Here is today’s planned route. My first stop will be my bird feeders at Greenwood Creek, then via Isabella to Sawbill Landing. The snowpack inland from the big lake is still very deep. If I see more than four cars per hour once I head north from Two Harbors (20 minutes from my house) it will be a traffic jam! Once I leave Isabella I would expect to see zero other people. I am looking forward to a day in the wilderness. This route was planned based upon my knowledge of the area, the hour by hour weather forecast (particularly cloudy coverage, winds and temperatures), and the sun angle / position relative to my location and direction of travel.

While down in Florida recently I had a number of opportunities to watch and photograph Loggerhead Shrikes, the southern cousin of Northern Shrikes. In Florida the Loggerhead Shrikes were very accepting of human presence, and I was often able to get within 15 yards of the species. However, Northern Shrikes which breed every summer up in the Canadian Boreal Forest normally spook very, very easily. Getting close to the northern cousin is darned difficult. Both versions are known as “Butcher Birds”. Shrikes, actually a songbird, think like a raptor and catch small mammals, birds and insects. Have some nearby barbed wire? Shrikes will often impale their prey on the barbs for a future meal.

Thus, it was a fantastic morning on Wednesday when I managed to actually get close to a Northern Shrike, and watch it hunt for over 15 minutes. (video link for email subscribers)

• Links to the Cornell School of Ornithology
  • Northern Shrike
  • Loggerhead Shrike

Northern Shrike (7F in Northern Minnesota) (I have no idea what the shrike is watching in the 2nd image, and it is all puffed up against the cold in the 3rd photo)

The Southern Cousin … a Florida Loggerhead Shrike (70F outside!)

This winter birding season is crazy … crazy good in many respects. Yesterday a friend came north from the Twin Cities to hopefully see some Great Gray Owls. Anyhow, “old gray” came through and in only 3 hours of birding we saw ten owls … four by ourselves without another human present.

Another crazy aspect about this winter’s birding is twice in the past week I have gone out looking for Pine Grosbeaks. These beautiful birds this winter are a much harder find than owls. In fact I have only seen two Pine Grosbeaks all winter. I have lost track of how many Great Gray Owls I have watched.

Some pics from yesterdays’ owling … I only photographed 8 of the 10. I let my friend photograph the other two owls. Don’t miss the hunt images or the Ruffed Grouse at the end of the post.

Great Gray Owl #1

Great Gray Owl #2

Great Gray Owl #3

Great Gray Owl #4 (Signs of an Irruption)

Great Gray Owl #5

Great Gray Owl #6

Great Gray Owl #7

Great Gray Owl #8 (The Hunt … Unsuccessful)

Closely inspect these next two images. The owl is essentially hovering in place, but losing altitude as it adjusts its attack using sound triangulation. A Great Gray’s ears are offset and its brain essentially uses trigonometry to collect the sound and determine attack vectors.

Two Ruffed Grouse

Grouse #1

Grouse #2