North Shore – Thomas J. Spence Images

Fall Moose Viewing Tips For The North Shore Woods Of Minnesota

As often as I see moose in the Northwoods, you’d think it would become ordinary. I am still awed and stopped dead in my tracks every single time I encounter one of these beasts, so it’s no wonder so many are in pursuit of their first glimpse. With the fall months upon us, I’ll give you a few tips, and a few do’s and don’ts to help maximize your chances and maximize your experience if you do encounter one.

Fall color and a big moose giving me a look in Superior National Forest last fall – 2022 – Minnesota

For many visitors to the North Shore of Minnesota, there’s a list of highlights and hopes they aim to check off each trip. The lists are often long, and many items will remain unchecked, eventually added to the new list. The one for the next trip up The Shore. A slice of pie at Betty’s, a hike to Minnesota’s highest point – Eagle Mountain, donuts and fudge, Bean and Bear, Sven and Ole, a stop at some of the lighthouses, night sky and northern lights, hiking the High Falls, visiting Grand Portage National Monument… the lists can be endless! One of, if not THE most popular and common item I hear about can’t be found on a map, really. It’s iconic, landing on many logos, signs, shirts and shop names. Yet, it seems to remain one of the most elusive for some visitors. It’s Minnesota’s largest mammal, the moose. It often makes “the list” again and again and again. I’ve heard countless tales from visitors whose top priority has been to spot a moose in Minnesota. The stories are often similar. Hours of time spent combing the backroads of Cook and Lake Counties, early, late, the swamps the clearings, the lakes and rivers… to no avail. The search will have to continue on the next trip. Put it on the list. I can’t blame them. As often as I see moose in the Northwoods, you’d think it would become ordinary. I am still awed and stopped dead in my tracks every single time I encounter one of these beasts, so it’s no wonder so many are in pursuit of their first glimpse. With the fall months upon us, I’ll give you a few tips, and a few do’s and don’ts to help maximize your chances and maximize your experience if you do encounter one. Eventually, you will! If you don’t, I have 2024 Minnesota Moose Photo Calendars available for purchase 😉

A fall bull moose silhouetted in pre dawn light – Superior National Forest – MN

A moose track in the mud and fall foliage – Minnesota

Fall and spring are probably the best times of year to spot a moose in Minnesota. They are definitely my favorite times for photographing them. In spring they become more active as winter loosens its’ icy grip on the north. They conserve energy in winter months, and just don’t move around as much as the snow can take it’s toll with travel and moving, even for the long legged moose. So once spring hits, the moose get spring fever and start to move around more and eat more aquatic plants, often feeding early in the mornings and evenings at sunset in the waterways. It’s also the time for pregnant cow moose to give birth to their young. There’s usually one, and often twins for the mama moose in late May to early June. Summer months seem to slow the moose down a bit. You’ll still find them on occasion, often in the water somewhere or in a flash, crossing a road. Late summer marks the start of the moose mating season, or the prelude, at least. In late August to early September, the bull moose will begin to rub off the velvet coating on their antlers, revealing their shiny new head-gear which will become essential in the coming weeks. The bull moose will begin actively pursuing female moose in hopes of mating. Other male moose in the area may have the same idea, and efforts to establish dominance in an area often lead to fights among the males. The largest and strongest will often prevail. The moose will crash their antlers together, digging in and pushing with their heads, thrashing side to side, sometimes twisting until the other is forced to the ground. It’s often brutal and bloody. The pursuit of the female isn’t easy either. She may not be ready, and may not be interested. Most of September can be the lead up. Bulls will spar and fight and eventually, mating will take place. In October, when the rut is over, the bulls will often stay together and hang around in social groups without all the drama of fighting for a mate. This can be a wonderful time for moose watching. All of this activity after a quiet summer can be quite exciting for wildlife photography or just wildlife viewing in the forest. When, where and how often will be key to knocking the moose off your list this fall.

Bull moose often gather in relative peace in fall after mating season has subsided. The weeks prior are often a tense, fight filled event to establish dominance and secure a female

Water break for a cow a youngster last fall in Superior National Forest – Minnesota

When should you go looking for the majestic moose? As our daylight hours decrease in fall, so do our useable light hours for wildlife photography. The wildlife seem to still prefer the morning hours and the evenings, just before and after sunset. Days are cooler, so the wildlife may be more active than summer months throughout the day. It’s worth checking some water spots and clearings any time of day in fall. I’ll often head out well before sunrise, sometimes arriving at or walking into a location in the dark. If I am doing any calling, I may start that before I can even see around me. For most people, getting out into the woods by sunrise is a good place to start. If I only have a couple hours of a day to dedicate to wildlife, it’s always going to be the morning hours if I have a choice. In my opinion, it’s one of the best ways to maximize your chances of crossing the moose off your list.

A young bull moose on a Cook County back road with some fall color in the background – Minnesota

A pair of fall guys. These two bull moose hung around together a lot this particular fall. They aren’t always fighting, so it’s nice to see them calmly interacting and eating. New growth in recently logged areas are a magnet to moose. Look for logging activity to increase your odds of seeing a Minnesota moose

