Yesterday morning I went to the Bog … as in Sax-Zim Bog. While everyone else was concentrating on seeing the Boreal Owl, I stayed away from Admiral Road and had a fantastic time. I knew all the “boreal birders” would mean I would have the rest of the Bog to myself. I was not mistaken.

Arriving a bit before sunrise I waited for some warming rays to reach my target bird. It was cold watching the Barred Owl. When I had left Duluth the temperature was 14F next to Lake Superior, but upon arriving at my target location an hour later, the mercury had dropped to -8F (22 degrees colder). Thankfully the trip, and waiting outside in the cold was worth the effort. This Barred Owl has been terrorizing the feeders we keep at “Winterberry Bog”. The owl knows there is good hunting for mice and voles near the feeders.

Finally, if you ever doubted that owls are nocturnal species, check out my images taken three hours later (I returned). The owl had not moved one inch. Did I mention it was cold? This bird was not wasting any energy. It’s perch was out in the sun. Given the winds were calm the sun’s rays felt good for both man and bird.

Barred Owl at Sunrise (the sun had been on the owl for less than a few minutes)

Barred Owl 3 Hours After Sunrise (same bird … same perch)

Bird feeders are sometimes not safe for “Tweety Bird” or “Jerry”.  I found a Northern Shrike hunting a feeder up in the Bog this morning. This bird may look small (about the size of a Robin), but is means death for songbirds and mice. Upon catching a small bird, vole or mouse, it vigorously shakes its prey back and forth till it breaks it breaks the neck of its catch.

Northern Shrike (Sax-Zim Bog, Minnesota)

One nickname for this bird is the “Butcher Bird”. You may wish to compare the Northern Shrike to its southern cousin, the Loggerhead Shrike which I saw in Fort Myers last week. Notice how the Loggerhead has a wider black band across its head.

Loggerhead Shrike (Fort Myers, Florida)

Here are the Cornell School of Ornithology links for both birds

• Northern Shrike
• Loggerhead Shrike