Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Ash Seeds Served!

Year 9

Unlike last winter, there is a bumper crops of mountain ash berries, pygmy crab apples and ash tree seeds. Pine Grosbeaks are around the Northland in significant numbers, but not visiting feeders much due to all the natural food. I find the best time of day to find lots of Pine Grosbeaks is around “9 ish” in the morning. Both the Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls will “grit up”, and then you can inspect what is on the menu that morning. I saw these birds two mornings ago.

Pine Grosbeak Eating Ash Seeds

Bohemian Waxwings on Nichols Lake Road

Ruffed Grouse

Pine Grosbeak Eating Ash Seeds (video link for email subscribers)

Sax-Zim Bog Raptors!

Year 9

I just had two delightful birding excursions at Sax-Zim Bog. I decided that given that our native Great Gray Owls are “no shows” other than at sunrise and sunset on Admiral and McDavitt, I have focused my birding efforts elsewhere. This morning my drive over to the Bog was drop dead gorgeous … crisp clear skies (-7F) with the setting full moon filling my field of vision. I arrived right at sunrise, and took this photograph of the full moon setting over the Bog.

Shortly thereafter I found a most cooperative Rough-Legged Hawk. Normally these hawks spook very easily, but this individual was very willing to hang out with me.

The Bald Eagles seemed to be jealous of all my efforts with the hawk, and posed very nicely as well for me!

Bald Eagle #1

Bald Eagle #2

I will have another post dedicated to all the songbirds I saw, but for the moment this Canada Jay / Gray Jay will be the teaser.

Pine Siskin and Friends

Year 9,

A quick winter birding report for NE Minnesota including Sax-Zim Bog. The promised eruption of winter finches is reality. At this time, most of the grosbeaks, redpolls, and other finches are north of the Duluth area. There is a nice sized flock of Evening Grosbeaks using the Sax-Zim Bog bird feeders. As always the best time to see these “yellow birds” is shortly after sunrise. Most of the other finches are not yet using feeders as there is plenty of natural food in the woods. However, the magic hour to easily find them on backroads “gritting up” seems to be around 8:45 to 9:00 am.

Unfortunately the number of raptors, such as our native Great Gray Owls, and migrating into the area Rough-Legged Hawks are way down. I am beginning to believe our local owls did not have a good year breeding. Some of the other raptor populations may have been affected by avian flu (i.e. preyed upon infected ducks). Hawk Ridge had one of its lowest season totals in terms of “banded birds”. Finally, Snowy Owls have not yet appears in the Twin Ports. Hopefully the latter part of December and early January will bring some Canadian owls down to our area. Time will tell, but numbers and sightings are sparse.

This morning I found this Pine Siskin hanging out with a Goldfinch Flock.

In addition, this Bald Eagle was eating moose. I don’t often find moose carcasses, and will have to revisit the scene of the crime. Moose are a lot bigger than deer, and often attract wolves, bobcat and lynx, but I need to go close to sundown.