Where is the best place to find a moose this fall on your visit to the North Shore? It really doesn’t matter where you are based or staying on the North Shore corridor if you are hoping to include a moose safari on your trip. The key is to pick a “Trail” and head into the State and National Forests. Your maps will show main roads heading into the woods, away from Lake Superior near almost every town, almost every 30 miles or so up or down 61. Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Schroeder/Tofte/Lutsen, Grand Marais, Hovland and Grand Portage. They all can be a gateway to your moose adventure. Arrowhead Trail, Gunflint Trail, Caribou Trail, Sawbill Trail, Cramer Road… they all make a great starting point and they are all inter connected and rather easy to travel with a little mapping and preplanning homework. You can connect these backroads from Two Harbors to the Canadian border without hitting highway 61, and these roads will lead you to the moose. You’ll always hear a little more about the Gunflint Trail and Highway 1 when it comes to moose sightings, but they are also the most traveled, so it would make sense that they get reported the most. There are moose distributed nicely from Finland area to the Grand Portage area, and I would recommend mixing it up and getting to know a new area each time you head out for a moose expedition. It keeps it fun, and that’s how you find “new places” and new adventures. There’s so much to see and explore on our public forest lands. All of the major “Trails” have secondary arteries, often unpaved but nicely maintained roads leading to lakes, rivers, camping areas. Many of these gravel roads have another tier of roads or fingers off of them. They can be roads of varying degrees of drivability. Some narrow, some rutted, some with trees down. It’s up to you, your comfort level, self rescue ability, and vehicle to decide where the adventure ends on the backroads. These are my favorite spots to look for moose in the fall and spring months.

A bull moose in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on Labor Day Weekend a few years back. This moose had just recently rubbed the velvet off those twisted, non typical looking antlers.

How you react that first time you spot a moose can dictate how your encounter will unfold. Many encounters are quick, chance, fleeting blurs that happen in an instant. A flash running across a road, a black spot a half mile down the road, a squatchy blob in the woods. You can count it, but it’s not as fun as long, photographable encounter at a feeding area like a swamp or a clearing. Your first reaction may be to jump and holler and celebrate if you see a moose. Be aware, they have VERY good hearing, and may not share in your enthusiasm. Be very quiet, and very still if you’re able. You don’t want them to think you are a threat or a predator. Be still and try to blend in with the background. Stay together, don’t separate if you’re with a group. You may look like a pack of wolves or predators if you are spread out as individuals. Rather, stay close to each other until you and the moose have evaluated the scene and settled in. Often, if the moose doesn’t feel threatened, it will continue feeding or tracking a female. In fall, it likely isn’t too concerned with you if you’re cool. Be cool. If you encounter a moose on a road while in your vehicle, slowly pull over, stop and shut off the car. Wait before trying to open the doors for photos or a better view. A sudden stop and door opening will likely scare a moose off. Waiting while the moose assesses the vehicle can often result in the moose seeing no real threat and continuing on with it’s day. Sometimes you’ll be able to quietly photograph them acting more natural and unthreatened if you give them a few minutes to gain some comfort and trust. It’s often worth it.

A cow and her young taking a breakfast break on a fall morning in the Temperance River dead waters.

A rather large bull moose in a clearing near Tofte, MN

I hope these little tips and pointers can help you encounter one of my favorite creatures to see and photograph in our forest. Patience, perseverance, countless trips into the woods, a little knowledge of your quarry and a little luck will all help you on your quest. It can be addicting looking for these massive mammals. I hope these pointers help, and I hope you can finally check it off your list this fall. Send me a picture if you do! Happy moosing!

A massive bull moose for Minnesota, or anywhere for that matter. A true King of the Forest.

An Upcoming Display at Split Rock Lighthouse, A Few Recent Photos and a Selection of 2024 Photo Calendars

Summer seems to be flying by and the nights are already getting cooler here on the North Shore. I thought it was time for an update and some links to my 2024 calendar selections. I have a photo display coming up for the entire month of September at Split Rock Lighthouse Historical Site, and I’ll tell you about that and the dates and times I’ll be on hand to chat. I’ve got a few recent photos I’ll sprinkle in as well!

Cover of my 2024 ALL moose calendar. 12 months and 12 fun moose images from the North Shore woods and the BWCA.

This year I am offering three different, Minnesota – North Shore themed calendars. One will feature photos of Minnesota’s largest mammal, the moose. These often elusive creatures are magnificent to observe and photograph, and I hope you’ll enjoy these photos I’ve selected. Some are from Superior National Forest, The Temperance River, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from a canoe, and more locations in our North Shore forests. Follow this link for the 2024 Moose Of Minnesota’s North Shore Woods Calendar. These are all 8.5×11 inch calendars when closed, twice that when open. Previews available at the link.

The cover of my 2024 Minnesota North Shore variety calendar. Lake Superior, wildlife, northern lights and more.

The second calendar I’d like to share is a Minnesota, North Shore variety calendar. 12 months and 12 photos from the northland. I’ve included wildlife, Lake Superior, northern lights, State Parks and more. I think it’s a nice mix of what one may encounter on a visit to the North Shore, if you’re lucky! As is true with all three calendars, there is a preview option at the link. You can see all the pictures, front and back covers, and the layout of the days. Please take a look at the 2024 Minnesota’s North Shore – The Woods, Waters and Wilds calendar. I’ll always put out this variety calendar. It’s a fun one.

2024 Northern Lights calendar. All Minnesota, all along the North Shore of Lake Superior and into Superior National Forest and the BWCA.

The third calendar is probably my favorite. I decided to make one with ALL images of the amazing aurora borealis. These photos are from the shores of Lake Superior to the woods of Superior National Forest and the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The aurora is one of my favorite subjects to photograph and it’s fun to share some images in this 12 month, 4 season photo calendar. Again, you can preview all of the calendars at the links to see the page layouts and photos. Here is the link to Minnesota Aurora Borealis – The Northern Lights on Northern Nights 2024 Calendar.

