Introducing….

…the Northern Saw-whet Owl! The newest addition to Eagle Bluff ELC’s raptor program arrived yesterday January 25th. This little owl was found by the side of the road last October and presumed to have been hit by a car. The Owl was in the care of veterinarian/wildlife rehabilitator since then. When it was determined that the Northern Saw-whet Owl (let’s refer to the owl from now on as NSWO, the four letter alpha code) was non-releasable due to a broken wing that didn’t heal properly, we began the process of building an enclosure for the NSWO obtaining permits to use it(we’re not sure of the sex yet) in educational programs. As you can see in the following pictures, these owls are small – they’re actually the smallest owl in the eastern part of North America!

We’re very excited to have the NSWO here and begin training so it can be used in programs.

First thing was to put equipment on the NSWO. Such small feet!

Raptor Handler and Naturalist Jenna Moon is excited about the owl too!

Making sure the equipment is fitting properly.

The NSWO is getting used to being handled.

Weighing in at 97.8g. On average NSWO's usually weigh around 80g.

We hope that you enjoyed the first photos of the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Look for it to be in upcoming programs!

Week of January 16th – 22nd

We welcomed Richfield Middle School and U of M Women’s Tennis.

The 6th graders of Richfield Middle School arrived on Tuesday for a visit until Friday. During their 14th visit to Eagle Bluff, they were able to experience Birds, Cross-Country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Group Challenges, Wildlife Ecology, Winter Survival, Animal Signs, Winter Pond Lab, Rock Climbing, and Treetops.

The U of M Women’s Tennis team arrived on Friday night for a weekend of team bonding and East Treetops.

Phenology

• Coyotes were seen running together.
  

  Ermine

• Weasel Tracks were seen in the snow.
• Ring-necked Pheasants have been seen and heard around Eagle Bluff.
• Ruffed Grouse have been scared up.

Thought for the Week

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
Henry David Thoreau

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
The ice on a lake or pond must be at least 4″ thick to walk on or ice fish. At least 5″ thick for snowmobiling, 8″-12″ thick to drive a car or small pickup truck on, and 12″-15″ for a medium truck to be driven on the ice. If the ice is 2″ or less, it is not safe, stay off.
Remember that these thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.

This Week’s Question:
What does the scientific name, Canis latrans translate as?

Week of January 9th – 15th

We welcomed the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Garlough Environmental Magnet School, and held a C.I.G. Training.

The Junior Science and Humanities Symposium arrived on a Sunday and left on Tuesday. While they were here, the high schoolers presented their projects to each other and was able to participate in Karst Geology and East Treetops.

The 4th graders of Garlough Environmental Magnet School arrived on Wednesday for a visit until Friday. While they were here, they were able to experience Oneota, Karst Geology, Big Freeze, and Winter Pond Lab.

Eagle Bluff held a Certified Interpretive Guide Training (C.I.G. Training) through the National Association of Interpretation for the staff Naturalists we have on site. The training was led by Certified Interpretive Trainers Carolyn Rock of Whitefish Dunes State Park in Wisconsin and Eagle Bluff’s own Jeff Boland. The training lasted from Tuesday through Friday with everyone passing and doing a great job, congratulations!

Phenology

• Bald Eagles are pairing up.
  

  Ice Houses and Shacks!

• A Red Fox was seen near our new overlook.
• A Bat was seen flying around near Sandstone, MN.
• We finally got some Snow!
• There has been a record low number of Ice Houses on lakes in Minnesota. Last year, there were around 700 and so far this year, there are only about 100 due to poor ice conditions.
• The Root River is extremely low.

Thought for the Week

“The most beautiful things cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”
Helen Keller

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
The oldest Bald Eagle ever recorded in the wild was 28 years old and the oldest captive Bald Eagle on record lived to be 36 years old.

This Week’s Question:
How thick should ice be on a lake or pond for someone to safely walk on it?

Week of January 2nd – 8th

We held our first Dinner on the Bluff of 2012.

On Saturday night’s Dinner on the Bluff, landscape photographer Craig Blacklock to share some of his amazing nature images and tell us about the thought process that goes into landscape photography. At Dinner, we enjoyed a Caramelized Carrot Soup, Brussel Sprout Salad, Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast, Maple Glazed Roasted Vegetables, and Raspberry Chocolate Mousse.

