Northern MN Birding: Sunday January 8th 2017

After three remarkable days there was one target bird remaining for our return trip to Kansas City on Sunday. It was the previously reported Slaty-Backed Gull in Des Moines. This is a bird I potentially saw a week earlier with my wife and kids, but it was too far away to tell for certain and never spread it's wings while we were watching.  I wanted another chance at this vagrant.  

Before we got too far into our drive we saw a couple of Rough-legged Hawks. One of these birds was a dark adult male. Below are some photo of Rough-Legged Hawks I saw over the Christmas break. The dark male on the left hand side was the same bird we saw on Sunday.

By midday we read a report of a Brambling in Nebraska. Unfortunately it was too far to arrive before dark and we continued as planned. Two days later we would drive to Nebraska only to arrive at the house five minutes after it was last seen. Back in Des Moines we stopped at the locations the Slaty-Backed Gull had previously been reported around Saylorville Lake. At the fourth stop we finally found gulls, but there were only a few there. None of the gulls were Black-backed but I grabbed the scope none-the-less and focused on each bird. One stood out from the handful of Herring Gulls and Ring-billed Gulls. It was an adult California Gull! While this bird is common further west, it is tough to find in the Midwest. My hopes were so high that the rare bird did not compare to the hopeful vagrant and I failed to take any pictures of it. Alas it wasn't even a bittersweet consolation for dipping on the Slaty-Backed Gull again. 

Even with the last day miss the trip was absolutely amazing. During the massive road-tour Jennifer added 13 lifers, Micky 10, and I added one! Below is a complete list of species and the daily number of birds of that species seen on the trip.

Fortunately planning the trip was not as challenging as visiting an area for the first time since I've been on these roads and searched the areas multiple years before. Realistically anyone could search recent reports on eBird, the MOUNet Listserv, and Facebook groups to have a decent idea of where to start looking for their target species. Volunteers at the Bog Welcome center are amazingly kind and often share recent information for visitors. 

If I've learned anything from the past three years of showing KC birders around northern Minnesota it is to make sure everyone has cold-weather clothing. We were fortunate to see all the species we did from the comfort of a vehicle this year. It is nice to have a reliable car and being prepared for the worse case scenario. Respect private property and remember that others call these areas home. Don't be a bad steward of the land, block the road, or represent birders as anything other than grateful guests. While I could give driving suggestions for snow packed icy roads, I suspect no matter what I write here won't change your tendencies anyways. Instead make sure to add AAA, your insurance, and tow-company contacts to your phone as you may be lucky enough to have coverage if something happens.  Good birding.

Northern MN Birding: Saturday January 7th 2017

After a successful Thursday at Sax-Zim Bog and Friday in Lake County we had a few misses from our target list.  We had missed Sharp-tailed Grouse Thursday, Black-backed Woodpecker both days, and dipped on the Golden-Crowned Sparrow in Duluth on Friday. With reports from Friday of Northern Hawk Owl we decided on three targets for Saturday: Golden-crowned Sparrow, Sharp-tailed Grouse, and Northern Hawk Owl. We knew the plan would require quite a lot of driving for the odd mix of species, but it was the best chance to get as much as possible with the last remaining day in case this trip was not one that would be repeated in the near future for either Jennifer or Micky.

We checked out of the hotel bright and early and started the morning before first light at the Golden-crowned Sparrow stakeout. Shortly after 7:20 am the bird appeared with two Dark-eyed Juncos! It was quite dark and we could barely see any field-marks, but the golden crown between the top of the head and the bill of the adult bird was visible!  It was not great views and too dark for photos, but it was enough to be identified. 

Three grouse species in three days: Ruffed, Spruce, and Sharp-Tailed!

From there we headed northwest to Sax-Zim Bog with hopes of finding Sharp-tailed Grouse. We drove directly to the lek and as luck would have it, we saw three of them out in the field! Two target birds with almost no time spent searching for them, it would be one of those days! 

More Ruffed Grouse and Pine Grosbeaks were seen along our drive, but with the amazing speed at which we found our first two target birds we quickly headed further northwest with hopes of finding a Northern Hawk Owl. 

Not the Hoary Redpoll we saw, 
but it is similar in appearance.

The Northern Haw is an

awesome looking species!

We passed Grand Rapids on the way and stopped for a Curve-Billed Thrasher. This species is regular in Kansas but quite tough in Minnesota. We had no intention of spending much time for this species, and left before it was refound. Fortunately the Minnesota birders found it a half an hour after our departure. I said hi to the ones I recognized and met a few new faces, but we had another species in mind. 

We drove to Washkish Minnesota and grabbed lunch from the convenience store. It was full of people going to Red Lake for icefishing, which was evidenced by the small town that we could see out on the ice as we drove by.