Here’s a selection of photos from the calendars…

Upcoming in September, I’ll have a photo display at the Split Rock Lighthouse Historic Site . I’ll have a selection of photos printed on metal of various Minnesota scenes. I’ve mainly focused on Moose, Canada Lynx, Lake Superior and the Northern Lights. I’ll have a few more mixed in as well. The historic site and lighthouse are pretty amazing and worth the visit. The featured exhibit this season is a replica of the fresnel lens used at the lighthouse. The setting on Lake Superior is tough to beat, and the setting for my photo display is pretty sweet, with a nice view of the lighthouse. I’ll be on hand to chat about moose, Lake Superior, the northern lights, and maybe I’ll give you a tip on how to find a moose! I’ll be on hand on Saturday the 2nd of September, Saturday the 16th, Saturday the 23rd, and Saturday the 30th from 11 until 2. I may pop in on other weekend days as well and I’ll update on Facebook and Instagram. I hope to see some of you there! September is truly the best time on the North Shore, in my opinion.

The spectacular view from the display area at Split Rock Lighthouse. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!

Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior – Lit up to honor Gordon Lightfoot’s life and music earlier this year.

Thank you for taking a look at the calendar options this year, I always appreciate the support. They’ll make great Christmas and birthday gifts, and it never hurts to shop early for either! Hope to see you at Split Rock Lighthouse in September, and I hope you don’t let summer get away from you!
Tom

Lake Superior, Aurora Borealis and the North Shore Woods – My Favorite Landscape Photos from 2022

A couple of weeks back, I posted my favorite wildlife moments of the past year. I took a lot of wildlife pictures, but when the critters aren’t cooperating or active, there is always something worth taking a look at, especially during the magical morning and evening light hours. I made a number of landscape photos I was quite happy with. We had a few incredible nights of northern lights this year that kept me out for hours in the National Forest. Minnesota has some of the darkest skies in the nation and Mother Nature and the night sky did not disappoint. I’ve included a few images from various nights. Lake Superior gave me a few favorite moments as well, as it always does, so there are quite a few of those included in this post. Last spring I took a road trip to another one of my favorite places, southern Utah. It’s really a paradise for photography. I’ve grown to enjoy the desert, mesa and canyon country of Utah almost as much as northeastern Minnesota. Almost 😉 There are a handful of photos from this year’s trip, which includes my personal favorite photo of the year! So from snowy scenes to sunshine, from forested landscapes to desert scenes, from the northern lights on northern nights, to southern sights on southern nights, the rivers and lakes and woods and hills, these are my favorite scenery shots from the past year in no particular order. Thanks to all for subscribing and following along and supporting me through print sales and calendars.

April 2022 – Winter lingered on for a spell last spring. The thaw was slow to come. Superior National Forest – Minnesota

A blue hour sunset along Lake Superior at Temperance River State Park. The variety of rock colors on the beach here can be pretty wild. And it changes with every storm.

Summer serenity at Sugarloaf Nature Center near Schroeder, Minnesota

A rare SAR arc, or sub auroral red, during a wonderful display of aurora borealis.

The northern lights and a SAR arc lighting up the sky over the Temperance River in Superior National Forest, Minnesota.

Those first few snowfalls of the season always have more beauty than the next few, it seems. This was early November. The rushing river added to the magic of the first real snowfall.

A few inches of rain, dropping temps and a little snowfall. Perfect recipe for a stunning landscape. November 2022

I was a little light on sunsets and sunrises on The Lake this year. I was usually chasing wildlife if I was out taking pictures. I did luck out a few times. This particular evening was out of this world.

The eyes of fall watching with a stony brow. Potholes and fallen foliage at Temperance River State Park

Autumn paddle in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Lakeside path in autumn splendor. It really was a remarkable fall color season.

Sawbill Trail, fall colors and Lake Superior – Minnesota

Calm reflection in Superior National Forest. One of the most serene scenes I captured this year. A light dusting of snow and a touch of fall gold.

The view from Carlton Peak in Tofte, Minnesota

A nice aurora arc over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The calm waters of Sawbill Lake and some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 enab6us to experience the northern lights quite often here in the Arrowhead. This night, another skywatcher was lighting the fog from a dock up the shore. I liked the way his headlamp lit the fog.

An amazing, early September display of the northern lights along Lake Superior. Tofte, MN

September 3rd aurora borealis. This was a memorable night in Superior National Forest. This display started as the moon was setting, still casting shadows and the ground fog over the creek set the scene off.

Same spot different day, it’s a favorite location 🙂

Sunrise color over the Temperance River in Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

Lake Superior is out there… This view from Carlton Peak in Tofte, Minnesota was ethereal with a blanket of fog breaking up and rolling over The Lake – summer 2022

A climber nearing the top of his climb at Palisade Head – Tettegouche State Park

Summer sunrise at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. This was an extra special visit, photographing sunrise with family during our summer family reunion on Lake Superior.

The Bears Ears – Bears Ears National Monument – Cedar Mesa – southern Utah is another special place for me, so I’m including a few photos from this year’s trip.

Ancient Puebloan petroglyphs, snakes and spiders? And Orion in the dark, Utah skies.

This peninsula of land held ancient Puebloan dwellings and ruins. One of the most memorable days of the year for me was hiking and exploring Road Canyon.

Mt. Ellen in the Henry Mountains with the uplift of the Waterpocket Fold viewed from the east side of Capitol Reef National Park – Utah. Maybe you had to be there, but this is my favorite photo of 2022. I’ve really embraced using my Canon RF 100-500mm lens for a lot of non-wildlife landscape pictures. The compression and scale and distance it can cover, especially in places like Utah’s canyon and mountain country, brings a great perspective to the scenery. I love the drive on the east side of Capitol Reef. The Notom-Bullfrog/Burr Trail roads offer some of the best photography opportunities I’ve encountered. This particular day I had wind, sleet, snow, rain and a bit of sunshine. The light was pretty good at this stop. I’m always intrigued by these Henry Mountains when I see them in the distance.

The Moki Dugway in southeastern Utah. A little steep, a touch terrifying, but well worth the effort.

