--part1_156.4445c295.2ecceaae_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Now that I'm not bleary-eyed-- What an Amazing Adventure on a foggy Tuesday in the Bog yesterday! The trip up and the environs also produced great birds. I remember first hearing about the Sax/Zim Bog while living in Massachusetts years ago. I thought it was someone's name: Sax Zimbog. Well, strange name or not, it's an amazing place for birds. Saw In Sax/Zim-- Great Gray Owl: 7 Northern Hawk Owl: 4 Boreal Owl: 1 (on private property, taken by the owner to his shed, where he was "letting it stay") Evening Grosbeak: 5 Common Redpoll: 15+ Hoary Redpoll: 1 White-winged Crossbill: 3 American Three-toed Woodpecker: 1 (20 ft. w of the railroad tracks on Kolu St. just West of Admiral Rd.--where Admiral jogs to the left. Very rare in Minn.) Black-backed Woodpecker: 3 Gray Jay: 7 Pine Grosbeak: 7 Red-breasted Nuthatch: 3 White-breasted Nuthatch: 4 Boreal Chickadee: 2 (and many Black-capped) Trumpeter Swan: 3 (on Stone Lake) Golden-crowned Kinglet: 5 Rough-legged Hawk: 8, incl. 1 dark morph Snow Bunting: flock of 25-30 at sod farms Ruffed Grouse: 2 Northern Harrier: 1 (female) many Raven--a treat for me; SD has none--no matter the many reports, w/one exception from last summer--a possible. Our fearless leader calls crows "Not Ravens" in the Black HIlls so many think they see them. Seen around Duluth and North Shore area, Snowy Owl: 1 (private property--off Lakewood Road ) Being loquacious has rewards on occasion. The bartender at the hotel we stayed at and I got to talking about owls and he said a buddy, his wife and her mother wanted to kill an owl that had eaten her cat. Oh, well, what idiots I thought. He said it just sat in their back yard and stared and it was pure white. One of the few birds which would be hard to mistake--even by amateurs I thought. Long/short--he took me up to Lakewood Rd. somewhere (I don't know Duluth). There was indeed an adult female Snowy Owl in their large back lot. C Goldeneye WW Scoter (probably others--but difficult light at the time I was there) Pileated Woodpecker Red-breasted Merganser (a question: baby eagles are eaglets. baby ducks are ducklings, baby swans are cygnets--what are baby mergansers called? I can't find anyone who knows the answer. Not that it's important.) The only target species I missed were Bohemian Waxwing (saw no waxwings at all), Red Crossbill, Purple Finch and Long-tailed Duck. Best birding numbers in the Bog? ZERO for European Starling, House Sparrow and Rock Pigeon!! A world class birding spot. I hope it's future is protected well. On the way home saw 2 Great Horned Owls in flight, 1 near St. Cloud; the other near Willmar. As far as my write-up for the food magazine. I liked Cassidy's in Hinckley pretty well--too much canned stuff but still better than corporate board nouvelle cuisine (raspberry vinegar reduction of escargot stuffed ribeye steak, etc.). Cassidy's had many different dishes/uses for wild rice which were thoughtful, delicious and unusual. [I enjoyed seeing the wild rice growing at Stone Lake.] Scenic Cafe was okay, but trends in food are towards more fresh ingredients home-spun items. Sort of like when Bloomingdale's created a fire-storm when they put creamed peas and mashed potatoes on the menu 20 years ago (they were great--not my (your?) grandmother's canned/whipped versions). People's idea of gourmet before that was that it had to have a name they couldn't pronounce or didn't know. "Pfui!" as Nero Wolfe would say. A good, solid Virginia Ham sandwich on homemade farmer bread lightly spread w/really fresh butter and a slice of LOCAL sweet onion beats so much corporate board yuppie stuff. I was not impressed w/the food at Black Woods: though it was a fun place. We had coconut shrimp and a Margharita Pizza. It's obviously more about the conviviality of the experience of dining (now there's a mouthful) and not the food. People should demand both. Good Birding! Doug Chapman Sioux Falls, SD --part1_156.4445c295.2ecceaae_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Gen= eva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2">Now that I'm not bleary-eyed--<BR> <BR> What an Amazing Adventure on a foggy Tuesday in the Bog yesterday! The trip=20= up and the environs also produced great birds.