Category Archives: Year 13

Magical Birding Morning in Sax-Zim Bog (Barred Owl Hunting)

Year 13

I had not been on Admiral and McDavitt Roads since early December. While these are great birding roads, I tend to go elsewhere during the prime winter months and leave these two locations for the Bog’s visitors. However, over the past week I had noticed the number of eBird reports had dropped radically for Sax-Zim Bog, and I know from experience that most tour groups finish their visits to northern Minnesota by the last full week in February.

Jackpot! I spent 90 minutes on these two prime birding roads, and saw nary another person the entire time. I did have to deal with two snow plows but surprisingly even when the monster, loud trucks plowed within 15 yards of the the owl, it did not flush. I felt certain I would get some flights photos, and have about 20 images of two snow plows and an owl which seems to be thinking, what … me worry?!

Anyhow … from this morning!

Admiral Road:

  • Barred Owl
  • Gray Jays / Canada Jays
  • Pine Grosbeaks

Barred Owl … Hunting Movie (video link for email subscribers)

McDavitt Road:

  • Evening Grosbeaks

Highway 47: (The flight pic of the NHO is from an earlier birding excursion, but never processed. I have been watching this owl since right after Thanksgiving, and enjoyed two weeks with the bird before it was discovered by “the rest of the birding world”.)

  • Northern Hawk Owl

Now is a great time to visit the Bog. The feeders will remained filled for about two weeks, with the Welcome Center still being open. One may now enjoy the solitude, particulary during mid week like today.

Surfing the Arctic Riviera at Stoney Point on Lake Superior

Year 13

While driving home from my morning’s bird outing at the Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders (-16F with 2 feet of new snow), I stopped by Stoney Point on Lake Superior which is 12 miles from my house. This location is often great for birding during both the northern and southern bird migrations. While I did not see any cool birds, some locals were surfing. Uff Dah! The surfers had to dodge ice flows.

The images are all taken from the same vantage point, with different camera lenses including varying degrees of zoom. Last week’s blizzard with its 60+ mph winds have totally ice crusted the trees near the shore.

 

Nature Centers 3! Birdsong Listening Stations in NE Mn

Year 13

The day prior to the huge blizzard last week I finished up my work building BirdNET-Pi birdsong listening stations for three nature centers located in northeast Minnesota’s Boreal forest wilderness. All three stations are now live and listening, and you may check out and listen to the birds each station heard over the past 24 hours (or pick your own preferred time period). Each nature center is located within microphone listening distance of unique Boreal forest, lake and pond habitat

Select any one of these links to hear what birds are singing: (using a desktop or laptop computer for listening works MUCH better than a mobile device … learn more from a prior post of mine which also links the other listening stations)

I look forward to a continuing relationship as a volunteer for each of these organizations. As the snows melt this spring these stations, including some other stations located right on the North Shore of Lake Superior will provide a unique perspective of the northward bird migration status. I donated my time, knowledge and the entire cost of these Raspberry Pi Computers.

Some of this year’s research includes:

  • Bird Song academic curriculum development for children & teachers
  • Nesting sounds of the Common Loon parents and chicks
  • Identification of Connecticut Warbler habitat
  • ReUse or Not of Great Gray Owl Territory

This work also involves off the grid listening stations.

Locations of the online birdsong listening stations I have built and deployed. Learn more. (including the other listening links)

The graphic is from the other post. The birdsong listening stations are linked above, not below!