In the middle of the road were large flocks of Pine Siskins with a few Redpolls mixed in.  As we stopped along the busy road we watched the flock, which was too slow to fly away with each passing car. A Siskin was hit by each car we watched. In the carnage we also noticed a white fluff-ball mixed in the flock. It was a male Hoary Redpoll with. It really stood out from the other hundred birds! While this species may be lumped together with Common Redpoll in the near future, it was an unexpected lifer for the trip. With fewer Redpolls seen this winter, I figured we would miss it.

Shortly after we found a Northern Hawk Owl along Highway 72. I was actually talking on the phone with Christine when we spotted the bird. I could hear here say, "You must have spotted your bird", but only faintly as my phone was somewhere on the floor. It was the second time I reacted to a bird and dropped/put-down the phone with her on the other end. Thankfully she is amazingly understanding and was not mad when I called back. We had been searching at a slower pace for only 15 minutes when the bird was spotted. With amazing luck, we had seen all three target species by early afternoon!  

This is my only action shot that was in focus, taken shortly after the bird flew from one perch to another.

With plans of staying in central Minnesota at my parents we made a quick decision to head further west in search of Gray Partridge. We had been prepared to drive north to Roseau if needed for the Hawk Owl, but fortunately that time could now be spent on a species that was not on our target list a week earlier.  Our basic strategy was to get in the correct region of the state and drive back roads at slower speeds searching windbreaks and fields following up on a sighting almost a week old!

Approximately 500 miles!

After an hour of nothing and light starting to fade we found a flock of snow buntings in the road near a conservation area southwest of Terrebonne, Minnesota. They had flown into a harvested corn field and I jumped outside hoping to relocate them for Jennifer and Micky. As luck would have it, a handful of Gray Partridge decided to fly from that field of corn stubble over to the conservation area and crossed the road right in front of us! For the second time in three days we added a lifer at last light.

It was an AMAZING day! 

We made it to my parents by 8 pm, saw the three target birds for the day and did not have to drive to the Canadian border to do so, and added two lifers more than we had dreamed at the beginning of the day. I'm very fortunate to have parents that not only open their house up to us and friends but they even listened to our stories and were curious of our adventures.

Sunday was a travel day back to KC and the last day of this trip, but we had one more target bird to try for. The next blog post will detail the last search and an overall summary of the trip.  Here is a list of lifers from Saturday.

Northern MN Birding: Friday January 6th 2017

After a wonderful day at Sax-Zim Bog on Thursday where we only missed one target species we decided to head north along Lake Superior to Lake County with hopes of finding Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Three-toed Woodpeckers. The other target for the day was a Bohemian Waxwing.  

We left early in the morning from Duluth and made our way north along Lake County 2. We were in the appropriate area at first light but did not have any luck finding a Spruce Grouse. Our basic strategy was to drive slow along the road and hope to find one along the road gritting. We tried Lake County 1 for a few miles but turned around to give County Road 2 a second attempt. Within 4 miles of the intersection, and almost exactly where the Sand River eBird hotspot is, we found a single male Spruce Grouse in the middle of the road. A lifer for all of us!

The bird seemed to have no worries toward us.

Click here for entire map.

We took pictures as it casually walked in front of us. Two other cars came from the other direction that were birders as well, elated to see this species also. From there we headed north to Tomahawk Road. I did not know the condition of the road but had hoped it would be open to attempt to find Black-Backed Woodpecker, Three-Toed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee (the north east points on my map).

The road was only plowed for a couple of miles and we had to turn around before reaching our desired locations. We stopped at a small black spruce Pete area where someone had walked with snow shoes. I suspect it was one of the northern birding guides or birders in the area, as a Boreal Chickadee was right next to the road and gave us all decent looks of a fairly skittish species.

We tried a couple of spots for woodpeckers but were unable to find any. It was quite cold outside and if you do not have adequate winter clothing it gets downright uncomfortable. Luckily for us the van stayed out of the ditch and started the entire trip. There were a couple of locations along Lake County 2 that had Black-backed Woodpecker reports, but instead we went down Lake County 1 and tried for them instead. In hindsight we could have tried the other, as we only found more Gray Jays, Pine Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, and Common Ravens as we made our way back to Highway 61 along Lake Superior. This species is the closest thing we had for a miss during the entire trip, but it is hard to call it a miss considering the little time we actually put forward on it.

 

We didn't find any Moose, just a Moose sign! The trees were covered!

We did not find anything scoping the lake at a couple of stops and made our way back to Two Harbors in search of Bohemian Waxwings. Pine Grosbeaks were throughout the town and a flock of house sparrows that contained a Eurasian Tree Sparrow. We were able to relocate the Bohemian Waxwings fairly quickly stopped to take pictures.

 

A single bird landed close while the flock was often perched up high.

Mixed in with the Bohemian Waxwings were Pine Grosbeaks. This is the first instance that I can remember taking pictures of this species with any sun. Often winter is dominated by overcast skies.

 

Male and female Pine Grosbeaks (left) and male on the right.

