy Owl Silhouetted at Dawn

I think this owl must be a “war bird”. It loves to hunt from this plane being reconstructed!

And the best birding by month of 2025