American Tree Sparrows, colored with bright rufous markings, were the most common birds at the nature center feeding stations – a species not often encountered back in Dakota. Although the male Snowy Owl looked pure white in the field, the resulting photos revealed a few dark markings, including two distinctive spots on its “small ears” (feather tufts) on the top of its head. The surprise Snowy flees from the train. A male Northern Cardinal’s distinctive color adds excitement to any location.

My mid-week was filled with an exciting variety of birds as I made another pilgrimage from the border of the Dakotas to Minneapolis, searching for excitement along the way. The biggest thrill was like seeing a ghost in a white room – a seemingly pure white male Snowy Owl perched against a white sky above a white landscape. I barely noticed a flash of whiter white, but it jolted my attention to the owl as I passed the stunning Arctic owl at 65 miles per hour; or perhaps its piercing eyes blazing from its ultra-white face caught my attention.

Nonetheless, my mind clearly registered the ultra-white owl in a micro-second, instinctively forcing me to safely take a U-turn a couple hundred yards down the road. The impressive Snowy had my heart pounding as I coasted to a stop to photograph it perched on a low pole at eye level, adjacent to an elevated railroad track. The white owl didn’t even look my way at first; it was surveying the broad white landscape to the north. I took two photos anyway, featuring the back of its head.

When Snowy did turn to gaze in my direction, its eyes seemed deep and dark, and I quickly took a couple photos in case it would find my vehicle fearful. The owl didn’t seem concerned, turning to look to the west, but that’s when I realized a train was fast approaching from the east. I hurriedly took a couple more photos, and prepared for the regal owl’s takeoff as the train barreled down. I took four images of the Snowy in flight before the speeding train blocked my view of its exit. The short train passed quickly, allowing me to check the obvious perch sites in the area. I could barely distinguish the white owl against the white sky – perched high atop a metal powerline tower far to the northeast. I took a couple quick photos to document its new perch, then bid the Snowy white owl thanks, good luck, long life, and adios. What a find!

Avian Overview

The male Snowy Owl was the first bird sighted in Minnesota, but there was another significant owl about 50 miles east of home. I found the earliest nesting attempt I’ve ever found in south-central North Dakota – a Great Horned Owl incubating on a former Red-tailed Hawk nest high in a cottonwood tree – on February 26th! Continuing eastbound, a few scattered Bald Eagles offered promise that one of the four eagle nests along the way might show some action as the season slipped from February into March. I observed two lone Bald Eagles, but none at or near the first three nest sites. The fourth nest site showed promise though, with a pair of eagles perched on branches next to the nest. (That brings my total to six Bald Eagle nests checked in southern North Dakota during the last week, with three of them showing some pre-nesting activity.)

Before I passed into Minnesota, I had a quick look at a Merlin – close, in flight – sparking my attention, that was still on high alert when I experienced the white flash of the Snowy Owl. Within a few miles, I observed another pair of Bald Eagles perched, but there was no nest in sight – plus, I began seeing a scattering of crows as I edged from the Great Plains to the edge of the eastern forest. I passed the first Red-tailed Hawk about 80 miles north of Minneapolis, and a second one 20 miles closer, but the metro area didn’t show many hawks during my visit.

Now it may seem like I’m only focused on birds of prey, but actually a few pheasants and Horned Larks were the only other birds I observed along the way. Birding can be bleak up north beyond a few little islands of winter bird activities. Happily, I visited a couple birding hotspots the next day.

Thursday Feeder Break

With the surprise of sunshine to brighten the morn, I wanted to give the Lowry Nature Center’s feeders another visit and found all the expected species in attendance. Northern Cardinals, American Tree Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, just one Blue Jay, and a vibrantly colored male Red-bellied Woodpecker that teased me as I tried to photograph it. But true to its species, it offered no quality photo ops. Red-bellies have been a tough species for me to try to photograph over the years, much like Red-headed Woodpeckers were – until last summer. Maybe a Red-bellied breakthrough is on the verge of reality too. Actually, it seemed that none of the feeder birds yielded a quality photo while I was on site, but I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the photos I took of American Tree Sparrows, and a couple cardinal images weren’t bad either. Once again, I photographed until my fingers and face and toes became too cold – about 40 minutes in the 22 degree sunshine.

Despite the cool temperatures, Thursday’s sunshine offered some signs of spring as I watched a mating display between a soaring pair of Red-tailed Hawks, as a cardinal was singing as I left my Mom’s home. And as I drove by the nearby Bald Eagle nest I saw an eagle settling onto the nest – possibly repositioning during early incubation. Homebound, the beautiful afternoon sunlight was at its best when I made a timely stop at the Trumpeter Swan wintering site north of the Twin Cities, which I describe in the Bird Photography article in this issue. Here, I will share that there was an exciting flow of birds along the Mississippi River that afternoon, and some of the resulting photos illustrate that article. The article also recounts the historic transition photographers made from using film to utilizing digital photo media.

That evening, as my Minnesota trip was coming to a close, a new moon hung low just above the highway, and the blackened landscape was unexpectedly engulfed by thick fog. To my left, from the side of the road, a Great Horned Owl flushed and flew before me, then winged back into the depths of the fog – another ghostly owl sighting just a few miles northwest of home. Now, grant you, I don’t believe ghosts, but I do believe in owls. Enjoy all your travels, and enjoy all the birds along the way.

Article and photos by Paul Konrad

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