The Big Crane – Butler Wash/Comb Ridge. Half the fun was getting there. I had an adventure finding this one. I didn’t have a map or gps, and almost gave up after a few failed side trips. I’m glad I found it. One of my favorite trip memories and photos.

Ancient Puebloan dwellings in golden canyon light. I was fortunate to visit some special places and ruins on this trip. Good light and photo conditions didn’t hurt! Cedar Mesa – Utah

Spring thaw and rains gave us rushing, raging rivers last spring. This was early May along the Superior Hiking Trail.

Waving curtains of light in Superior National Forest. This was a beautiful July night of aurora in the woods.

It was the calmest of summer days. I made a lot of cards out of this one. It makes a good print too 🙂 Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center. Schroeder, MN

Pre-dawn light and color on the beach in Schroeder, MN.

It was a fun, fulfilling year of picture taking for me. I hope you enjoyed the little recap of my landscape and night sky photos. If you missed it, take a look back at my favorite wildlife moments of the past year in a previous post. Have a Happy New Year and thanks for following along. See you in 2023. ❄️🌲

Early Winter Photos – Winter Tracks, Canada Lynx, Moose, Grouse and Snow

It’s been a fun start to the winter season. I guess the official start of winter hasn’t arrived yet, but we have been living it for weeks in the Northland. It’s here. I’ll share some recent photos of some lynx, grouse and even a moose and a snowshoe hare. You may still have a little time to order up a calendar for a Holiday Christmas gift, so I’ll include the link here. Thank you for all the orders this year.

A cow moose with a healthy looking winter coat

Mrs. Moose looking out from a logging area. Note the yellow USFS “Payment Unit” sign on the tree. This marks a logging boundary. Moose love the young, new browse that comes up in these logged areas. It’s a favorite hangout for the moose.

Peek-a-boo The moose can almost disappear when it wants too!

The Canada lynx has been cooperative for pictures already this season. I really only see these cats with any regularity in months with snow on the ground. They favor the snowshoe hare, and I have found them hunting for their hare on roadways quite often. I think the long view and room to maneuver make roadways a favorable hunting terrain for the lynx. I was fortunate to encounter a lynx recently. It was fun to watch it stalk red squirrels and rest along the forest edge. It was quite curious and afforded me a few fun photos.

A Canada Lynx watches the forest for movement. Always on the hunt for snowshoe hare and red squirrel.

Lynx Tracks in Superior National Forest – Minnesota

The snowshoe hare in winter camo mode. The hare is the primary food source of the Canada lynx.
December 2022

Relaxing under a pine, yet always alert and listening…

The PAWS and the strides of the slinky Canada Lynx – Minnesota !

A Canada lynx in late summer coat for comparison.

An August coat on a Canada lynx. A noticeable difference between the seasons.

Relaxing after a morning meal. I’ve noticed on more than one occasion that the lynx will lie down and take it easy for a while right after eating. Probably saving up for the next chase.

A group of spruce grouse on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness – The lynx may occasionally dine on grouse in winter.

Sneaking through Superior National Forest – Note the giant back paw!

Thank you all for taking a look! You can order prints and browse more photos on my site at this link. Have a great Christmas and Holiday Season and we’ll chat again soon!
Tom

Fat tires on the back roads of Cook County, Minnesota 🌲

Moose, Northern Lights, Fall Colors and a 2023 Calendar Preview of Minnesota North Shore Wonders

It’s been a spectacular fall this 2022 season. We had a brief, early start in September, with nice weather leading into a peak color season that lingered well into October. The shore was especially vibrant, it seemed, this fall. There seemed to be a proper “peak” that encompassed the whole forest for a week or more. Often times, the reds and higher country will have come and gone before the areas near Lake Superior have peaked, but things seemed to synch up for a spell. I’ll include a few photos I haven’t posted yet. I’ve also had a lot of moose encounters so far this fall. The mating season, or “rut, has come and gone for the most part and moose can often be found grouped up, just hanging around together for a few weeks after mating. I’ve captured a few moose photos this fall that I really like. A couple even made it into the 2023 calendar! We’ve also had a few signs of the coming winter, which could begin any day in the northland! Some areas of the North Shore woods have already seen some snow and definitely a few good frosts. It’s made for some nice photo opportunities, extending the fall color photo season even longer 🙂 Add in a few northern lights displays earlier this fall, and it’s been hard to beat. I’ve added a few photos from those displays in this post too. We even picked up a rare SAR arc in the night sky which I’ll include a picture or two of.

The soft, tranquil silence of the first snow fall in Superior National Forest

My 2023 calendar is for sale! Thank you all for the support each year. I really appreciate each and every purchase. I’ve included beautiful Lake Superior, some moose out in Superior National Forest, some other wildlife and some northern lights over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. See the links I’ve included.

Here is a little preview of my 2023 calendar I have for sale. You’ll see northern lights over the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, massive Minnesota moose in Superior National Forest, a few of Lake Superior’s seasonal moods and a few other surprises and landscapes. I don’t like to spam you all too much or too often, but a few times a year I have an offering like the calendars that I’ll promote through the holidays 🙂 I always appreciate the print and calendar purchases. They allow me to continue bringing you some of the images you enjoy here and on social media. Thanks for taking a look at this link for this years Minnesota’s North Shore – Woods Waters and Wilds – A 2023 Calendar

Fall color season has come and gone although some of my Favorite, the golden tamarack are now the main feature in the North Shore woods. Here are a few photos from the past few weeks.

Tamarack in golden yellow with the first touches of snow

A carpeted path of autumn leaves leading to Lake Superior

The furrowed brow of fall. The natural potholes on the shoreline at Temperance River State Park collecting the fallen fall foliage.

The 1000 foot Mesabi Miner and Lake Superior from the Sawbill Trail.

