I haven't been able to bird much this winter so brother Donn and I ventured north to Sax-Zim for a couple of half days to relieve acute cabin fever. Overall bird #s were the lowest I've ever seen, but we managed many of the specialties of the area. See below. Highlights: scoped views of a perched adult Goshawk on Stone Lake Rd.; vocalizing pair of Northern Hawk Owls being harassed by ravens at the McDavitt woodpecker site; the easiest Black-backed Woodpeckers we've ever found (and the most Hairy's (!) at the McDavitt site; video of Great-gray Owl watching group of 7 Ruffed Grouse feeding in small willow only 40 m away (thanks S. Schumacher for owl tip); a classic clean and frosty Hoary Redpoll at Little Whiteface Rd feeders.
Trying to figure out how to get the video ( .mov extension) loaded on MOU Gallery. SPECIES SEEN >From 3/3/2011 to 3/4/2011 26 species HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk - 2 (adult perhced, imm. in flight) Rough-legged Hawk - 12 GROUSE, PTARMIGAN, PRAIRIE-CHICKENS Ruffed Grouse - 8, 7 in one feeding group 40 m from watching Great-gray Owl !) OWLS Barred Owl - Hi 65, Aitkin Great Gray Owl - 1, CR 133 Northern Hawk Owl - 3, Pair at McDavitt woodpecker site, vocal and very active WOODPECKERS Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker - 3, McDavitt (male, 2 fem) CHICKADEES AND TITS Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee - Admiral Rd NUTHATCHES Red-breasted Nuthatch White-breasted Nuthatch SHRIKES Northern Shrike - 3 CROWS AND JAYS Gray Jay Blue Jay Black-billed Magpie - 2 American Crow Common Raven STARLINGS European Starling FINCHES, SISKINS, CROSSBILLS Pine Grosbeak Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll - 2, a classic "10" at Abramson feeder (Little Whiteface Rd); a "7" at Morse feeder (Blue Spruce) Pine Siskin OLD WORLD SPARROWS House Sparrow Jim Eagan ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
