Northern Hawk Owl Sightings Near Houghton, Michigan: Rare Double Owl Encounter Documented

An Uncommon Visitor After the Christmas Bird Count

Since the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) that took place in mid-December 2024, a rare visitor has been spending time near my home in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula: the Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula). This species—abbreviated as “NHOW” by birders—is almost never seen this far south. When a friend of mine first reported seeing not one, but two Northern Hawk Owls near the same location, it sparked skepticism in the local birding community.

Why Northern Hawk Owls Are Rare in the Keweenaw

Northern Hawk Owls typically remain in boreal forests far north of Michigan. They only reach the Upper Peninsula during major 'irruption years'—occasional large-scale movements caused by food shortages. Even during those years, many raptors detour around Lake Superior, opting for more accessible areas in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, or eastern Michigan. For two NHOWs to appear in the Keweenaw is nearly unheard of.

Eyewitness Accounts and Skepticism

Despite multiple sightings and photographic documentation, many in the birding community continued to express disbelief about the presence of two birds in close proximity to each other. This type of skepticism—often unfounded—frustrated those of us who had observed the birds firsthand. I even created a series of four images, switching rapidly between the two birds to demonstrate they were perched in different trees and locations, but some birders still demanded a single frame with both owls.

Could These Northern Hawk Owls Be Breeding?

The story took an even more exciting turn when one of the owls landed in a tree above my truck and began to sing. This vocalization could be a sign of breeding behavior, a potentially rare and historic event for Michigan. The only known attempt of NHOWs breeding in Michigan was documented on Isle Royale, much closer to their native range. If these owls are setting up territory in the Keweenaw, it could be a groundbreaking development.

Listen to the Call

The call that I was able to record begins with a series of 'bouncing notes' about four seconds into the recording. Another bout, arguably clearer, happens around the 50-second mark. Accompanying species in the recording include Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) and Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus), adding natural ambiance to the experience.

Obviously, it takes, both, a male and a female to make a breeding pair. So, just because one bird is singing doesn’t mean it will find a mate. The other individual might be the same sex, for instance. For this species, both sexes sing - so, we can’t even really tell if this singing individual is male or female.

Join Me for a Guided Bird Photography Experience

If you’d like to see rare birds like the Northern Hawk Owl and improve your photography skills in the process, consider booking a guided experience with me. I offer wildlife photography sessions and educational tours (https://www.teoliver.com/excursions-and-workshops) throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula. Whether you’re interested in winter raptors, boreal species, or storytelling through images, I can help you find, photograph, and learn about these incredible creatures.

A Rare Winter Worth Watching

This winter has been extraordinary—not just for these particular owls, but for all arctic and subarctic species that have arrived in the region. Snowy Owls, Great Gray Owls, Short-eared Owls, and more have been seen throughout the Great Lakes. It’s a perfect time to be outside with your camera and your curiosity. Join me - and let’s explore it together.

[Side Note: Although the date for this post is accurate for when this all occurred, I have actually delayed publishing it to my website and back-dated the post. I did this to fall in line with my desire to not release information too quickly because I value protecting the species I photograph. Releasing the information about the hawk-owl singing could have caused situations which would stress the bird unnecessarily].

Why I’m Adding Watermarks to My Photography: Protecting Images in the Age of AI and NFTs

I have always really, really hated watermarks on images when I’m looking through other photographers’ websites. But I understand why photographers choose to do it. We (at least, I) invest a lot in getting the pictures I post and it seems that so many people think that they are free for the taking to use in any way that they want just because they have a link to my site. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to rake in so much cash that I’d be drowning in it - in fact, I’m quite generous with my pictures and knowledge of my subjects, techniques, and gear. I often simply give all that away to friends, family, people who let me go on their property to search for shots, non-profit groups who I support., etc….

However, in the quickly evolving age of NFT development and AI-scraping, I have come to the conclusion that I need to start including watermarks on my images shared on my website. This is because they tend to be images large enough for unscrupulous people to grab and reproduce without my authorization. I have been contacted numerous times by people wanting permission to create NFTs of my images. I personally think that is a huge scam and always deny permission. However, my gut tells me that such people are likely stealing the photos anyway.

Case in point, Zuckerberg (in supporting the concept of training AI on webpages such as mine) has said "Individual creators or publishers tend to overestimate the value of their specific content." Honestly, I often cannot disagree with that statement. However, content made by photographers is not without value. - but to him our overestimation of value is any amount greater than $0. So, Mark, allow me to give you a little bit of interpersonal relationship advice - people outside your sphere of the ultra-wealthy (and the work that they do) have value.

