Migration Meanderings … Owl Therapy

Year 12,

Pay attention to the wind and weather! During the spring south winds rule, and after a night’s winds from the south you may find many new species of birds have arrived outside your home. Learn more about migrations … read up on BirdCast (my post). In addition if you live near a North / South river, it may be a migration highway. Pay attention.

I drove over to the Mississippi River and the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area earlier this week. While the Father of Waters is still mainly iced over in northern Minnesota, where there are breaks in the ice waterfowl are resting on their northern migration. Twice I found Trumpeter Swans at this open spot on the Mississippi River.

When I reached the Willowsippi Wildlife Management Area (learn more about Willowsippi), I found a pair of Trumpeter Swans had already claimed prime habitat … even though the wetlands pond was still ice over.

Yesterday I spend time over at Sax-Zim Bog. After my local nest failure, I think a local Great Gray Owl took pity on me and wanted to give me some quality “owl time”. I watched this owl for over 1.5 hours. For the first 30 minutes the owl hooted and calmly looked around for a mate. This was followed by an hour of hunting, when I had to leave … the owl was not finished. Oh yes … the crowds are gone from Sax-Zim. I saw only one other birder / car during the three hours I was at the Bog.

The treat over at the Bog was finding a lone Snow Bunting. These small finches are impossible to approach when in flocks, but when they are by themselves one may approach within yards.

Owl Nest Failure

Year 12

Unfortunately I will not be blogging about the Amity Owls this spring. While the pair hooted their love starting in September, and nest on February 5th, over the past few days I am not able to find either Les or Amy (Mom and Dad Great Horned Owl). This was the 7th year I found their nest in the dead of winter by hiking long after sunset and triangulating the hoot. Over the past two days the nest is empty, and I can not find Poppa Owl in any of his hiding spots. Another give away is the crows have stopped harassing the father. The owlets were due to hatch in a little over one week.

Amy (taken a few days ago)

Les (taken one week ago … guarding)

Sparky Stensaas Visits the Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders

Year 12

Sparky, who is both a friend and and the Executive Director of the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog visited my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders a few days ago. Sparky has has a video series named “Shooting with Sparky”. While a large number of his videos focus upon Minnesota birding, he has both visited and documented birding excursions from the Rio Grande River to Hudson’s Bay. (Links to Sparky’s Blog  and YouTube Channel)

His latest effort was a late winter birding trip into the Superior National Forest, which included a stop at my very remote feeders. Folks should watch his latest video (video link for email subscribers)

While I didn’t cross paths with Sparky at my feeders, I’ve also went up to Greenwood a few days ago. While it may seem like Spring because of the warm weather in the rest of Minnesota, deep in the boreal forest of northeastern Minnesota winter still rules! Here are some photographs I took of Common Redpolls. While my feeders were only a few feet away from these small finches which were working their way back north into Canada, the birds chose ignore my feeders and feast upon natural food that was becoming plentiful on the forest floor due to melting snow.

Common Redpolls (last image is a female)

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

In closing I think most folks know I have been a volunteer at Sax-Zim Bog for over ten years. While many people may think of the Bog only as a birding area, the primary focus of the Friends organization has been habitat preservation and research. Under Sparky’s leadership the Friends organization has purchased and saved for future generations thousands of acres of critical habitat. The research insures we understand how to keep nature available for our children.

On a lighter note, I have actually known Sparky’s family for much longer than the time I have been a volunteer at Sax-Zim Bog. I first met Sparky’s parents through our mutual Lutheran church. His parents made sure I did not “mess up” when I volunteered / worked at our annual lutefisk dinner!!! In addition Sparky’s Mom, Connie, always made certain my children got first chance to watch any new VeggieTales video that arrived in the church library. Uff Dah … who needs birds to define a friendship when one already has a relationship built upon children’s videos and lutefisk?!