Brilliant fall color in Superior National Forest

Fall is such a great time to photograph moose in and around the Superior National Forest and Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The moose become a little more active in September and October. The moose mating season begins in September and is done by early October, for the most part. It can be an exciting time to see moose. The bulls have shed their velvet coating from their antlers revealing a shiny, new rack on their heads, hoping to attract a mate. You can often encounter males with females and males together often trying to attract the same females. It keeps the moose active, and a little more distracted and less worried about us picture takers and gawkers 🙂 I saw a very large bull as well as a few others so far this fall.

Backside view of this big moose’s antlers

A bull, cow and last year’s calf are silhouetted in pre-dawn light

This bull was heavily in rut and was responsive to my calls.

The northern lights have been adding a little fall color of their own. September provided a couple of wonderful evenings under the dark, northern skies. As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, our chances increase for seeing these wonders in our skies. With darkness coming on so early in fall and winter, we can often see the northern lights well before bedtime 😃 Here are a handful of recent aurora images.

The aurora borealis over the Temperance River with an SAR arc forming – Minnesota

SAR arc and the Milky Way in Superior National Forest

The northern lights and moonlight shadows over a swampy creek

A brief, spectacular display of aurora over Superior National Forest – Minnesota

Lake Superior and Aurora Borealis in Tofte, MN

Foggy autumn morning on Crescent Lake in Superior National Forest

Hope you’ve enjoyed this little fall recap. It’s always a favorite time of year for many, including myself. The fast, constant change is pretty fascinating to witness. Winter will soon bring another major change to the landscape, so I’ll enjoy these fleeting fall days while I can now. Thanks again for taking a look at and ordering calendars, too. I appreciate it!

Spring Is For The Birds

A little collection of feathered visitors during spring bird migration on the North Shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.

After a long, cold, snowy winter, we have finally turned the corner along the North Shore of Lake Superior and in the woods of Superior National Forest in the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. The lakes have only recently opened up from their frozen, icy, winter covering. The rivers raged with historic, record breaking levels along the North Shore as the snow-pack and spring melt moved downstream. You can still find some snow in the shadows of the woods, but for the most part, signs point to spring. The cow moose are currently giving birth to this years calves and the bull moose are just starting to sprout their velvet covered antlers. Bears are awake and on the hunt for this years crop of nuts and berries and the deer seem to be moving into the woods, away from the shore. All good signs. All welcome signs. For me, one of the most reliable signs that spring may truly be here is the arrival of the variety of spring birds to the area. Weather it’s at the feeders in my yard, along the shores of Lake Superior, deep in the woods of Superior National Forest or just along Highway 61, there are always signs of the arrival of a new season if you are watching closely. You can almost predict who is going to show up and when.

Here’s a collection of feathered spring arrivals to the North Shore woods, along Lake Superior and in my yard the past few weeks. Keep your binoculars and bird books handy on your next spring visit. You never know what you’ll see flitting around in the trees this time of year.

Warblers are a nice arrival in late April and May in our area. The yellow-rumped is one of the earliest. It’s always nice to see those little flashes of yellow that give them away. Here are just a few that I have seen so far this spring. I’ll include a few of the strikingly beautiful, black-throated blue warbler that graced me with it’s presence in my own yard.
Prints available of these and many others at this link. Thanks for your support!
https://thomasjspenceimages.smugmug.com/2022/

Ruby Crowned Kinglet female – Tofte, MN – May 2022

Black-throated blue warbler – Tofte, MN – May 2022

You can’t imagine the thrill…
I was on my deck photographing a red-headed woodpecker that has been hanging around. I had ok light and it was eating worms in my yard, so I was standing still on my deck waiting with my camera in hand and ready. From the corner of my eye, a small bird landed. In a flash, I went through the ID process in my mind. Chickadee? No. Nuthatch? No. Warbler?!?! Yes. It stood on my deck for a second, flew to a branch for a second, landed on my railing for a second and landed on a planter for a second. It was a great yard bird to have visit and I’m glad I was ready! You can click on these to open the gallery.

Tennessee warbler (I believe!) Tofte, MN

Having a tough time confirming ID on this warbler. Comment if you know! Cape May? Pine? Bay Breasted?
Tofte, MN

Here are a few more interesting and notable visitors to the area including a new one for me here, a yellow-headed blackbird.

Yellow-headed blackbird – Taconite Harbor near Schroeder, MN – May 2022

Hairy woodpecker with avian keratin disorder AKD which can cause beak deformities. This one has been enjoying neighborhood suet for weeks.

Harris’s sparrow – Taconite Harbor near Schroeder, MN – May 2022

Another surprise, entertaining visitor this spring has been a red-headed woodpecker. I can’t recall having one in my yard, and this one seems to have all it needs here. I mostly observe it eating worms off the lawn. It eats, then rests for 20 minutes, then eats another worm. Not a bad day, really. It’s been a welcome addition to the array of feathered friends in the yard.
https://thomasjspenceimages.smugmug.com/2022/

Red-headed woodpecker – Tofte, MN – May 2022
peek-a-boo

A favorite roost for this red-headed woodpecker – Tofte, MN – May 2022

Blue jay and Red-head. They usually get along fine.

Taking a break in another favorite tree. Eating worms, taking breaks.
Red-headed woodpecker – Tofte, MN

Indigo Bunting male – Tofte, MN – May 2022

A pair of male indigo buntings – Tofte, MN – May 2022

Ruby-throated hummingbird – Tofte, MN – May 2022
We can be certain that most years, the hummers show up on Mothers Day here on The Shore.