Maybe placing a watermark won’t solve anything with AI being illegally trained on images of others but, for the time being it is the best solution I can think of. At least it will likely make them undesirable to use in creating NFTs without my permission.

So, for now, each image that I upload will have a watermark. When I have the time, I will be taking down older pics and replacing them with marked pics. I realize that the older pics have likely already been used to train AI and some taken for NFTs. However, I’m hoping that will change in the future with my pics.

I thank you for understanding this dilemma.

If you find it annoying to view the images in this format, I offer my sincerest apologies…I’m with you (I truly am). I wish that I had a different solution. For now, though, I recommend that for viewing my pics in un-watermarked format (though at a very much lower-quality) please visit the social media I have linked through this website. (Though, admittedly, my social media participation may be changing soon also due to the evolving rights-grabs that the various social media are building into their user agreements….Zuckerberg, again, taking the things that he says hold no value.)

Winter Wildlife Photography in Michigan’s Keweenaw: Coyote Sighting Near Eagle Harbor

The other day I led an excursion organized by Visit Keweenaw (our regional destination marketing organization) for some members of the Outdoor Writers Association of America. On this particular excursion, I was showing some of the people the beautiful winter landscapes we get in the Keweenaw. On snowshoes, we explored the area around Hungarian Falls. The snow filled forest and vista overlooking Torch Lake were breathtaking - although the falls, due to it being the middle of February were completely frozen over and snow-covered.

After that I took them along the northern coast of the peninsula so they could see some of the lakescapes where more rugged terrain interfaces with Lake Superior. We explored the area around the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, ventured up to Esrey Park, and then returned back to Houghton. As we were passing though Eagle Harbor on the return trip, one of my passengers pointed out a coyote that was right at the edge of the lake along the road. It was in a position that was difficult to see from where we were at; so, I continued around the corner to where we could get a better view of the animal. In that very short period of time (about 40 seconds) it had amazingly moved quite a long distance across the ice as it was making its way north east across the harbor.

I got out of the truck to start taking pictures across the hood with my 60-600mm lens. My clients decided to simply stay in the vehicle with the windows down to take their pictures. A couple passing vehicles slowed down to take a look at what I was focused on but then continued on their way.

The falling snow was obscuring the view of the coyote and as a result most of the shots I took of it were soft and blurry - but a couple pictures turned out quite nice with the coyote enveloped in all the white of its surroundings.

Seeing coyotes (and sometimes wolves) travelling on the ice is not uncommon for people who live near Lake Superior’s shore. The dogs take advantage of the easy movement they have on the ice. They patrol the shorelines looking for prey, move between tributaries where they can scavenge and hunt, and venture out on the big lake in search of mates. Given that January through March is their breeding season, it’s entirely possible that this one may have been out looking for a mate…but, given that we initially had seen in scrounging among the uneven snow and ice of the shoreline it seemed fairly obvious it was looking for food. Our presence when we first saw it likely just convinced it to move to another location with fewer people.

If you are interested in personal guided hikes or photography sessions, let me know by filling out the form located on this page. I’ll send you more details and we can work out a schedule.

Photographing the Perseid Meteor Shower from Michigan’s Keweenaw Dark Sky Park

The Perseid Meteor shower peaked Saturday night as the Earth passes through the dust left by the Swift-Tuttle comet. I think I saw more shooting stars, sitting out for the few hours that I did, than the total I have seen for the past decade.

The five shooting stars in this image are from a composite of three 15-second exposures (though the three meteorites on the right hand side were all from the same individual picture).

Also in this picture is an example of “airglow” a phenomenon similar to the Aurora but less intense. Airglow is caused by the steady stream of radiation from the sun and while it is not typically visible to the unaided eye, it shows up in long exposure photos.

Special thanks to the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, the Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, and Chris Guibert for hosting and organizing a Perseid Meteor Shower Party. There were about 20 Dark Sky enthusiasts and other photographers taking in the meteorite show and hanging out under the stars. It was a lot of fun.

Abstract Butterfly - Brought to you by the Sun

During the last Aurora event on March 23, 2023, I saw a number of pictures of the intense Aurora from that night which were similar to this picture - a straight up shot at the sky with no foreground elements and no way to predict or manage what the picture would show - other than the exposure settings in camera and the development of the image in Lightroom. For the most part the people who did that simply got what was gifted to them. I thought it was simply beautiful. It looked like a Phoenix rising in the sky…and I simply pondered that image (one in particular from a friend of mine who takes phenomenal night sky pictures) for days.

