Despite some dire-sounding forecasts, weather was delightful in the Sax-Zim Bog area, and so were the birds. Some of our party of 6 were relative neophytes to Bog-birding and not able to do the Festival, so it was great fun that they achieved several life-birds among them.
Along CR 133, there were Ruffed Grouse doing foraging high in aspen, a pair of N. Shrike traveling through, and a busy Pileated Woodpecker. At the Blue Spruce Feeders we enjoyed a mixed horde of Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, and one frustratingly fast, possible Hoary Redpoll, who grabbed everyone's attention, but wouldn't stay long enough to confirm to our satisfaction. On Little Whiteface Road, the feeders were also busy, with Chickadees, Goldfinches, and Redpolls; usually White-breasted Nuthatches are found there, but we didn't stay long enough to see one this time. We stopped to view an old Magpie nest before visiting the Owl Avenue feeders. They were hosting BC Chickadees, C. Redpolls, P. Grosbeaks, Downies and Hairies, but held a less common visitor: a Brown Creeper, on the trunk of the conifer that has hanging feeders. Unfortunately, it seems that squirrels had chewed through the ropes hanging two of the feeders there, which were on the ground, and emptied. We re-filled and re-hung them. There were no problems on Stickney Road. The Admiral Road feeders were delightfully busy as usual, and treated us to Redpolls, Gray Jays, Red-breasted Nuthatches, and Boreal Chickadees. Though we visited both the former and the newer Sharp-tailed Grouse leks, we found no grouse there. However, there was a small flock of Snow Buntings on the old lek, just south of Dart Road. There was also a fly-by of Magpies on the east end of Arkola. Our owl searches were mostly unsuccessful. The Kolu Hawk Owl was a no-show. We checked 133 both early and late, to no avail. We did a hike-in to the Great Gray site off McDavitt in the early afternoon, but had not time to return at dusk. We did, however, get killer roadside looks at a Barred on the hunt just off hwy 7. When we hiked in on the Great-Gray search, we met up with a party of four seeking a Black-backed Woodpecker they'd heard there in the morning--don't know the outcome of their efforts, but we heard none on our brief foray into the woods there. The newest feeder area, east of hwy 7 on Kelsey-Whiteface Road, was another highlight. The Magpies were just vacating when we arrived, so we got closer looks at those than at the earlier ones. The extensive feeders there had many Chickadees, Redpolls, Pine Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches (possibly White-breasted here, too, by the sound), Bluejays, Goldfinches, Hairies, and Downies. We were fortunate enough to meet one of the land-owners, Loretta (husband Mark) who are creating and extending this station, with plans to maintain habitat for the birds. They have recently come to understand the unique treasure of their environment, and Loretta greatly appreciates knowing that birders do so, also. She mentioned that they had Evening Grosbeaks there in the warmer months---something to remember! Linda Whyte ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
