Boreal Owl

Boreal Owl near Knife River, MN

An invasion of Boreal Owls had been reported this winter. Quite a few individuals had been seen along North Shore Drive between Duluth and Two Harbors. These owls come this far south every four years, according to prey population cycles. This guy is sitting in the close spruce tree in the photo. We were scanning the trees as we drove, but we wouldn't have seen this guy if it weren't for a car parked along side of the road.

Very shortly after we stopped, a crowd descended on the scene. There were a lot of folks from Minnesota and Wisconsin, but I heard that a guy had come all the way from Florida to see the Boreals.

Despite the crowd, this owl didn't seem too bothered and continued to hunt. The owl was still sitting there when we left. It was hard to imagine a better look at such a special bird.

This individual was quite well photographed. I heard reports that 14 different Boreal Owls had been spotted in the area.