Today I led a trip to Sax-Zim Bog, and had some very fun finds while visiting much of the northern half of the bog, as well as the awesome Friends of Sax-Zim Bog bird feeders.
Our day started out with two Boreal Chickadees at sunrise, followed by stellar looks at a juvenile Northern Goshawk when the sun was still low in the sky. As the day progressed, we found a flock of four Boreal Chickadees roaming the spruce/tamarack woods, two Northern Hawk Owls, an adult Bald Eagle, Gray Jays, Pine Grosbeaks (at Friends of Sax-Zim Bog birdfeeders) and other cool birds. Our day ended by watching a Great Gray Owl successfully hunt through the snow, near civil twilight. Watched the bird for nearly 20 minutes. Witnessed the bird hover, stoop down, carry the rodent off and swallow it whole! It them flew gracefully over the road several additional times. http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16302547 This is a smartphone image of the Great Gray Owl hunting spot, where the owl dove into the snow and caught the rodent. You can see the owl foot prints! It was too cool. http://www.pbase.com/image/154068875 Evening Grosbeak http://www.pbase.com/image/154068855 Great Gray Owl http://www.pbase.com/image/154068856 Northern Hawk Owl http://www.pbase.com/image/154068857 Good birding, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN -- *NATURALLY AVIAN* - Birding Tours and Bird Photography [email protected] (e-mail) www.naturallyavian.com (birding tours) www.pbase.com/birdfedr (photos) www.facebook.com/NaturallyAvian (facebook) ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
