I am catching up. Since the storm ended I have spent a HUGE amount of time outside including my day as a volunteer naturalist up in the Bog. The past two days have been super … a touch cold but perfectly blue skies most of time with limited wind. I know from experience to maximize time outside on those days. Some pics from my travels.
A Northern Cardinal during the recent storm / snow
A Great Gray Owl hunting shortly after sunrise two morning ago
Some cute Gray Jays (Canada Jays)
Clod kicking is a sport known to Northland winter athletes. Amateurs use the toe of the their boots to “kick the snow clods” clear of a car’s wheel wells, but an expert clod kicker understands that a heel should always be used to avoid broken toes. It was with this knowledge that I came across Pine Grosbeaks up in Sax-Zim Bog two mornings ago which were serving as Olympic judges for this winter sport. While the uninformed might believe the birds were “gritting up”, and only the kicked clod had the necessary grit for the bird’s gizzard and digestion, I knew better. The grosbeaks were excited to visit northern Minnesota and evaluate the competition.
Pine Grosbeaks Judging a Clod Kicking Competition
Spectator Grosbeaks (Pine and Evening)
Grosbeaks Visiting the Stadium’s Concession Stand (Pine and Evening)
Note: Normally I do not like to take feeder photographs, but these images show off the differences between our two types of winter grosbeaks. The grayish birds that have a more orangey head are likely immature males, as opposed to more brown (females). One Common Redpoll also makes an appearance.
On another note, I served as a volunteer naturalist at the Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center yesterday. Our feeders were busy. Early morning on a cold day is always the best. Here is a list of the birds frequently visiting:
Plan a visit to the Bog (link is to the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog web site)
Today has been a perfect birding day, and I intend to go back out in the woods before sunset. Why perfect? White-Winged Crossbills in the Bog. Normally I see these cute birds as they fly quickly overhead against a drab sky, but today fair skies returned after our winter storm. Winds had gusted over 40 mph each of the past two days … not good for friend or fowl. Thus, this morning was a nice return to the woods.
White-Winged Crossbills (Cornell Ornithology School Link) have a unique hooked beak which allows them to pry open pine cones to get at seeds which are impossible for other birds to access. If there is an ample supply of cones in the forest, these birds will nest and raise young in the middle of winter! Finally, they are a “Christmas bird” in terms of color!
I will have more posts about today’s birding, but the crossbills deserved their own mention. However, birding is perfect when …
