Fighting Grosbeaks of Sax-Zim Bog (Evening and Pine)

Folks might think just watching the Snowy Owl hunt yesterday would have been enough drama for one day, but nope! When the day dawned sunny and calm, I decided after taking care of my chores and a workout, I needed to get outside. According to the weather forecast we were experiencing a day of calm blue skies between winter storms. Thus, my first plan of the day was to visit Sax-Zim Bog. While the number of winter human visitors can now be a bit overwhelming in the Bog, I hoped the storms would limit sightings of the human persuasion. Additionally the prior night’s cold temperatures should make birds more hungry and therefore easier to find.

My prime Sax-Zim Bog entertainment was watching the grosbeaks. Pine Grosbeaks will start to migrate back north within two weeks, and even though some Evening Grosbeaks nest in northern Minnesota, most will fly north to Canada’s boreal forests. Without further adieu, the Battling Grosbeaks of Sax-Zim Bog.

Okay … I lied … one final comment. It was intriguing to see that while Pine Grosbeaks fought other Pine Grosbeaks, and Evening Grosbeaks also battled amongst themselves, there was nary an interspecies conflict. I suspect the male hormones in advance of mating are now starting to flow freely.

An Innocent (??) Evening Grosbeak