Finchless Forecast

Background, Year 6,

Winter 2019-2020 is shaping up to be a season where the Northwoods will not be filled with very many of our favorite birds. Apparently the available food even further north in the Boreal Forests of Canada is excellent … with huge pine cone crops and lots of Mountain Ash berries. Briefly stated, there is very little reason for the winter finches to push down into northern Minnesota in significant numbers. Normally by this point in November, I have started to see Common Redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks, and Bohemian Waxwings. Zippo, and my experience is not unusual. Last weekend while in Grand Marais (100 miles up the North Shore of Lake Superior) I did not see a single bird in the huge number of Mountain Ash trees present in that town. Here is some Cornell eBird data from November 2018, and this year. Although it is only the 17th of November, the sightings are way low.

Common Redpolls (November 2018 … then November 2019 data)

Pine Grosbeaks (November 2018 … then November 2019 data)

Bohemian Waxwings (November 2018 … then November 2019 data)

While my migrant sights are way down, I am still seeing some nice birds, including this Canada Jay and Ruffed Grouse (Sax-Zim Bog two days ago)

Power to the Pileateds!

Year 6

Yesterday was a great afternoon here next to Amity Creek. For 90 minutes on a beautiful early winter afternoon I enjoyed my local Great Horned Owls, even if they were not enjoying themselves much (think dive bombing crows). When I got home from my hike in the woods I heard what was obviously a Pileated Woodpecker working away at finding supper.

Now this afternoon Pa Pileated introduced Ma Pileated to my yard. Life is good (and so is backyard birding). One of my other neat sightings this week was having a Northern Shrike visit my yard, but I suspect the local songbirds were not thrilled. What have you seen or heard out the window lately (my Great Horned Owls serenade each other after sundown, and before sunrise)

Pileated Woodpecker … the Video

Sax-Zim Bog Training Great Gray Owl

Year 6

The owl was not in training, but I was attending same at the Welcome Center. Staff and Volunteers spent the day getting ready for our winter opening which is under a month away on December 7th. Some feeders are now filled and as we become increasingly certain Ma and Pa Bear are asleep, we will fill even more feeders.

After training I went birding and found this Great Gray Owl hunting a bit before sunset. Upon catching a vole it flew back deep back into the Bog leading me to believe it is still helping to feed some juveniles … thus the second successful family of GGO’s I am now watching!

For those of you who wish to watch an owl hunt, conditions were ideal an hour before sunset … dead calm and very cloudy (dark). At times this owl was only 20 yards from me (it’s choice … I did not exist!).