A Boreal Visitor

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You may have heard earlier this winter that northern Minnesota was experiencing an owl irruption.  This happens when deep snow cover to the north forces owls to fly south in search of easier hunting.  Many people were spotting owls on the North Shore as they drove up to visit us.  I was able to see two great grey owls when I traveled the shore, but in both cases, I was unable to take photos.​

Then one day in mid-March, while working at the counter, I happened to look out the window just in time to see a bird fly to the pine tree next to the porch.  I hurried over for a better look.  Right there, outside the window by about ten feet, was the cutest little owl I had ever seen. A quick check of the bird book confirmed that it was a boreal owl.   It was perched in the branches, with the resident chickadees fluttering about.  The little birds were quite curious about this new visitor to their territory.​

​I called the kids downstairs to that they could see it, too, and we all took out our cameras to record it.  Soon Greg came home, and he set up his tripod to shoot some video.  The whole time, the owl just kept trying to take a nap.  He didn't seem to care that we were coming and going, in and out the door, a different camera in hand each time.  He just wanted to snooze.  This video is the result of the encounter:

The owl came back the next day for a brief visit, and then made a cameo appearance at Sharlene's.  We didn't see him again, but are very glad to have had the opportunity to not only check this one off of the bird list, but to have recorded so many good memories of it.​

Fun Weekend

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This past weekend was the 7th Annual Mush for a Cure, a fundraiser for breast cancer research.  For the second year in a row, Greg and I volunteered as kitchen ​crew at the pasta dinner on Friday evening.  I've posted photos of all the pink goodness here for you to see.  This event is always scheduled for the second weekend of March, and it is a really fun time to be on the Gunflint Trail.  I also have some photos and video of the mushers taking off on Saturday morning, and I will process that and get it posted here soon. 

On a different note, the skiing is fabulous right now!  We have approximately 26-28 inches of snow in the woods, and the trails are getting groomed even as we speak.  I'm headed out to see how the conditions are.  Temperatures are predicted to stay in the twenties this week, so that should mean that skiing will be good at least through next weekend.  Coincidentally, we have several openings in our cabins, and the rates are down to our value season.  Good reasons to come up to the northwoods for one last hurrah in the snow!​

Plenty of Snow and Sunshine

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For some, the winter season seems to crawl.  For others, like me, it is whipping by. The month of January passed in a blur, and suddenly, I find myself nearing the end of February.  The days are growing noticeably longer, and the sunshine is feeling warmer. Today felt a little like a March teaser, with temperatures in the mid-thirties, and that wonderful feeling of spring skiing.​

​We headed out early, so that the trails would still be cold from the overnight chill.  The snow itself was perfect, and the Lonely Lake trail was shaded enough to keep it that way.  We had lots of fun on the hills of the Big Pine and Little Pine trails, and then on the return trip back to the lodge.  Here is a bit of video that Greg took as we skied along.

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We've been blessed with great snowfall this month, so there is plenty of good skiing ahead.  Since March is usually one of our snowiest months, I expect to be out on the trails for several more days.  Care to join me?  Still lots of cabin availability!​

From the Birdfeeder

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Ever since I filled the bird feeder this morning, it has been one busy little restaurant!  All day the chickadees and nuthatches have been flitting in and out, grabbing seeds.  Initially, they were squeezed out a bit, because a blue jay decided to have his breakfast at the same time.  When the big guy comes flying in, it's almost impossible to sneak a seed or two when he isn't looking.  The jay would grab a few seeds, and  fly over to the pine tree to eat them.  Then he would sit, with his little down jacket all puffed up, until it was time to repeat the process.

This afternoon, the feeder was still a flutter of activity.  I noticed one of my favorite little birds come swooping in--the white-breasted nuthatch.  He is generally outnumbered by his smaller relatives.  He has a distinctive flight pattern when he comes in to the feeder, so I can usually recognize him initially by that.  I've been trying for a long time to get a photo of him, and today I was finally able to achieve that. 

With all of this activity, it makes me wonder about the patterns of the critters in nature.  We are due to have a storm in a couple of days, and I am curious if this feeding frenzy is in response to that.  I'll have to watch next time something big is predicted, to see if I recognize the same behavior.  I know that the birds are noticing the longer days, and perhaps even thinking ahead to spring.  They were singing their little hearts out this morning, not quite the spring songs, but still pretty.  I, too, am noticing the inclination towards springtime, in the way the sunshine now creeps into my kitchen windows.  Perhaps we are past the deepest cold of winter.  A sunny, mild day sure can erase the memory of 35 below real fast.