SAX-ZIM CBC Monday December 18, 2017 Mild temps and a near-record number of participants enabled us to tally 37 species…which TIES OUR ALL-TIME SPECIES COUNT!
This was my 33rd year conducting the Christmas Bird Count in the Sax-Zim Bog. The center of the 15-mile diameter circle is at the junction of CR7 and CR52/Arkola. Highlights included 5 Great Gray Owls, 2 N Hawk Owl, 4 Wild Turkeys (a first for this count), 8 Boreal Chickadees (all in bog… NONE at the feeders on Admiral!), 2 Mourning Doves (only 3rd time on the count), SEVEN Black-backed Woodpeckers! (McDavitt, Admiral, Nichols Lake Rd), 18 Sharp-tailed Grouse (including 11 at feeders on CR29/229), 2 Northern Goshawk (flying over Owl Avenue), 2 Hoary Redpolls (at Welcome Center), and a Three-toed Woodpecker (1/4 mile bushwhack into a bog 1.1 miles west of US53 on south side of Nichols Lake Road). MISSES included Evening Grosbeak (Mary Lou’s feeders are not in the count circle :(), White-winged Crossbill (no cones…all in New England and eastern Canada), Also, Frank and Kim found a Snowy Owl along CR29/229 but alas, it was 3/4 mile outside the count circle. Big thanks to Sandy Roggenkamp, Bill Tefft, Martha, Susan Meisner, Sarah Beaster, Lori Williams, Clinton Nienhaus, Jessica Dexter, Dave Benson, Kim Eckert, Tony Hertzel, Pam Benson, Frank Nicoletti, Kristina Dexter, Tom & Carol Ann Bloom, compiler Sparky Stensaas, and Lars Benson. Tentative Totals of All species: 13 Bald Eagle 10 Rough-legged Hawk 2 Northern Goshawk 8 Ruffed Grouse 18 Sharp-tailed Grouse 4 Wild Turkey 5 Great Gray Owl 2 Northern Hawk Owl 8 Downy Woodpecker 14 Hairy Woodpecker 7 Pileated Woodpecker 7 Black-backed Woodpecker 1 Three-toed Woodpecker 102 Rock Pigeon 2 Mourning Dove 66 European Starling 11 Northern Shrike 58 American Crow 98 Common Raven 22 Gray Jay 22 Blue Jay 9 Black-billed Magpie 405 Black-capped Chickadee 8 Boreal Chickadee 24 Red-breasted Nuthatch 8 White-breasted Nuthatch 2 Golden-crowned Kinglet 1 Brown Creeper 6 Snow Bunting 60 House Sparrow 52 Pine Grosbeak 350 Common Redpoll 2 Hoary Redpoll 2 Purple Finch 8 Pine Siskin 2 American Goldfinch 12 Red Crossbill (Snowy Owl just outside the count circle) **NOTES ON OTHER BOG BIRDS At least 13 Great Gray Owls are being seen throughout the Bog…We assume these are all “locals,” resident birds that just pop out from the bogs in early morning and late afternoon to feed. Check all the usual roads….And roads marked for GGOW on the birding map found at www.saxzim.org Mary Lou’s feeders are still hosting a large flock of Evening Grosbeaks every morning. Clinton Nienhaus found a Lincoln’s Sparrow there a few weeks ago. Loretta’s feeders may be the best place to see Pine Grosbeaks right now. Many males at eye level! Welcome Center feeders has many redpolls including 2 Hoaries. Gray Jays are also coming to the suet. Check out the "Human Feeder" inside! Admiral Road feeders are stocked but no Boreal Chickadees there...yet! You'll have to pishhh your hear out along bog stretches to find them. Stone Lake Road is also out of the count circle, and Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Shrikes are often seen along this road. Please go to www.saxzim.org<http://www.saxzim.org> for upcoming events and field trips. Buy tickets for the January 21 Boreal Wings Gala at Springbrook Nature Center on our website shop Friends of Sax-Zim Bog<http://www.saxzim.org/> Protecting the SAX-ZIM BOG for future generations of birds & birders. www.saxzim.org Sparky Stensaas 2515 Garthus Road Wrenshall MN 55797 218.341.3350 sparkystens...@hotmail.com www.ThePhotoNaturalist.com www.KollathStensaas.com www.SaxZim.org ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
