This week saw us experience a HUGE blizzard up here in the Northland. Depending upon your elevation and downwind location from Lake Superior, snow totals were from 20 to 30 inches of snow. Weather conditions were finally supposed to moderate early this morning with calm winds. Given raptors are not able to effectively hunt during a blizzard, I thought that Great Gray Owls would be hungry after over two days of not eating.

Jackpot! I watched this Great Gray hunt for over 75 minutes well after sunrise this morning. More images will be coming from my time with “gray”, but for now … Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Unlike last winter, there is a bumper crops of mountain ash berries, pygmy crab apples and ash tree seeds. Pine Grosbeaks are around the Northland in significant numbers, but not visiting feeders much due to all the natural food. I find the best time of day to find lots of Pine Grosbeaks is around “9 ish” in the morning. Both the Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls will “grit up”, and then you can inspect what is on the menu that morning. I saw these birds two mornings ago.

Pine Grosbeak Eating Ash Seeds

Bohemian Waxwings on Nichols Lake Road

Ruffed Grouse

Pine Grosbeak Eating Ash Seeds (video link for email subscribers)

I just had two delightful birding excursions at Sax-Zim Bog. I decided that given that our native Great Gray Owls are “no shows” other than at sunrise and sunset on Admiral and McDavitt, I have focused my birding efforts elsewhere. This morning my drive over to the Bog was drop dead gorgeous … crisp clear skies (-7F) with the setting full moon filling my field of vision. I arrived right at sunrise, and took this photograph of the full moon setting over the Bog.

Shortly thereafter I found a most cooperative Rough-Legged Hawk. Normally these hawks spook very easily, but this individual was very willing to hang out with me.

The Bald Eagles seemed to be jealous of all my efforts with the hawk, and posed very nicely as well for me!

Bald Eagle #1

Bald Eagle #2

I will have another post dedicated to all the songbirds I saw, but for the moment this Canada Jay / Gray Jay will be the teaser.