Great Horned Owls in a Box (Bubo virginianus) - East Central MinnesotaNikon D800E + Nikon AFS200-400mm f4.0 @ ISO1600 — Great Horned Owls in a Box (*Bubo virginianus*) - East Central Minnesota
Nikon D800E + Nikon AFS200-400mm f4.0 @ ISO1600

Has Spring Sprung?

March 22, 2015 in March 2015

The calendar suggests that winter is for retro’s and spring is for futurists. On March 20th at 5:45 PM CDT the Vernal Equinox has ushered in a new season. This day is one of two that occur within each calendar year; it is a period when the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness at night. While the pre-glow of dawn and after-glow of dusk fudge the truth behind the definition, the equinox always is a harbinger for change. So while today continues to feel a bit like winter with the weather terrorists threatening a 6 inch snow, the promise of the Gregorian calendar gives me hope for longer days, warmer weather and a busy spring migration.

Skunk Cabbage - Kalaloch Rainforest, Olympic PeninsulaNikon D700 + Nikon AFS 200-400mm f4.0 VR — Skunk Cabbage - Kalaloch Rainforest, Olympic Peninsula
Nikon D700 + Nikon AFS 200-400mm f4.0 VR

Green Violet-ear Hummbingbird (Colibri  thalassininus) - Savegre River, Costa RicaCanon 5D mark iii w/ Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x mark iii converter — Green Violet-ear Hummbingbird (Colibri thalassininus) - Savegre River, Costa Rica
Canon 5D mark iii w/ Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 2x mark iii converter

Did You Know (34)?

February 12, 2015 in February 2015

While the exact number is debatable, there are between 325 and 340 hummingbird species. Globally restricted to the Americas, Ecuador is the king of hummingbird diversity with its 132 confirmed varieties. At 5 cm and the mass of a U.S. penny, the Cuban bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the smallest avian species alive today. Although little, hummingbirds are not inconspicuous animals. Males fearlessly flash iridescent colors around the neck in what is known as the gorget display. Revealing bright hues of red, green and blue, such displays are aggressive messages that denote breeding and feeding territories. Despite their diminutive size, hummingbirds will dive-bomb conspecifics as well as invading species that compete for their food and space. Survival for a hummingbird is all about energy conservation. With wingbeats of 50 beats per second during a hover and 200 beats per second on an attack, these birds drain their fuel like a HUMMER H2 climbing a steep hill. Daytime heart rates can exceed 1000 beats per minute in order to sustain the high oxygen and nutrient demands of wing muscles. This intense activity requires an energy rich diet, which explains why the typical hummingbird needs to consume a greater nectar mass per day than its own body mass. At night hummingbirds “shut down.” Referred to as torpor, the body enters a hypothermic state as it drops nearly 20o C and the heart rate falls to between 50 and 180 beats per minute. Even with these energy saving measures, hummingbirds still lose 10% of their total body weight each night. Underscoring these high energy demands is the fact that some species like the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) will migrate from Central America to northern Ontario, Canada.

Snowy Owl Hunt (Bubo scandiaca) - East Central MinnesotaCanon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS — Snowy Owl Hunt *(Bubo scandiaca)* - East Central Minnesota
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Did You Know (29)?

February 07, 2015 in February 2015

The point might be an intuitive one to the experienced bird watcher, but it appears that morphological differences in an owl’s eye color might be an adaptation to foraging. Barn and barred owls have what seem to be opaque black marbles in their orbits and these, like other dark-eyed owls, prefer a nocturnal hunt. Possibly an adaptation for “invisibility” during moonlit evenings, the dark eyes reflect painfully little ambient light. The African eagle owl with its orange irises are crepuscular birds and thus prefer to forage at the break of dawn and dusk. While not true for all yellow-eyed owls, yellow irises are common to the agile daylight hunters. While it might be rare to see an owl hunt in midday, snowy owls, great grays and hawk owls will actively hunt even after the sun rises.

Chestnut-mandibled Toucan - Rincon de la Vieja, Costa RicaCanon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS — Chestnut-mandibled Toucan - Rincon de la Vieja, Costa Rica
Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8L IS

Did You Know (18)?

January 27, 2015 in January 2015

What do toucan bills and elephant ears have in common? Both are used for thermoregulation. In the case of the toco toucan the bird has the largest beak to body size ratio of any extant bird*. The mis-proportioned bill is a key identifying characteristic of the family Ramphastidae; while the outrageous colors make this animal a much endeared representative of the neotropics. Often perceived as an adaptation for mate recognition and feeding, it appears that the toucan bill is a thermal radiator*. Like elephants that can dissipate excess heat with the flapping of ears, toucans rely on the large surface area of vessels within the bill to balance heat retention with its loss.

*Tattersall, G. J., D. V. Andrade, and A. S. Abe. "Heat Exchange from the Toucan Bill Reveals a Controllable Vascular Thermal Radiator." Science 325.5939 (2009): 468-70. Web.

North Shore Diary - Winter 2014

February 09, 2014 in February 2014

2014 is a winter to be remembered in Minnesota. Every once in a while we experience a season that is remarkable when compared across a lifetime. While I am not a MN lifer, my adult years belong to the state. Now here for 24 winters and nearly half my life, I have seen enough to recognize an unusual year when I experience it. Simply put, it's been damn cold. Today is February 9, 2014 and I can't remember the last time the mercury crossed the freezing point.

An Arctic Migrant Looking to Warm Up in MN - Bubo scandiacus — An Arctic Migrant Looking to Warm Up in MN - *Bubo scandiacus*

Regardless of the cold, I am determined to document this life and its experiences through pictures. The epic temperatures taunt, but do not hinder. This post is my North Shore Diary for the first weekend in February. During the three days that began on January 31st and ended February 2nd, we saw snow, ice fog, 20 mph wind, and -22 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. When I pulled into a station to fill the gas tank, I commented on the weather... the lifer barely acknowledged my lament when she uttered, "Whadya expect, don'tya know this-ere is Nordern MinnesOta."

Jekyll and Hyde

February 12, 2013

Stony Point in Black and White - Hwy 61 Scenic Drive, MN

Canon 5D Mark iii & Canon 24mm f3.5L TSE

A story about the stark contrast in one’s humanity, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde symbolize both the best and worst in any situation, moment or time. Say their names and the imagination runs wild. They are good and evil, Yin and Yang, light and dark all wrapped into a single package; he is the misguided man who wants it all.

Owl Landscape (Aegolius funereus) - Hwy 61 Scenic Drive, MN

Canon 5D Mark iii & Canon 300mm f2.8L IS + Canon 1.4x Converter

February is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A time of stark contrasts where daylight grows and temperatures fall. Void of life, its leafless forests reveal the gems who hide in a summer’s shadow. The mass Exodus that began in August leaves the hardy behind, where survival is intimately linked to a well managed energy budget.

Contrast - Hwy 61 Scenic Drive, MN

Canon 5D Mark iii & Canon 24mm f3.5L TSE

Yet the dearth that is February includes small nuggets of gold. One’s barren woods is another’s cornucopia. While resources are depleted to the north, ours are free for the taking and opportunistic migrants seeking easy food will see the Jekyll in my February’s Hyde.

Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) - Hwy 61 Scenic Drive, MN

Canon 7D + Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS

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