Lastly, I had a fantastic close encounter with a scarlet tanager deep in the woods of Superior National Forest. I usually see one of these birds at home near a feeder during migration, but I hadn’t had one yet. On a drive looking for moose and other critters, I spotted an orange/red dot along a gravel road. Upon inspection I was shocked to see a scarlet tanager just hopping and flittering along the road. I thought it was injured, but it was hunting some kind of bugs and having great success! It may have been off course, but is was getting all it needed, it appears.

The glowing scarlet tanager – Superior National Forest – MN

Hunting for insects in Superior National Forest – Minnesota – Scarlet Tanager – May 2022

Thank you for reading along and taking a look at some spring birding photos. Please take a look at my online catalogs and consider a print purchase if you see anything you like. Stay tuned and subscribe to this newsletter. I’ll do a recap of photos from my early spring trip to Utah and the southwest in my next post. Happy Spring everyone!
Tom
https://thomasjspenceimages.smugmug.com/

A Collection From Winter 2022 – Lake Superior and Superior National Forest

A collection of winter photos from Superior National Forest and Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota – 2022

It’s the last official day of winter. Spring begins tomorrow, and a lot of us are probably ready for it! Here’s a collection of photos from the past few winter months. There are some dog sledding photos, a lot of grouse, some lynx, a moose and some other random, scenic winter wonders. I hope you enjoy.

This winter, we got some ice. It never really stayed long enough up here in our neck of the lake, but we did have some great ice piles and ice sheets breaking up and moving.

Ice Break Up at Sunrise on Lake Superior – Schroeder, MN 2022

Piles of ice along the shoreline of Lake Superior – Tofte, MN 2022

Morning light on the rocks – Schroeder, MN 2022

A pastel sunset on the shores of Lake Superior – Temperance River State Park, MN 2022

Grouse are probably the most abundant wildlife species I find in the winter months. The moose tend to move a lot less, and therefore, I rarely spot one. The grouse seem to be plentiful, especially the spruce grouse. Here’s a fun collection from this winter.

A spruce grouse gives me a quick, beautiful warning with his stunning tail display. The spruce grouse will do this display for females, or for territorial reasons as well.
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Here is a little video clip of the strut that leads up to the tail flash. It’s in slow motion, so you can imagine how quick the full flash actually is. If you study the strut, and have seen it enough times, it can be easier to time for a photo! Enjoy the slow-mo video.

And a flash for good measure! from up in the tree – Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Morning sun for the spruce grouse in Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Roosting on a below zero Morning
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

This was possibly the largest group of spruce grouse I have ever seen. 15 in the photo, 2 more out of frame on the ground, and more in the trees. At least 20 out pecking gravel in the road on a below zero morning in Superior National Forest 2022

The grouse needs small gravel in their gizzard to help grind up undigested foods. You’ll often encounter ruffed and spruce grouse in the mornings, pecking gravel for their digestive systems.
Female spruce grouse
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

A group of grouse pecking gravel.
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Fresh tracks from a Canada Lynx deep in the forest of northeastern Minnesota 2022

hunting the roads together on a cold winter morning.
Canada Lynx
Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Moose sightings are a bit more rare for me in the winter months. I saw a lot of tracks this winter, but probably only a handful of brief sightings, including this one.
Minnesota Moose 2022

The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is always a winter highlight along the North Shore. The race takes dog teams from Duluth, MN through the forests along the Lake Superior Shoreline inland, almost to the Canadian Border and to the finish in Grand Portage, MN. Here is a small collection from the race at the end of January.

The backroads are always a treat in the winter months. We really had a LOT of snow piled up by the end of February. It was a TRUE Minnesota winter.

Winter beauty on the backroads – Minnesota 2022

Sun breaks through on a morning drive in Superior National Forest

A 22 degree halo around the winter morning sun 2022

A boreal chickadee in Superior National Forest, MN 2022

Happy Spring, everyone! As much as i like the beauty and variety our winters bring, this has been a long one and I’m ready for the greens of spring and summer. Thank you for taking a look at this winter collection.
Tom

Two 2020 Calendars and a Lot of Fall Photos

I’ve got a ton of fall photos to share. It seemed like a long, vivid and memorable fall color season. Early September was showing nice reds and oranges in areas already, giving way to 3 weeks of bright yellow, orange and red autumn change along the Sawtooth Mountains and surrounding woods. October started just as colorful with the yellows along the shore filling in and the blazing yellow tamarack following back in the forest. The October 12-13 snowfall added to the mix and really capped of a great color season. Now, with the leaves all gone and the tamarack starting to fade, we move into the next phase of fall. Another season of change and beauty all it’s own. Below I will share a lot of fall photos I haven’t really posted anywhere. Thanks for taking a look.

I also have 2020 Calendars available for purchase now. I made two different calendars, all with different images. The Up North – Superior Country Calendar is all landscapes of Lake Superior, the surrounding woods and the BWCA. The Superior Wildlife Calendar is all wildlife from the woods of the Arrowhead region. You can take a look at a preview and order at the links or this link below. I appreciate your support. They would make great gifts. Print within 5 days of order and shipping info will be shown when you order. Plenty of time for holiday deliveries. http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/ThomasSpence

And now some more fall color photos from the past month or so…

Male and female spruce grouse in fall foliage

Lusen views from the Honeymoon Trail area

Foggy fall mornings in Superior National Forest

Milky Way at Sawbill Lake – Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Seagull River on the Gunflint Trail in full fall color

The Temperance River Valley and a flocking of snowfall on the autumn woods.

April – The Lake and its Moods, The Northern Lights and Wildlife

From Crazy to Calm – Lake Superior
April weather really covered all the bases this year. We had snow, cold, warm, rain, wind and gorgeous. The big April Gale on the 14th and 15th was a highlight for sure. The northeast winds brought massive waves crashing along the shore. some of the best places to watch a northeast gale are in the Split Rock and Tettegouche areas. The cliffs in the area can make for dramatic scenes from the waves crashing and rebounding off the cliff faces. Even a smaller gale can be impressive against these walls. This particular gale wasn’t accompanied by much precipitation which made for a fun day of photographing the waves. Often times, these gales come with heavy rain or snow which can hinder photographing them a bit.