 

Phenology

• In the same day, a person was seen rollerblading wearing shorts in Rochester, MN and people in Lanesboro were seen ice skating on the Bass Pond.
  

  Bald Eagle by Jim Williams

• January is 12 Degrees Warmer than usual (on average).
• A Honeybee was seen being active.
• Assassin Bugs were seen.
• Midges are active as well.
• A Rough-legged Hawk was seen in the area.
• Bald Eagles were seen displaying.
• A Striped Skunk was able to be smelled.
• The Black Bear at Oxbow park in Byron, MN was not in torpor.

 

Thought for the Week

“Genius is nothing but great effort applied.”
Awa Kenzo

 

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
The warmest January temperature ever recorded in Minnesota was 69 degrees F in Montevideo on January 24th, 1981.

This Week’s Question:
What’s the longest that a Bald Eagle has lived in the wild and captivity?

Week of December 26th – January 1st

We would like to welcome all of our staff back from visiting families during the holidays, we hope you had a great time and a Happy New Year!

Phenology

• The Northern Shrikewas seen again on the power lines on Eagle Bluff’s driveway.
  

  This is what Eagle Bluff should look like this time of year!

• American Kestrels have been spotted in the area.
• It has been Unseasonably Warm lately.

Thought for the Week

“Hope is the dream of a man awake.”
French proverb

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
Ruffed Grouse will sometimes dive into soft snow piles to spend the night. Ruffed Grouse will often startle people walking past it by bursting out of the snow piles.

This Week’s Question:
What is the warmest January temperature ever recorded in Minnesota?

Week of December 12th – 18th

We welcomed Farnsworth Aerospace, Oak Hill Montessori, and Sky Oaks Elementary.

On Monday, the 8th graders of Farnsworth Aerospace arrived for a visit until Wednesday. While they were here, they were able to experience Group Challenges, Big Freeze, East Treetops and Karst Geology.

Oak Hill Montessori arrived on Tuesday. The 4th through 6th graders were able to participate in Birds, Earth Exploration, West Treetops, and Winter Survival before leaving on Thursday.

Sky Oaks Elementary brought their 6th graders on Wednesday and stayed until Friday. While they were here, they were able to take Oneota, GPS Pathfinders, Karst Geology, and West Treetops.

Phenology

• There were a few different species of Caterpillarsthat were seen when the temperature warmed up.
  

  Eastern Chipmunk

• An Eastern Chipmunk was seen by our bird feeders. Chipmunks are not true hibernators, but rather enter long periods of torpor.
• There are still some Striped Skunks that have not yet begun to hibernate yet.
• More raptors such as Red-tailed Hawks, Bald Eagles, and Cooper’s Hawks that have been seen in the area.
• There was a Cougar sighting near Zumbrota.

 

Thought for the Week

“Winter either bites with its teeth or lashes with its tail.”
Proverb

 

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
The largest snowflake ever recorded was on January 28th, 1887 in Fort Keogh, Montana. The snowflake was 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick.

This Week’s Question:
Where do Ruffed Grouse sometimes spend the night?

Week of December 5th – 11th

We welcomed Minneapolis South High School and held a day of Open Rock Climbing.

The 9th graders of Minneapolis South High School came for a Wednesday through Friday trip. While they were here, they were able to experience Archery, Earth Exploration, GPS Pathfinders, Root River Hike, Group Challenges, and Treetops.

On Saturday, the public was welcome to experience Open Rock Climbing.

 

Phenology

• An American Kestrelwas seen along County Road 8 near Lanesboro.
  

  Sharp-shinned Hawk by Jim Williams

• A Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen flying over EB’s Dorm and Discovery Center buildings.
• A Ring-necked Pheasant was seen.
• Because of the snow, we’ve been able to see lots of Animal Tracks including Coyote, Turkey, Grouse, and Deer.
• Last Week we had a night of Below 0 Temperatures.

 

 

Thought for the Week

“When the bold branches
Bid farewell to rainbow leaves -
Welcome wool sweaters”
B. Cybrill

 

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 mph.

This Week’s Question:
How big was the largest snowflake ever recorded?

Week of November 28th – December 4th

While we didn’t have any groups come to Eagle Bluff this week, we did have a blast training the Naturalists in Competitive Orienteering and the Big Freeze! Fun was also had at our Holiday party – everyone loves bowling!

Phenology

• We received a few inches of Snow!
  

