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Season Watch Podcast sponsored by Sugar Lake Lodge
Season Watch

Turns out Great Horned Owls can hunt Great Blue Herons

By Charlie Mitchell,
Heidi Holtan
Published October 2, 2026 at 2:07 PM CDT
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A large brown and tan owl with a distinctive orange eye mask perches in a winter tree.
Contributed
/
iNaturalist user Shannon J.
A Great Horned Owl perches near the Twin Cities in February, 2022.

Co-hosts Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell gripe about buckthorn, learn about hummingbirds, and consider the healing effects of forests.

Send us a voice memo through SpeakPipe!

The Great Horned Owl may have a gentle hoot, but it's far from a gentle bird.

Co-hosts Heidi Holtan (director of content and public affairs, concerned cat owner) and Charlie Mitchell (phenology coordinator, carnivore apologist) learn about the predatory habits of the so-called "tiger of the air," the effects of buckthorn, and why hummingbirds love jewelweed.

We hear from East Rapids Elementary, John Latimer, and foresters Brian Huberty and Stan Grossman.

Attributions

  1. Great Horned Owl call by Peter Mundale, XC959367. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/959367.
  2. East Rapids Elementary's phenology talkback, John Latimer's phenology report, and Brian Huberty and Stan Grossman's interview originally aired on KAXE.
  3. This episode was produced by Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell.

Love the podcast? Have any fun facts to share? Let us know! Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!

Email us at seasonwatch@kaxe.org.

Tags
Season Watch Season Watch PodcastKAXENorthern MinnesotaPhenologyFall phenology
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Charlie Mitchell
Charlie Mitchell creates the Season Watch Newsletter and Season Watch Podcast, produces the Phenology Talkbacks show, coordinates the Phenology in the Classroom program, and writes nature-related stories for KAXE's website. With a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, Charlie enjoys learning a little bit about everything, whether it's plants, mushrooms, or the star-nosed mole. (Fun fact: Moles store fat in their tails, so they don't outgrow their tunnels every time conditions are good.)
See stories by Charlie Mitchell
Heidi Holtan
For more than two decades, Heidi Holtan has helped shape the sound of KAXE. Since joining the station in 2002 as a volunteer music programmer, she has worn many hats including the weekly book program, Realgoodwords, hosting the Morning Show, creation and host of the weekly call-in program Between You and Me, serving as Outreach Producer. Program Director, News Director and currently Director of Content and Public Affairs.
See stories by Heidi Holtan
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