<BR> <BR> I remember first hearing about the Sax/Zim Bog while living in Massachusetts= years ago. I thought it was someone's name: Sax Zimbog. Well, strange name=20= or not, it's an amazing place for birds.<BR> <BR> Saw In Sax/Zim--<BR> Great Gray Owl: 7<BR> Northern Hawk Owl: 4<BR> Boreal Owl: 1 (on private property, taken by the owner to his shed, where he= was "letting it stay")<BR> Evening Grosbeak: 5<BR> Common Redpoll: 15+<BR> Hoary Redpoll: 1<BR> White-winged Crossbill: 3<BR> American Three-toed Woodpecker: 1 (20 ft. w of the railroad tracks on Kolu S= t. just West of Admiral Rd.--where Admiral jogs to the left. Very rare in Mi= nn.)<BR> Black-backed Woodpecker: 3<BR> Gray Jay: 7<BR> Pine Grosbeak: 7<BR> Red-breasted Nuthatch: 3<BR> White-breasted Nuthatch: 4<BR> Boreal Chickadee: 2 (and many Black-capped)<BR> Trumpeter Swan: 3 (on Stone Lake)<BR> Golden-crowned Kinglet: 5<BR> Rough-legged Hawk: 8, incl. 1 dark morph<BR> Snow Bunting: flock of 25-30 at sod farms<BR> Ruffed Grouse: 2<BR> Northern Harrier: 1 (female)<BR> many Raven--a treat for me; SD has none--no matter the many reports, w/one e= xception from last summer--a possible. Our fearless leader calls crows "Not=20= Ravens" in the Black HIlls so many think they see them.<BR> <BR> Seen around Duluth and North Shore area,<BR> <BR> Snowy Owl: 1 (private property--off Lakewood Road ) </FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#0= 00000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"> Being loquacious has= rewards on occasion. The bartender at the hotel we stayed at and I got to t= alking about owls and he said a buddy, his wife and her mother wanted to kil= l an owl that had eaten her cat. Oh, well, what idiots I thought. He said it= just sat in their back yard and stared and it was pure white. One of the fe= w birds which would be hard to mistake--even by amateurs I thought. Long/sho= rt--he took me up to Lakewood Rd. somewhere (I don't know Duluth). There was= indeed an adult female Snowy Owl in their large back lot.</FONT><FONT COLOR= =3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" SIZE=3D"2"><BR> C Goldeneye<BR> WW Scoter (probably others--but difficult light at the time I was there)<BR> Pileated Woodpecker<BR> Red-breasted Merganser (a question: baby eagles are eaglets. baby ducks are=20= ducklings, baby swans are cygnets--what are baby mergansers called? I can't=20= find anyone who knows the answer. Not that it's important.)<BR> The only target species I missed were Bohemian Waxwing (saw no waxwings at a= ll), Red Crossbill, Purple Finch and Long-tailed Duck.<BR> <BR> Best birding numbers in the Bog? ZERO for European Starling, House Sparrow a= nd Rock Pigeon!!<BR> <BR> A world class birding spot. I hope it's future is protected well.<BR> <BR> On the way home saw 2 Great Horned Owls in flight, 1 near St. Cloud; the oth= er near Willmar.<BR> <BR> As far as my write-up for the food magazine. I liked Cassidy's in Hinckley p= retty well--too much canned stuff but still better than corporate board nouv= elle cuisine (raspberry vinegar reduction of escargot stuffed ribeye steak,=20= etc.). Cassidy's had many different dishes/uses for wild rice which were tho= ughtful, delicious and unusual. [I enjoyed seeing the wild rice growing at S= tone Lake.] Scenic Cafe was okay, but trends in food are towards more fresh=20= ingredients home-spun items. Sort of like when Bloomingdale's created a fire= -storm when they put creamed peas and mashed potatoes on the menu 20 years a= go (they were great--not my (your?) grandmother's canned/whipped versions).=20= People's idea of gourmet before that was that it had to have a name they cou= ldn't pronounce or didn't know. "Pfui!" as Nero Wolfe would say. A good, sol= id Virginia Ham sandwich on homemade farmer bread lightly spread w/really fr= esh butter and a slice of LOCAL sweet onion beats so much corporate board yu= ppie stuff. I was not impressed w/the food at Black Woods: though it was a f= un place. We had coconut shrimp and a Margharita Pizza. It's obviously more=20= about the conviviality of the experience of dining (now there's a mouthful)=20= and not the food. People should demand both.<BR> <BR> Good Birding!<BR> <BR> Doug Chapman<BR> Sioux Falls, SD</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" FACE=3D"Geneva" FAMILY=3D"SANS= SERIF" SIZE=3D"2"></FONT></HTML> --part1_156.4445c295.2ecceaae_boundary--
