Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Morning Owls

Poppa Owl took one for the team yesterday morning just before sunrise. Shortly before sunup there was a major crow attack in my local forest, and I know from experience that Dad leads the crows away from the nest. A nice morning hike through the woods yielded this pic of Mom.

Meanwhile the prior morning was spent over at Sax-Zim Bog. The weather forecast called for moderate temperatures, overcast skies, and light wind … perfect owling conditions. I arrived in the Bog shortly before sunrise, and watched one owl hunt for over an hour. Here the Great Gray Owl is nailing a landing.

Migration Misfortune: Birds Flying North Too Soon!

Migration Misfortune! Found these eight Trumpeter Swans “on” Stone Lake ice in the Sax-Zim Bog yesterday. Birds that return north the earliest get prime territory, and most years there are patches of open water, but not this year. The temperature is supposed to get down to around -15F tomorrow night (actual, not chill factor).

Leucistic Common Redpoll

I found a Leucistic Common Redpoll this morning at the Yellow-Bellied Bog on Perry Road in Sax-Zim Bog … a most “uncommon redpoll!” Normally I do not like to take “feeder photographs”, but in this case it helps show you the difference between a redpoll with normal pigment, and one without, Leucism (Wikipedia link).

Leucistic Common Redpoll


Feeder Videos with the Leucistic Common Redpoll (subscriber video links: video one & two)


Common Redpoll feeding frenzy (subscriber video link: video three)