I had never before considered taking a picture of the northern lights like that because most photos of the night sky that are just of the night sky are often not very intriguing to me. They lack a sense of place and often just look like a piece of perforated black construction with a light set behind it. However, after seeing that one picture created by my friend - I decided that I would not ever let another intense aurora storm pass without trying that style of picture.

This time the Aurora didn’t have as many color variations mixed in - but I tried the technique nonetheless. I was pleasantly surprised. To me this one looks like an abstract painting of a butterfly. What do you imagine it looks like?

Northern Lights Spectators

Last night’s (23 April 2023) Aurora borealis was so bright you could still see it when looking straight toward the moon. The brightest Northern Lights were actually behind me during this shot. This shot was taken at the ruins located at Freda.

I have wanted to get a shot of this circular pool with the sky’s reflection in it for a very long time. While I like this picture, I wish I could have had it a little bit wider and at. a slightly different angle.

I also like that this picture shows the larger number of people that were there watching the northern lights. I am not one for large crowds and most people who want to see the northern lights feel they need flashlights to get to the locations good for seeing them - so, I tend to get a little frustrated as people move through my shots using their lights and generally being loud. I just try to remind myself that everyone enjoys these phenomena in their own way and while their way might just be different mine, they are still having an awesome experience that most people in the world don’t get.

Light Ripples

After a weekend of cloudy skies for the first Upper Peninsula Dark Sky Festival, the universe still taunted us with an amazing Aurora display that was mostly concealed behind a thick layer of clouds. However, that cloud bank stopped about 15 miles (by road…not direct line) from my house. So, we ventured further south to catch the lights of the north (as did about a hundred other people, too - evidenced by the line of lights coming down the bluff in the picture).

One of the things that I love about the Keweenaw is the interesting way nature mixes with remnants of human industrial history. This particular location is the ruins of an old copper mill. It has everything you would expect of an abandoned industrial complex - concrete, rust, broken glass, and graffiti. Juxtaposing all that with a mesmerizing giant solar storm in the atmosphere gives us an interesting perspective on the beauty and the hardship of the universe…and of the Keweenaw.

Light Switches

In all my years, even in my most ridiculous ideas of what my future life would be like, I never imagined that I would own a real, full-size lighthouse that, at one time (at a previous location) provided navigational safety on a waterway. (There’s a long story that goes with this lighthouse…but that is for another time.)

For now, I ponder what I have and what my responsibility with it should be. At its core, this lighthouse is the largest bit of “yard art” (that I know of) in the area. I, for one, don’t like “yard art“ - I prefer to call such signs and kitschy sculptures “junk.” That being said, I admit that I was intrigued…possibly enamored…with the presence of this lighthouse on the property when we were looking to buy.

However, what I can truly say I enjoy about our property is the number and variety of birds I see throughout the seasons. Which, consequently, leads me back to my thoughts about my responsibility in owning this lighthouse…which serves no navigation but has a continually-lit 10-watt LED.

During migration, birds use the stars and the moon for navigation. Research has shown that artificial lights disrupt bird migration. Recommendations from ornithologist are that all unnecessary artificial lights should be turned off during periods of migration. So, I worry that this thing I own, that serves no greater purpose than as a beautiful spot to sit and watch the lake and sunsets, is actually harmful to that which I truly enjoy. Granted, I have never found a dead bird at the base of this lighthouse. However, I know that an absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and it makes me wonder about the unseen impacts this lighthouse has during a very dangerous part of the lives of millions of birds - comprised of more than 250 species that migrate through here at night.

It really wouldn’t take much for me to install a switch. I think it’s time for that.

Southeast Northern Lights

After many years, I finally decided to take some pictures of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse. I’ve seen tons of pictures of this lighthouse with the northern lights as its backdrop; so I’ve always chosen to go elsewhere.

When exploring for a place to go and photograph, I decided I would check out the lighthouse (mainly because most of the unique places from where I want to shoot the Aurora are fairly remote and I had only a short window of time before I needed to be home and in bed - I knew work was going to be busy the next day).

In any case, what a fortune to have been there. Most pics I’ve seen of this lighthouse with aurora are looking northward. But this northern lights display was so intense and expansive, I was able to get this view looking southeast.

What a night.

