Yesterday I took showed 15 Minnesota birdwatchers around Sax-Zim Bog (on the M.O.U. trip). The day started out on a high note, and kept on getting better as the day progressed!
We met at Canal Park here in Duluth, and saw Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls (yes, I am excited to see these little guys return in numbers), as well as some distant Common Mergansers. Just before leaving the parking lot and heading out to the bog, we had two Canada Geese fly by with one other, slightly smaller goose. One single GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen with the two Canada Geese. It brought back memories of prairies this time of year :-) Before showing the trip list (below), I also wanted to mention that we got to observe one of the Northern Hawk Owls with simply gorgeous lighting; the sun was getting slightly low in the sky, and everything was illuminated with a cast of golden orange (the lichens on the rotted-out black spruce trees, Northern Hawk Owl, and the still-living deep-green black spruce). The contrast with the rich sky blue background was just great. Throughout the day, we saw many Rough-legged Hawks, Bald Eagles, Northern Harriers which are making more regular/common appearances throughout the bog, one male American Kestrel and a first of the year (for me) TURKEY VULTURE. Our day ended by taking a walk in the bog in the evening, and special thanks to a passer-by who told me of a Short-eared Owl that was seen in a field nearby... we got to not only see distant but confirming views of this moth-flapping Short-eared Owl, but on the walk back, heard a distant Great Gray Owl. As a whole, the day was filled with non-stop highlights! Below are the birds observed yesterday, followed by some pictures for you to enjoy! I got even got some pictures of a Northern Hawk Owl carrying off a Red-backed Vole :-) Oh and I almost forgot to mention... we saw 2 Northern Harriers doing loop-de-loops high up in the sky, and this free-flying behavior is a courtship display. Canada Geese GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE Common Merganser Ruffed Grouse Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull SHORT-EARED OWL Northern Hawk Owl Great Gray Owl Pileated Woodpecker Blue Jay Gray Jay Black-billed Magpie American Crow Common Raven Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee (brief look at this little guy) Red-Breasted nuthatch Northern Shrike Pine Siskins (only heard) Common Redpolls Black-billed Magpie taking off: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463401 Gray Jay: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463405 Black-capped Chickadee: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463404 Northern Hawk Owl (these photos are in the order which they were taken, from being relaxed, to preening, itch on the face, diving, and coming up with a catch!) http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463406 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463411 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463415 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463418 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463409 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463407 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463422 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463420 (close up with vole in mouth) Turkey Vulture: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463429 Unique Common Raven: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133463427 Good birdwatching, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN -- *NATURALLY AVIAN* - Bird photography and guided birdwatching tours www.pbase.com/birdfedr www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com [email protected] ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
