Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Caution! Whirlpool Ahead! Wilson’s Phalaropes

Year 8

May and June are a great time for birding in northern Minnesota. Migration is in full force in May, and then birds are singing out as they define territories and find mates. Yesterday I had a fantastic experience when I found a small flock of Wilson’s Phalaropes. These birds were migrating north, and it was only the second time in my life I had ever seen such a bird. They do not inhabit the Boreal Forest where I live, but a drive over to Meadowlands (only 35 miles) and hanging out amongst the farms and meadows just south of the Bog yielded this fantastic sighting.

Why whirlpools? Because this bird is darn smart! If one spins in a tight circle fast enough it creates a small whirlpool which sucks bugs up to the surface of the water to be gobbled up.  Here are two videos of whirlpool eating (video links for email subscribers … video 1 and video 2).

Interestingly enough, the female is the much prettier bird of this species. She mates with multiple males during a breeding season, but then has nothing to do with incubating or feeding … not much of a motherly instinct!

Wilson’s Phalaropes

The less colorful male …

Part of the flock with two Semipalmated-Plovers

Female Swimming by herself

Birding Cross-Country Knicker Socks

There were lots of requests to see me wearing my knee socks. As promised, here I am! If you would like to find knicker socks, I have purchased mine from this company (red is my favorite color for skiing). If you want to see more options, search via Google for the words “trachten” and “socks”.

Sax-Zim Bog in the Spring and Summer

Year 8

Yesterday I spent six hours in the Bog, leaving well before 6 am. Visiting Sax-Zim in the winter is very popular, but the Spring and Summer should be on birder’s “to do list. The Bog generates bugs which means lots of warblers, including the rare Connecticut Warbler. With some bug repellant, or restricting your visits to walking back roads, the mosquitoes are not too bad.

Great Grays Owls are busy feeding before sunset and after sunrise given they have hungry young mouths to feed. If you can find a cloudy (even foggy) day without rain, one may even see the owls out in the middle of the day (personal experience).

Regardless, it was a great time at the Bog yesterday. I found a Belted Kingfisher nest hole where I may stay concealed, but close. It will be fun in a little over a month when the babies hatch. The parents were courting yesterday morning.

Approaching at the Nest Hole

Leaving the Nest Hole

Great Grey Owl hunting after sunrise

Black-Backed Woodpecker!

Year 8,

There are certain Boreal birds one will never attract to a feeder, and the Black-Backed Woodpecker is one of those species. Winter is the best time of year to find a Black-Backed because it is easier to hike through the frozen forest, and there are no mosquitoes. I had been skunked in all my prior attempts to see this kind of woodpecker this year, but today I was successful. Hiking through the forest with frequent stops to listed pointed me in the proper direction. Black-Backed Woodpeckers tend to have a syncopated sound. These birds flake bark off old and diseased Tamarack Pines … with frequent stops to investigate and eat.

Upon arriving home, I found two birds which insisted on getting their picture taken. The Pileated Woodpecker was drilling on one of my yards hollow limbs. As I have already seen the happy couple together, at this point he is warning off other Pileateds and defining his territory. The female Cardinal seemed to be upset with having her photograph taken!