Snags in Winter Wetlands

I am fascinated by the importance and beauty of dead trees (aka: “snags”) in ecosystems. I’ve shared, in previous posts, why I consider them so important for ecosystems but I have never really shared why I find them so visually alluring. It might be because when I was a child, my family’s dining room had a picture that was drawn by the local art teacher which I, for some reason, found fascinating. It was a charcoal drawing on burlap of a collection of sparse conifers and snags in a bog - a very typical scene which can be found in many places across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. I could look at it over and over again and see stories and history and biology. I see bogs with conifer trees pretty regularly whenever driving down just about any given highway in the U.P. - and every single one of them reminds me of that picture.

I don’t know if those landscapes are inherently beautiful or if they are just alluring to me because of the picture that hung in our dining room. In any case, the moment I drove past the location in this picture, I could see its potential. I have gone back to it time and again and it always presents a scene that is differently beautiful to me. Though, it never feels quite as full of life as it does when the night sky is dancing above it.

Northern Lights House

The Aurora display on Thursday night (23 March 2023) simply blew my mind (as I think it did for anyone who saw it firsthand).

I happened to be at the base of one of the nearby lighthouses when the first real big blast of auroral energy hit. What seemed like the aurora’s core was nearly straight up from where I was standing and I thought it looked like it was radiating from the beacon.

My mind is still processing what I saw that night.

[Side note on photography etiquette (because I know some people will wonder if I was possibly ruining the scene for other photographers when I took this pic –– I was not) –

Please don’t disregard other photographers at a location. The pictures we all want to take are not so valuable or unique to warrant alienating others in the photography community. Please don’t blatantly walk into a scene or start light painting the area.

When I entered the scene of this picture, there were two other photographers at the lighthouse taking pictures. I had previously chatted with them and discussed the potential shots at the location, given the conditions we were seeing. When I decided to go near the lighthouse, I made sure no other photographers had arrived and then I made sure that from everyone else’s perspective, they were not able to see my approach, where I ended up standing, nor the lights created by my camera.

It’s not hard to make sure to make sure the pictures others are taking won’t be affected. If it looks like getting in someone else’s way can’t be avoided, I either change my mind or I politely ask if what I want to do is OK with them.

Please do the same.]

The Source

Although this picture was taken at the end of the Aurora event the other night, I thought this looked like the Aurora was emerging from this single tree and expanding across the Lake Superior basin to blanket the sky.

I know that this looks heavily edited. However, it is not. I still don’t fully understand why the sky on the left side of the image is so blue when compared to the right side of the picture.

I had positioned the camera so that the moon was just out of frame (There’s a brighter spot in the upper left corner near where the moon is located). So I thought that the light bleed from the moon might have been the cause of the difference. However, I don’t think that explains why there doesn’t seem to be a gradient and instead seems that the separation for the color difference in the sky follows the Aurora.

Weird!

If anyone knows why this would happen, please let me know.

Red Sky at Night...

The aurora borealis on a moonlit night along Lake Superior. This red sky blew my mind…what a phenomenal evening to be taking pictures of the night sky. The thing that I found most interesting about this picture was the ice and snow formation at the base of the picture. It was extremely precarious getting into position - the ice was slippery and the contours of the Lake Superior shoreline made it difficult to not fall down and slide into the lake. Add the fact that I refuse to use a flashlight when doing night photography because even the dimmest “white light” flashlights kill human night vision. I do have a red flashlight, which works great for preserving night vision…but they can sometimes make it challenging to see certain shadows of ground contours.

Spirit Tree

Aurora borealis on a moonlit winter night along Lake Superior can provide some really interesting compositions. On moonless nights the sky can show bolder northern lights set in front of a jet black Universe. When the moon is out, as it was this evening, it can wash out those contrasts. The tradeoff, though, is that the moon lights up the landscape with the long exposures needed for Aurora photography and along with the textures and contours of the landscape, the snow sharply reflects the moonlight making it seem as though there are stars imbedded in the ground.

For this particular image, I was not the only person at the location. A young couple was sitting among a cluster of trees that I would have liked to have photographed. However, they were using flashlights inconsistently and did not shut of the LCD screens on their cameras. Both of those light sources would have been very distracting in any of the pictures I would have taken.

In any case, shortly after taking this photo, I glanced at the image on my camera and new it was a keeper. It wasn’t until I opened it up on my computer this morning, though that I saw how interestingly the northern lights mimic the form of the silhouetted white pine.

