After the Crex photo club meeting last Saturday, 4 of us went on an overnight birding trip to Sax Zim Bog in Minnesota. We were fortunate to see (5) Northern Hawk Owls and a female Black-backed Woodpecker but the Boreal Chickadees and Great Gray Owls eluded us. The Northern Hawk Owl above was very patient with us and seemed just as curious of us as we were of it. I think it had to cross it's eyes to look down at us.
There are 3 feeders set up in the area and each feeder station had a deer carcass nearby with a platform feeder filled with sunflower seeds. Kim Dauer, LouAnn Wheeler and John Menge are setting up for photos at the feeder located on Owl Avenue. We saw a large flock of Ravens, Red-breasted Nuthatches and Black-capped Chickadees at this feeder plus a little Red Squirrel that made itself at home smack dab in the middle of the feeder.
We spent the night in Hibbing and left the next morning at sunrise to continue our quest. (Now anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a morning person!)
Eagle-eye Kim spotted this female Black-backed Woodpecker stripping the bark away from this tree. A lifer for me.
This feeding platform provided us with a great opportunity to view colorful Pine Grosbeaks and Gray Jays close up.
3 area residents have set up bird feeding stations in or near their yards and these were filled with Pine Siskins, Redpolls and many other birds. Now we know where all the Pine Siskins and Redpolls are that are missing at our local feeders. They stayed up north this winter.
We plan on taking more field trips like this in the future. We all had such a great time.
Kathy J.
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