Tag Archives: MN North: Two Harbors Highlands

Bunny Goes Owling with Grampa!

Year 7

Long before sunrise this morning, Bunny jumped on top of Grampa’s camera bag and yelled: “Take me! Take me owling, Grampa!” How could I resist? After all it is rare that someone wants to get up long before the sun, drive long distances just to walk back roads in search of owls, but Bunny insisted! How could I refuse? (Many Bunny and Owl photos follow … we had a very fun and successful time)

Bunny jumping on top of my camera bag, and taking control of the car.

The Great Gray Owl, Bunny and Grampa watched for 25 minutes.

Let me backtrack. Isabel, one of my six grandchildren was visiting Grammy and Grampa (along with her three siblings and parents) for Christmas. Bunny came also because Bunny NEVER leaves Isabel’s side. Both Bunny and Isabel are five years old. While leaving our house in Duluth yesterday to drive home to the big city, somehow Bunny fell out of Isabel’s arms and dove into the deep snow. Thankfully Grammy discovered Bunny in the snow, but long after Isabel and her family left Duluth.

Molly and I had a potential disaster on our hands. Bunny could not be sent “package express” to the Big City from Duluth till Monday. It was Saturday evening. However, one is not awarded the title of Grammy and Grampa without being smart when it comes to solving life’s problems. We would turn Bunny’s time with us in Duluth into an adventure. Isabel would be kept constantly informed … often with pictures … on how Bunny is doing. Is Bunny lonely? Is Bunny scared? Thankfully this morning in response to one of our many texts with Bunny photos, Isabel exclaimed: “Bunny is having fun with Grammy and Grampa” Disaster averted!

Bunny’s visit to Grammy and Grampa

  • Owl photos and video follow
  • Please note I am feeding bunny a carrot … what else??!
  • Bunny with computer … attending church online due to the Pandemic

Bunny and Grampa’s Great Gray Owl photographs

Great Gray Owl video (link for email subscribers)

Hiding from the Wind!

Year 7,

Merry Christmas from the Northwoods. There are a few hours between all the gleeful madness on this special day. Thankfully during this ugly Pandemic, my daughter’s family was kind enough to self-isolate earlier such that they might safely visit us for Christmas. The morning started early with four grandchildren trying to insure the household was up at 6:00 am! Thankfully everyone was awake, and even with our Christmas Blizzard, Santa find his way to Duluth following Rudolph’s red nose.

During our blizzard winds topped out at 70 mph on the open waters of Lake Superior. The temperatures dropped to make for nasty weather … wind chills of minus 25 to 30F degrees. Believe it or not, once the snow stopped I went birding on Christmas Eve (plowed roads only in the countryside). I knew that birds would be hiding from the wind while trying to experience the warmth of the sun. My major surprise was finding this female ring-necked pheasant … far out of range in northern Minnesota. The pheasant was standing on the side of a road in a location where the wind was blocked with lots of sun.

Earlier in the day we saw “Hector” who was visiting out yard. Hector is a male Pileated Woodpecker … named thusly by my eight year old granddaughter. She knows the difference between male and female Pileated Woodpeckers. Do you?! (hint: moustache and crest next to beak)

Wishing everyone the merriest and safest of Christmas.

Northwoods Hunter: Great Gray Owl

Year 7

This morning I explored a new area, and I found this Great Gray Owl. This sequence of images shows its successful hunt. Given the dark conditions I was not able to get many flight shots, but it was fun to watch.

First found … thankfully atop a pine (easily viewable)

Intense Concentration … vole underneath the snow

Strike! (Great Gray Owls hunt using their ears to hear mice and voles running underneath the snow)

Breakfast (in the cropped close-up you are able to see the vole’s tail)

Typical Flight Show (away from me with a busy background)

Hunting anew … well camouflaged