If you look closely you can make out most of Ursa Major (The Big Dipper) above and beyond the white pine.

Sci-Fi Photography Workshop

During our most recent Night Sky Photography Workshop, this one led by Nate Bett with me assisting, I was taking pics of the participants, along the shore of Lake Superior, with the Milky Way overhead during the practical application portion of the workshop. One of the participants decided to leave earlier than everyone else. When I saw that his path of turning his vehicle around was going to cast his headlight beams across every single one of the remaining participants, I quickly started a long exposure in hopes of capturing something interesting. I had no idea that the result would be so “sci-fi.”

The clouds in the sky, the headlight passing through the light Lake Superior fog that was starting to condense, the movement of the participants all came together to make something ethereal and completely beyond what I thought I would capture.

Keweenaw Dark Sky Park Inaugural Night Sky Photography Workshop

The inaugural Night Sky Photo Workshop at the newly designated Keweenaw Dark Sky Park was a success. Admittedly, it took some perseverance and patience but many hours after the class portion of the workshop concluded the sky finally cleared (mostly) and offered beautiful views of the Milky Way in one direction and the glow of the northern lights in the other. This was Brad’s first time getting his own pictures of the Aurora and he was very excited about it.

The Night Sky Photography Workshops take place each month at the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge, on (or near) the date of the new moon. Check out the Lodge’s website and calendar of events for the next workshop. Call or email the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge’s Events and Education to get signed up.

Poster from the inaugural Night Sky Photography Workshop at the newly designated Keweenaw Dark Sky Park.

Mixed Emotions

The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) has adapted well to human civilization, nesting around park ponds, golf courses, farms, etc...; often being considered a nuisance. However, I think this photo harkens to a time when the species was considered a symbol of wilderness…a harbinger of the changing seasons in the northern Great Lakes region, as was so eloquently described by, author, Sigurd Olson, in 1956:

Suddenly out of the north came the sound I had been waiting for, a soft, melodious gabbling that swelled and died and increased in volume until all other sounds were engulfed by its clamor. Far in the blue I saw them, a long skein of dots undulating like a floating ribbon pulled toward the south by an invisible cord tied to the point of its V.

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

This is not a Chipmunk, chipmunks have dark stripes on their head and face.

Named after the golden-colored fur around its shoulders, as if it were wearing a shawl, the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) is a common resident throughout the Rocky Mountains at elevations between 5,000 and 11,000 feet above sea level. Right now, they are getting ready for their long hibernation and this one was searching among fallen pine trees for cones and seeds.

A hasty escape

This Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) did not like the idea of me having my coffee on teh deck of our cabin along Lake Au Train.

There is nothing quite like the feeling of having a fresh cup of coffee, in the early morning sun rising straight out in front of our deck. Many days the ducks, geese, and herons simply make their way into the cove (which is only about 50 feet from the edge of our deck), while we are sitting out greeting the new morning. However, today, this goose had arrived earlier than we did and it didn’t like our sudden intrusion of its space. Shortly thereafter, though the regular entourage of birds gathered in front of our place.

Please don’t feed ducks and geese. It unnecessarily habituates them to humans and such actions can actually be dangerous for the birds (especially when people feed them bread). Bread is nutritionally lacking for ducks and geese and, since it quickly fills their stomachs, they avoid eating healthier, naturally-occurring foods they normally rely upon.

Early Morning River Crossing

Each year, when Kay and I are back home for the summer, we always make sure to take at least one day where we get up early and haul our Wilderness Systems tandem kayak down to the Au Train River access in order to float down the river before “the amateurs” wake up and get out on the water. The Au Train River is a popular canoeing and kayaking destination and because it is a shallow, slow moving body of water, it attracts a large number of people who are somewhat inexperienced paddlers and are often very loud making it very hard to see wildlife. Every time we we are able to be the first people paddling down the river for the day, we are able to truly experience the tranquility of the river and we have always been able to have some amazing encounters with wildlife.

This year we had a beaver rise up immediately next to the kayak and swim along with us. I didn’t want to make any sudden movements and startle it, so I wasn’t able to put down my paddle to grab my camera - so, there was no chance to get a picture . However, it swam next to us, within touching distance for well over fifty yards.

This doe white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and its two fawns entered the river about about 75 yards in front of us and proceeded to make their way across. We stopped paddling and simply let the flow of water drift us toward them, while I was able to get this picture of their beautiful summer coats contrasted agains the lush greens of the mid-summer vegetation.