Northern Savanna! Bobolinks and Red-Headed Woodpeckers (videos)

Clear deep blue skies beckoned at 5:00 am which forced me to get out of bed, eat a quick bowl of cereal and drive the 35 miles from my house in northeastern Minnesota to the northern Wisconsin Grasslands near Cloverland. Just like my visit two days ago, hanging out down next to the swamp was a bug free experience (amazing).

For 90 minutes I watched the Red-Headed Woodpecker hole. Did you know that before the chicks are fledged, the mom seems to come out or her hole approximately every 15 minutes for a quick preen and flight? After a minute or two, it is back into the tree. Thus, in my time with “Red” I had six photo ops, followed by a lot of waiting.

After my quality time with the Red-Headed Woodpeckers, I moved two miles down the road to the Roy P. Johnson Mitigation Wetlands which is where I found this Bobolink hunting breakfast for its young. Returning home to Duluth, I even beat the thunderstorm which rolled into the area and drenched everything. Life is good!

Bobolink