_MG_1164 — Crashing waves at Tettegouche State Park – 4/14/2018

_MG_1121 — Massive splash on the cliffs along Lake Superior. Wave height was in the mid teens but splash heights were reaching 100 feet, 150 feet and more in places.

_MG_1100 — The ice coated trees take a beating in this little lake side forest at Tettegouche State Park.

The calm clear views from Tettegouche State Park and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park one week after the gales…

Earth Day was a picture perfect day to be outside in our State Parks. I made it a point to hit three in my travels that day. The calm, clear day was a huge contrast to the chaos of the previous week. Keep a circular polarizing filter in your camera bag. They are great for days like these. They can help you see into the water even more by removing some glare. They will also help create more contrast between blue sky and white clouds. A valuable tool to use in many photography conditions.

_MG_0054 — Lone tree on Shovel Point – Lake SUperior, MN

_MG_0067 — Beachside at Tettegouche State Park

_MG_0126 — Kayaking on the calmest of lakes…

_MG_0151 — Kayakers passing by Split Rock Lighthouse.

_MG_0042 — The view from Shovel Point looking towards Palisade Head

April Northern Lights – An All Nighter

_MG_1205 — April Aurora And The Setting Moon – 4/20/2018

The night and morning hours on April 19th and 20th produced a rather remarkable northern lights display. What started out as a faint glow for almost two hours, erupted into shimmering sheets and dancing waves of aurora which lasted until morning light. I put in a 4 1/2 hour shift of sky watching and photographing the lights. The slideshow shows you the progression, in a way, from around 10:00 PM CST on April 19th until around 1:00AM on April 20th. When the lights are strong, I have a pretty good view of the dark, northern skies from home. I spent another hour or two watching from the deck and even out the windows.
While there is no way to truely predict a good aurora display, you can do a few things to help alert you. Space Weather dot com is a great resource which can alert you via email when solar activity may cause aurora. They have a great photo gallery and information on all things space and sky related. Another resource are regional aurora “hunter” groups. These groups are full of entusiasts who will report in real time when the aurora are visible in your area. Great Lakes Aurora Hunters is a good one for my area. As far as viewing in Cook County, one needs to know that viewing with the naked eye and photographing the aurora can be two entirely different experiences. I won’t go into detail in this post, but our cameras see in the dark much, much better than we do, to make it short. So for viewing, you’ll want to get over the hills and into the darkest areas, away from towns, resorts, cabin lights. The overlook just past the Britton Peak parking area on the Sawbill Trail, just a few miles off highway 61 is a fantastic place to watch from a car or lawn chair. It has the best, widest northern view you can drive to that I know of. If you aren’t in Tofte, go up one of the “trails”, Gunflint, Caribou, Arrowhead, Cramer Road, and find a north facing lake, boat landing or hillside. Our dark skies won’t disappoint during a northern lights storm. For photography, I like to find a river, lake, or other point of interest for foreground attention and a sense of place or location. The scene becomes more important to convey the feeling, maybe, moreso than seeing the entire sky and display. If you have never seen the northern lights, and are not interested in taking photos, you’ll want to just stay put once you find a big, wide northern view. Hope this helps you see the aurora someday on the North Shore!

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April Wildlife

It was a good month in the woods for wildlife. From grouse to lynx to moose and loons!
Spruce grouse could be found most mornings pecking for roadside gravel. I have heard some drumming this spring, but not much. Moose sightings were few. I did manage to snap a few recent photos though. Two very healthy looking moose together at the end of the month.

_MG_1246 — Female spruce grouse – April in Superior National Forest

_MG_1247 — Male spruce grouse – Superior National Forest

_MG_1248 — Whiskey Jack or Canada Jay – Superior National Forest

_MG_0298 — Turkey vulture and the nearly full April moon.

_MG_0430 — Though I had heard loons the previous week, this was the first one I actually saw close enough to get a photo. Always a fun spring “first”.

_MG_0498 — A pair of moose on the run in Cook County.

_MG_0505-2 — One would emerge, briefly, and gone again!

20180412-_MG_1060 — I had a late afternoon encounter with 3 lynx in earlier April. I saw each one alone, about a mile apart from each other. Something tells me this was 3 of the 4 kittens I had been seeing earlier in winter with the mother. Once the mother mates again, the kittens are set off on their own to figure out how to hunt and survive alone. The size and proximity to one another tells me this is the same family, now entering the next phase of their lives as solitary animals.

20180412-_MG_1063 — A lone lynx prowls for an afternoon meal

_MG_0258 — Grouse – Superior National Forest

_MG_0265 — Male Spruce Grouse – Superior National Forest

Last year at this time we had already been on the lakes for almost two weeks. Now, we are still waiting for the thaw. The lakes still have a foot or more of ice on them in some areas. Recent warmer weather is helping to speed things along and I think we will see open lakes in the coming days. Fishing opener is near and I hope you’ll tune in again for all things May in my next post. Please subscribe so you’ll be notified when I post again.

Current conditions on local lakes as of 5/2/2018 – Little ways to go for that Fishing opener! 😉

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February – On The Shore And In The Woods

Here is a collection of photos and notes on February in the woods and along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. As some of you know, things began a bit exciting for me this month with a rare encounter with 5 Canada lynx. In the weeks following, I was fortunate enough to spend well over 2 hours with these cats during multiple encounters. It’s my opinion/observation that the family has moved on to a different area. I haven’t seen signs in a while. The mother has likely moved on to mate and left the kittens to fend for themselves. After watching them hunt on a few occasions, I think they will do fine. I’ll talk a little more about that in this post. There is also a fun video of the lynx family if you find the link at the end of this post. I’ll try to keep you posted on the conditions and activity in our neck of the woods each month and A few winter or seasonal photography tips will be added as well. Please subscribe so you get a notification when I update! Otherwise you’ll miss out on most of my photos each month. February was full of Ice, moose, lynx, wolves, pine marten, snowshoe hare, snow, cold and a few unforgettable experiences.

