While my original intent was to write more frequently about my photography adventures, it’s clear that has not happened. But here's another attempt to be more consistent. Despite my lack of writing and posting on social media platforms, I have not been sitting idly by. This past winter was spectacular as we were treated to an irruption of boreal and great gray owls! I heard from many photographers that Minnesota has not seen an irruption like this in 20 years and I am grateful I was able to spend time enjoying this unique experience.
I was able to make several trips up north and found myself spending more time with great gray owls in one winter than I have in the past decade combined! They are my favorite owl - their magnificent size, piercing eyes, and phantom-like movements make them a sight to behold. And they were absolutely everywhere!
My first trip up north in 2025 was early January with the hopes of photographing a boreal owl. I had no idea that a great gray owl irruption was beginning as well, leading to an influx of my favorite owl species in our state. That weekend I spent time around three separate great gray owls who were actively hunting within about two miles of each other. I would bounce from one owl to the next based on which one was on a better perch, in better lighting, etc. Never did I think I would get to be choosey when it came to photographing great gray owls.
But of course, the real star of this past winter was the boreal owl. These tiny owls rarely make an appearance in Minnesota and when they do, it’s a big deal. I had never seen one in nearly 15 years of wildlife photography and this past winter I was able to photograph six different boreal owls! It's hard to communicate to non-photographers and non-birders how big of a deal these owls are, but people from all over the world were showing up around the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. Two Harbors and the Sax-Zim Bog area were at the epicenter of the action and, for better or worse (depending on who you ask) were completely overrun with eager nature enthusiasts. Aside from visits to national parks such as Yellowstone or the Tetons, I had never seen so many photographers gathering in one place.
The controversy regarding the influx of photographers has been discussed ad nauseam on Facebook and does not need to be recounted here. Suffice to say, this winter was special. Myself and many others were treated to an experience of a lifetime with photo opportunities that may not come again. One of those photo opportunities took place in a location along the north shore that many of us are familiar with, have visited a number of times, and was an unlikely location for an owl to hang out in. Three great gray owls had set up residence in the town of Two Harbors, right in Agate Bay with a beautiful view of Lake Superior and the lighthouses in the background.
They had spent weeks hunting a specific field, indifferent to the number of photographers showing up, even landing on the photographers themselves or their camera gear! These owls provided a unique opportunity for photographs with the iconic lighthouses of Two Harbors in the background. I made a long day trip up the shore in February for an opportunity at those unique photos. Below are three of my favorite images from that morning. While many others may have captured similar shots, I believe any photographer who ventured out during this extraordinary winter would agree that the images of owls framed by these lighthouses will forever stand as a powerful reminder of the owl irruption during the winter of 2024/2025.
