Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Bog Bluebirds!

Year 11,

This post will begin a series of entries to my blog about “Grassland Birds”! It is time to get out in the countryside and enjoy summer, the grassland birds, and explosion of colors. The Black-Eyed Susans are starting to blossom, and the grassland birds are having their young. Nature is providing a feast for the eyes.

With respect to the Black-Eyed Susans I have two favorite spots both of which should be visited early in the morning. The first is just south of Sax-Zim Bog. MacArthur Road which is just west of the Cloquet River Bridge on County 8 already has flowers in full bloom. Here are the Google Maps GPS Coordinates for the turn onto MacArthur Road (County #868) off County #8. I love this dirt road for its varied habitat … forest, farms and wetlands. While the Black-Eyed Susans are in full bloom on MacArthur Road, soon my focus on these flowers will shift to near Gowan, Minnesota (just east of Floodwood). Visit very early in the morning when the skies are clear, but ground fog is present. There are thousands and thousands of Black-Eyed Susans along the pipeline right of way. The pipeline company obviously planted the flowers. Here is a post from last summer which will help you understand why an early morning trip should be in your plans.

Did I mention Sax-Zim Bog Bluebirds? Yup! In over 10 years as a volunteer naturalist in the Bog I have never seen bluebirds, until this week. My apologies that the images aren’t as good as I would like. The bluebirds forced me to photograph them while looking directly into the sun … lousy for photographs.

If you decide to cruise the backroads both for wild flowers and birds, pay attention to any freshly mowed hay (and hay bales). Birds understand that freshly mowed hay means easier eating. Bugs find it now much harder to hide in the tall grasses, as the grasses are no longer tall! In addition to hay bales, check out cows! Bessie can provide a nice bug hunting platform for birds seeking bugs. Although the birds in these images aren’t very exotic (starlings), I enjoyed their hunting activity!

Bluebirds in the Bog (Just north of Dart Road on Cty. #201 area)

Cow Hunting Platforms for Starlings

Birding Updates

Year 11, , ,

Some quick birding updates …

  1. The large pine blocking USFS Road #813 (Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders) has been cleared … a combination of my efforts and the forest service
  2. The trailcam at the Greenwood Creek Bog photographed some timber wolves. I have again slightly shifted the camera’s location as I better learn the preferred game trails.
  3. The Lester / Amity Owl family is doing fine. A few mornings ago I found all four owls, even Poppa (he tends to be harder to find). Some recent pics of the owl family included below.
  4. I took photos of the Lakewood Elementary School Wetlands. They are posted below, and will also be added to the post describing that birding location. See my Northeastern Minnesota Birding Locations web page.
  5. The Grassland Birds are busy trying to find mates. This is a good birding excursion, and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom (see images bellow of Bobolink and Killdeers recently seen at Sax-Zim)
  6. Believe it or not, the Red-Headed Woodpecker is still hanging out at the Park Point Recreation Area. Red focuses upon the flowering fruit trees just off the parking lot (next to road).

All images taken within the past seven days on various birding excursions …

Lakewood Elementary School Wetlands

Standing in the middle of the bridge … pics show both directions

Grassland Birds of Sax-Zim (Bobolinks and Killdeer)

Note: I obviously stumbled upon / got near a nest (broken wing display)

Red!

The Lester / Amity Owls (Momma and Owlets)

Day 65: (Momma winks, Owlet learning to hunt

Day 67: Poppa pulls the crows away

Day 69: Owlet being harassed by Robins

Day 70: Various events!

Day 71: Momma taking a break in the afternoon

Birding the Color Yellow!

Year 11

I did not start out yesterday morning to find yellow while birding, but heck … yellow found me. At this time of year, I very frequently start looking for grassland birds, if Boreal Birds up in Sax-Zim Bog are not performing for me, and they were not! Make certain you see my map at the end of the post. It defines the small area in which I was birding, and what I normally see / hear in the region.

A Sandhill Crane Couple seen in a sea of (??) wild mustard.

An Eastern Meadowlark Singing to find a Mate

Map of my Birding Region (descriptions of 3 regions beneath map)

  • Region 1 – Wild Mustard Field: The Sandhill Cranes like this field, and I often see various hawks perched on the edge of the field hunting.
  • Region 2 – Racek Road: Bobolinks and Dickcissels are my favorite finds. You will find other grassland birds. In the morning I drive from the east with the sun behind me.
  • Region 3 – Dart Road: Eastern Meadowlarks and Bobolinks. Sometimes I see Northern Harriers hunting the fields … mainly after their young have hatched.

There are obviously other Sax-Zim areas where one might see these birds , but these regions are very close together and easily birded. From Owl Avenue to the Mustard Field, look for warblers on the north side of the road. If the bugs are not to0 bad, I hike the trail next to the drainage ditch leading to the west at the southern most point (90 degree turn) of Owl Avenue (land owned by the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog)