Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Great Gray Owl … Final Bird of the Year!

Year 3

I spent yesterday up at Sax-Zim Bog … birding, cross-country skiing, hiking, and working as a volunteer naturalist at the Welcome Center. In the near future I will post either a map or descriptions of where some of the birds are hanging out in the Bog, but for right now I’m skipping that task … (pinched a nerve in a leg yesterday evening and am not able to sit at my desk/computer very long due to pain … injury was NOT done partying).

Post Update: Sax-Zim Bog bird sightings for early January provided after the photos.

Great Gray Owl … Final Bird of the Year … just before sunset

Northern Shrike … Second to Last Bird of the year … a bird with an attitude

Pine Grosbeak in the early morning sun

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Here is a current bird sightings report as filed by Sparky Stensaas, the Director of the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog.

Date:    Thu, 5 Jan 2017 19:20:21 +0000
Subject: Sax-Zim Bog Field Trips this weekend and bird updates

RECENT BIRD SIGHTINGS IN SAX-ZIM (downloadable map at www.saxzim.org)

  • Great Gray Owl: Seen in 7 different locations during the brief warm up of last week; Check McDavitt Road, Admiral Road (the half mile from the feeders south), Nichols Lake Road, CR133 (stretch just west of CR7), Stone Lake Road (first mile east of CR7). Best to get out at dawn and dusk…”warmer” calm snowy days are best.
  • Northern Hawk Owl: No recent confirmed sightings
  • Rough-legged Hawk: Very few this winter. Best bet is Aitkin County.
  • Sharp-tailed Grouse: Very regular at the bird feeders (!) at the first farm south of Correction Line Road on CR29 (east side). Birder friendly farm.
  • Boreal Chickadee: Has been seen at Admiral Road feeders but not as regular as in year’s past. Also pisshhh along the bog stretch on Arkola just east of Owl Avenue (…and any other larger Black Spruce stands)
  • Black-backed Woodpecker: Most recent sightings have been along McDavitt Road. The female seen regularly along the ditch going north from the Welcome Center has not been reported recently but is still probably in the area.
  • White-winged Crossbills: Many locations throughout the bog. Watch the spruce tops, and look for small flocks overhead. Get out and pisshh in boggy areas as they will come right in if they are nearby.
  • Pine Grosbeak: Many locations throughout the Bog. Most often seen picking salt on the roads.
  • Common Redpolls: A few around. Some at Welcome Center feeders and Mary Lou’s. Watch for flocks in roadside alders and Tamaracks.
  • Hoary Redpoll: None reported. Probably some around somewhere.
  • Evening Grosbeaks: Mary Lou’s! (morning is best)
  • Welcome Center on Owl Avenue is open daily (7-days per week) from 10am to 3pm.

 

Sax-Zim Bog Ski!

Year 3

Here’s an idea for anyone visiting the Bog and the Welcome Center this winter. This morning I set down cross-country ski tracks as noted via the Google Maps screenshot. One skis deep into the Bog via the drainage ditches. One may wax skis and put on your boots at the Welcome Center (open daily at 10:00 am till early March).

The ski itself is very easy … zero hills. Being a Duluth native I am well versed in skiing up North Shore Lake Superior streams to access areas not reachable in the summer. I decided to take that knowledge and apply it to the Bog. I will try to keep the tracks set through the winter. I saw plenty of birds during my ski … mostly Grey Jays and Chickadees. Sometime in the next few weeks I will ski in around sunrise as opposed to today (around noon).

Anyhow, I wanted to encourage “skiing the bog”. Many of you travel from a distance to visit Sax-Zim Bog; thus it’s nice to get out of the car. One covers distance much quicker on skis than on snowshoes. On my next ski I will head “south” at the T-Junction (dotted yellow line). Hope to see you at the Bog, and maybe even on the ski trail (I am a volunteer naturalist at the Bog).

Heavy Fog Birding! (Black Backed Woodpecker)

Year 3,

Most of us prefer crisp, blue, sunny winter days, but here in Northern Minnesota early snows and warmer ground often produces heavy fog. Such is the case today. Rather than bemoaning the fact that it was difficult to see more than 100 yards, I adjusted my plans and drove the 40 miles to Sax-Zim Bog in search of Great Grey Owls. Dark gloomy days are often fantastic owling days, but alas such was not the case for my birding efforts today. No owls!

However, I found birds which are just as rare at the Great Grey Owl. Although the Welcome Center at the Bog is not yet open for the season, the feeders are full … of seeds and birds. Thus, I decided to stop and check things over. I could hear a woodpecker pecking away, and almost ignored the bird. After all, I never see anything but Downeys and Hairies at the Center, but I decided to investigate. After a few minutes of searching I struck paydirt … a Black-Backed Woodpecker! The tree is which it was finding breakfast looked well pecked over; it is quite possible we will have a resident Black Backed in the Center this Winter! Check out the small dead birches in the drainage ditch about ten yards further into the parking lot from the first bird feeders.
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The Black-Backed Woodpecker was by no means my only find at the Center. Many other species of birds were around including this Ruffed Grouse which was feeding up high in a tree. Judging by the number of grouse I am seeing this Winter, I believe we must be at or near the top of the grouse yearly cycle.
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Upon returning to Duluth I swung by McQuade Harbor. A female Harlequin Duck had been reported hanging out there over Thanksgiving. Well, I’m home at this duck is still around, and most accommodating when it comes to letting its photograph get taken. Now if I could just find these birds of sunny blue sky days!  🙂
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