  Black-capped Chickadee by Jim Williams

• Snowy Owls are having an irruption year this year and a couple have been spotted in the area.
• When there are Snowy Owl irruptions, Rough-legged Hawks will usually appear in greater numbers in the area as well, so keep an eye out – we’ve seen several already!
• A Black-capped Chickadee was heard singing it’s “feee-beee” song.
• Before we got snow, we had Flying Insects.
• Since we got the snow, the Coyote Tracks can be seen everywhere.

Thought for the Week

“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape – the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show.”
Andrew Wyeth

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
Harris’s Hawks are known to cooperatively  hunt in groups. The groups are more successful hunters than individual  Harris’s Hawks. Groups of 5 hawks are the most successful.

This Week’s Question:
How fast does snow fall?

Snowy Owl Rescue!

This year is looking like a Snowy Owl irruption year. There have been many sightings in the Upper Midwest in the last few weeks of juvenile Snowy Owls in the area. They are an arctic bird that will migrate south to the northern Upper Midwest for the winter and they are not commonly found this far south in Minnesota especially this early. Some people are speculating that there is a food shortage and the adults are pushing the juveniles further south in search of food and others believe that there was a lemming population boom this year which resulted in a really successful breeding season, and the juveniles are migrating and spreading  further south to find hunting territories for the winter.

A Snowy Owl was spotted by two of Eagle Bluff’s staff, Education Director Sara Sturgis and Public Program Coordinator Megan Duffey, while carpooling home from work. They spotted a white bird on the side of the road and stopped to make sure it was OK, and lo and behold, it was a Snowy Owl! At the time, it was able to fly away and they were unsure if it had an injury. Later that night Eagle Bluff Director Joe Deden received call about an injured Snowy Owl near a local turkey farm.

The next morning, Raptor Program Coordinator Valerie Slocum and Graduate Naturalist and Raptor Handler extraordinaire Colleen Kannen went on an adventure to find the possibly injured Snowy Owl, however it was not seen. On his way back from Rochester, Joe spotted the owl and Valerie and Colleen made their way up just south of Chatfield, MN where the Snowy Owl was sitting in a soybean field.

The Snowy Owl spotted in a soybean field!

Unfortunately, it was too easy to capture the owl, Valerie and Colleen were able to walk right up to the owl and pick it up with gloves and a towel.

Valerie with the Snowy Owl

They are beautiful birds, we don't like to see them this way.

Upon returning with the owl at Eagle Bluff, Valerie and Colleen did a quick exam checking for injuries, which there weren’t any, however when the keel (breastbone) was felt, it was discovered that the Snowy Owl was severely emaciated. After speaking with a veterinarian who also is a wildlife rehabilitator, the owl was administered fluids every hour for the next several hours before offering it food (when animals are emaciated, it is essential to rehydrate them before giving them solid foods). It was a surprise that the owl survived as long at it did in the shape it was in. If the Snowy Owl survived the night, it would have been transported to the veterinarian the next day. Even though it was in good care at Eagle Bluff, the Snowy Owl unfortunately did not survive the night.

Look at the size of those feet! They're so feathery!

Eagle Bluff doesn’t rehabilitate wild animals, we don’t have the permits or supplies, however we do have captive non-releasable raptors that we use in education programs and like to help out possibly injured wildlife that is found.

Even though this story doesn’t have a happy ending, doesn’t mean that others have to end the same way. If you see injured wildlife, please contact your local DNR office or wildlife rehabilitator (DNR offices usually have information about local rehabbers). If you’re in Minnesota, here is some contact info in case you find an injured animal:

Minnesota DNR – 651-296-5484 or toll-free at 800-657-3929

The Raptor Center in St. Paul – 612-624-4745

Week of November 21st – 27th

We welcomed Minnehaha Academy.

The 5th graders of Minnehaha Academy arrived on Monday for an overnight visit . While they were here, they were able to experience Oneota, Pioneer Life, and Treetops.

 

Phenology

• The Northern Shrikehas been consistently seen on the drive into Eagle Bluff.
  

  American Kestrel by Jim Williams

• American Kestrels have been seen in the area with the warmer than usual weather we’ve had lately.

 

Thought for the Week

“Do not got where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Nature Trivia Question

Answer to Last Week’s Question:
Tundra Swans will sleep on land almost the entire time during the breeding season. During the winter, Tundra Swans will sleep more often on the water.

This Week’s Question:
What North American Raptor is known for hunting in groups?