october – Thomas J. Spence Images

With the year coming to a close, I thought I’d put my favorite wildlife moments of the year together in no particular order. It was a good year. A handful of Canada lynx, lots of spring and fall moose with a few from summer mixed in. I saw a lot of red fox, including a few “cross fox” color morphs. It was also a fun year of birding with a few unique encounters. Here’s a collection of wildlife pictures from the past year.

Red fox in summer cover in Superior National Forest

A beautiful bull moose with velvet covered antlers enjoys some summer swamp vegetation. Minnesota 🌲

A pair of Canada lynx prowling the back roads of the forest in Northeastern Minnesota 🌲

A common loon in the Temperance River dead waters. Spring 2022.

A porcupine feasting in the tree tops of Superior National Forest. I rarely see these critters, so getting a few photos was a treat this year.

A black throated blue warbler in Tofte, Minnesota. This one was a happy surprise right in my own yard last spring.

Scarlett tanager on the edge of the BWCA in Superior National Forest.

Red headed woodpecker – Tofte, Minnesota

One of my absolute favorites from this year. This beautiful bull on a frosty fall morning gave me many fine silhouettes.

The largest bull moose I encountered this fall was a truly magnificent animal. Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

Frosty the bull moose. Our first frost of the season and a big bull in a logged area of the forest.

A young little “cross fox” kit checks me out from a roadside. This is a color variation of the red fox. Around 25 percent of red fox get this cross color variation.

I ran into a little family of red fox numerous times over the summer. It was fun to catch these two in a moment 😍

Spruce grouse with tail flash. The spruce grouse has a strut and dance that often ends with this brief, spectacular tail flash. It only lasts a fraction of a second, so you’ve got to be quick on the shutter.

A little video of the dance and tail flash

Spring morning fog and smoke on the water. I think this scene speaks for itself.

Breakfast with a group of bull moose

It’s always a treat to catch a bull moose in summer velvet antlers. The velvet contains vessels that “feed” the antlers. Their antlers can grow up to 3/4 of an inch per day!

Golden morning light and a beauty bull moose. This one is the cover of my 2023 Minnesota North Shore calendar. You can click the photo for calendar ordering link. Thanks for all the orders this year 😊

I just loved this encounter. This big bull almost disappeared into the swamp. He’s actually standing up in this photo in a wallow in the swamp grass.

Definitely in my top 5 favorites from 2022. Mama moose overlooking the landscape as her young feeds in the river. Superior National Forest – Minnesota 🌲

A recent Canada lynx encounter led to many fun photos. This one will probably make the 2024 calendars!

Thank you all for taking a look and following along this year. I appreciate all of the support. The wildlife opportunities in Superior National Forest and the surrounding areas are second to none. It was a wonderful year of wild encounters. I’ll do a post in the coming weeks with my favorite landscape/Lake Superior/northern lights pictures. Be sure to subscribe here to be notified when I post. 🎁🎅🎄❤️

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.

About Tom

Images from Superior National Forest, Lake Superior and points beyond… Tom Spence is a 25 year resident of Minnesota’s Lake Superior North Shore. A carpenter by trade, Tom spends most of his free time in the woods of Superior National Forest, canoeing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and on the lakes and trails in the surrounding area, always with a camera near by. Published landscape and wildlife photography and video as seen in print or online or on TV at Lake Superior Magazine, Backpacker Magazine, Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine,
Warner Brothers Television Productions U.K., Animal Planet, Washington Post, Virgin Atlantic Travel Blog, Minnesota Monthly Magazine, Space Weather, Capture Minnesota Books including Grand Prize Landscape in Minnesota In Seasons, Omega Watches Lifetime Magazine, Minnesota Outdoor News, Northern Wilds, and many other local and regional publications.