20180224-_MG_0087 — Lake Superior from the hillside – February beauty on the North Shore.

20180225-20180225_070817 — Tofte, MN sunrise after an 8 or 10 inch snowfall. We had some snow in February and it’s looking good. Even the smartphone can take a nice photo!

20180210-_MG_0893 — Sugarloaf Cove and Lake Superior Ice. We had some great Ice pile-ups on Lake Superior this month. Lots of below zero nights and cold, calm days caused a lot of lake ice to form. When the wind picks up, the sheets move, and often come into shore where they break up and pile up. It’s a favorite winter phenomenon along Superior. I have video over on Facebook. Plate Ice Piling on Lake Superior

Winter can be tough on you and your camera gear. There are a few precautions you can take and some tips that can help you on your February, winter excursions. Most modern DSLR gear can take fairly extreme conditions and still function, but there are things you can do to prolong and enhance your experience. Here are three big ones which will help you get into, and out of the cold…
Acclimate Your Gear – From your house to your vehicle, vehicle to your location, back into your vehicle, and back into your house, your camera gear can experience a lot of extreme temperature differences. Quickly going from one to the other extreme can cause unwanted condensation in and on your camera. The key is to acclimate slowly which can take hours. . You’ll also very likely want to look at those images on your SD card right away! Your camera body and lens are cold after a day of February shooting. Very cold. Bringing it into your 70 degree house or cabin has to be done slowly. Before you put your camera away, remove your SD card while outside so you can review your photos sooner, if that suits you. Then, seal your camera either in a plastic, zip-lock style bag, or in your camera bag if it seals up decent enough. Leave it alone to acclimate for a few hours before opening your bag. I also keep some silica packets in the camera bag to help with any condensation issues. When you can, bag your gear and try to keep it from going through those extremes. It can be a challenge in winter, but it’s worth paying attention to.
Batteries, Batteries, Batteries – You really can’t have enough fully charged camera batteries in winter. The cold can drain batteries in a hurry and you have to be prepared. I usually have 3 or 4 on hand. Try to keep them in a pocket in an inner layer, closer to your body to keep them warm. This can also prolong your battery life. Nothing can end a photo session faster than dead batteries, and winter is notorious for causing quick drainage. You can use the cheaper, off brand batteries, but I have had the best luck with my camera’s brand name Canon batteries.
Gloves/Keeping Your Hands Warm – This can be a tricky one as everyone is different in the way they handle winter temperatures, especially when it comes to fingers and hands. My best advice, and what works for me, is layers. I have a two/three layer system, depending on the conditions. You’ll need something you can control your camera settings with, so a glove is essential for a base layer. I often use a cheap, knit work glove that is comfortable to me. My other glove is a Fjallraven Forest Glove which is warm and comfortable on most days. When it gets very, very cold, I use a lorge, gauntlet style mitt over the gloves. I use a 20+ year old pair of Granite Gear Lutsen Mountain Mitts. I don’t think they are made anymore, but they have truly stood the test of time, and use. A lorge, gauntlet or chopper style mitt which can fit over a glove will do.

Those are just a few of the many survival tips you’ll need in winter months to explore the snowy, icy, frigid, rocky, unforgiving landscape and conditions along the North Shore.

More photo fun from February…

20180208-_MG_0824 — Great grey owl – I watched great grey owls on numerous occasions this month along the North Shore. Usually, you can catch them hunting near dusk along the edges of clearings. Early morning is another great time for owling on The Shore.

20180208-_MG_0820 — Great grey owl hunting a field – I watched this owl at dusk make a few plunges into the snow. It was a cold, windy evening, and the owl was having great success hunting a clearing in Superior National Forest. February is a good month for North Shore owling.

20180204-_MG_0738 — Beautiful February ice on the Temperance River – Winter photography on the rivers and on The Lake can be incredible. February was no exception.

20180204-_MG_0751 — More February beauty along Lake Superior

20180204-_MG_0772 — Ice on the river side…

Sunbursts can be fun with a dslr camera and I really like them in certain winter scenes. Here are a few tips on how to make the sun burst out in rays…
Sunbursts are fun and rather easy to do. You need to use a small aperture on a dslr. Anything around f/11 and up will work but the smaller the aperture the sharper the rays. I usually use f/18, f/20 or f/22. You want to partially block part of the sun with something, in this case, some of the branches of the tree. You can use a building, tree, person, the horizon, clouds etc. The number of rays coming off the sun is due to the number of diaphragm blades in my camera lens. The lens I am using has 9 blades and produces 2x as many rays, so there are 18 rays. I believe if the lens has an even number of blades, say 6, you get that many rays, 6. Odd number of blades it doubles. It can be a fun thing to experiment with in different situations.

20180224-_MG_0065 — Tall pines and sunrise in the forest

And now for some more February, winter wildlife…
February was full with many different sightings in all areas of our forest and shore. Owls, lynx, marten, moose, snowshoe hare, and even two very brief fisher sightings. I have yet to photograph a fisher. They are much larger and much more elusive than our pine marten. I saw a lot of marten and caught one hunting a snowshoe hare one morning. Fun photos below… The resident red fox made a few appearances as did the occasional roughed and spruce grouse. I’ll let the photo captions do the talking about the many reasons to enjoy February in the North Shore Woods.