Birded Sax-Zim Bog today. The gentleman I was showing around traveled from New Mexico in hopes of seeing some of the northern specialties, and we were treated to three species of owls, plus many other boreal birds. Had one Black-billed Magpie this afternoon. Cool tidbit - Sax-Zim Bog is the easternmost breeding population of Black-billed Magpies in North America.
He mentioned that the Black-capped Chickadees were much "crisper" and higher-contrast, than the Black-capped Chickadees back home for him. I find it interesting to hear about geographical variance, and noting subtle differences within the same species from different regions. Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk Owl and Great Gray Owl were the three species of owl seen in the bog today. Boreal Chickadee, Pine Grosbeak and others were seen today. Here is a picture of a Northern Hawk Owl and Gray Jay, acting a little "off" after the Gray Jay had mobbed the owl. A Snowy Owl was also found as we were arriving back in Duluth tonight. eBird list & photos from today's visit to the bog, are below: Gray Jay and Northern Hawk Owl, looking confused after some corvid-owl mobbing http://www.pbase.com/image/154226587 Two distant owls (Snowy Owl & Northern Hawk Owl) http://www.pbase.com/image/154226590 eBird list from today http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S16489041 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