Agate Bay did not contain any waterfall but did have it Thayer's Gull mixed in with the Herring Gulls. Leaving Two Harbors we had the decision similar to the week before with Kathy and Diane. Should we go after the Townsend Solitaire, the Golden Crowned sparrow, or Canal Park and gulls. This time we decided to try for the Golden Crown Sparrow and Canal Park. Just like last week we missed the Sparrow. Moreover there were no gulls at Canal Park. Micky and Jennifer got wonderful close views of American Black Ducks for comparisons with similar looking Mallards.

We ended the day a bit early and went out to eat with Kristina and Clinton. We talked for hours and it was wonderful to catch up with an friend. As much fun it is for me to watch birds and get others on life birds I value the memories shared and close friendship even more. During the conversations we were made aware of Northern Hawk Owl north of Red Lake. We had some planning to do that night. Little did we know that the next day would be perhaps the luckiest any of us have experienced with chasing birds.

Here are the "lifers" from our second day! 

Northern MN Birding: Thursday January 5th 2017

Click above photo or here for entire map.

After driving through the night, with small naps along the way, we arrived with an extra half an hour before first light! We grabbed a sandwich and filled the van with gas in Cloquet in preparation for all day in Sax-Zim bog on Thursday.

We drove back and forth a couple miles on either side of the Highway 133/ Highway 7 intersection looking for a Great Gray Owl at first light. This Owl was the main target bird for the day. As Jennifer described it, the owl was her biscuit and all other species were the gravy.  Without the Owl it would be tough to have an amazing day.  

The first birds of the day were Ruffed Grouse perched in the top of trees eating the buds. With almost no leaves on the trees these birds were really silhouetted. The Ruffed Grouse was the first lifer of the trip for both Jennifer and Micky, a term that birders use that refers to the first time they observe a particular species.

 

I poached photos from their Facebook pages to include in the blog posts.  These are Micky's photos of Ruffed Grouse.

A flock of birds flying over 133 caught our attention and we stopped to hear Red Crossbills, our third species for the trip after seeing a few flyover American Crows. We were unsuccessful with our morning search for the Great Gray Owl and shortly after sunrise I decided to focus on our search for our second target bird of the day, the Sharp-Tailed Grouse. We turned north along County Road 229 headed towards the visitor center checked out the lek, but were unable to find any. While the excitement of birding the first day still remained, internally I was a bit concerned that we were unable to see either of the two morning target species.

Before reaching the visitor center we had a few more birds fly over the road. They were the first of many Pine Grosbeaks that we would see on this trip. As we were looking at these birds White-Winged Crossbill flew over! The visitor center had our first Common Redpoll of the trip. A handful of other birds were on the feeders as well, include a Pine Siskin and Red-breasted Nuthatch. The Red Squirrels were a source of beauty and frustration, as I stopped many times hoping to find a bird but instead saw them sitting in the trees. 

We stopped at the Admiral Road feeder station to put out peanut butter with hopes of getting a boreal chickadee. Alas we heard no wheezy chickadee sounds but satisfied the swarm of Black-Capped Chickadees. At Mary Lou's feeders we had a flock of Evening Grosbeaks. This location is one of the most reliable locations in the Midwest, yet if you follow the Sax-Zim FB page you are aware of the stress that outsiders put on locals. It is an amazing testament to the work the Friends group and others have done to have such a wonderful relationship, that the homeowner allows visitors on the property to see these birds. We left a donation and went on our way. If you visit the area please be as respectful to everyone as possible, especially when on the roads as to not block access to any drive-ways nor the road itself.

 

A male and female Evening Grosbeak.

We checked out McDavitt Road with an outside chance of finding a mid-day Great Gray Owl. Gray Jays and White-winged Crossbills crossed the road as we went back to the visitor center for lunch. The warmth of the heater allowed us an easier chance to get out of the car and walk around while watching the feeders. Checking the grouse lek in the afternoon yielded a hen Ring-necked Pheasant, but it was likely a released/escaped bird and was not the desired Galliformes species

Mid-afternoon we start our afternoon strategy of driving Admiral and McDavitt roads with hopes of finally finding a Great Gray Owl. On our second time around a local UPS driver give us a suggestion to try Kelsey Whiteface Road. After sunset and with last light quickly approaching we were unsuccessful there as well. I had conceded that we were going to miss Great Gray Owl and Sharp-tailed Grouse, my two target birds for the day.

After 5 o'clock we turned back onto 133 off of 7 to head back to Duluth. This was the same area we had searched at first light for almost an hour. As a major shock to all of us we saw a large bird perched on the top of a dead snag offering just a shape against the dark sky. We were very fortunate to see our main target bird! As we turned around the owl hopped down into the ditch to grab a meal. The bird looked at us in the headlights and offered us the only detailed view we would have. The Owl flew back to the closest perch and ate. We took a couple of pictures but quickly decided to keep going as total darkness had come over the land.

Yes, yes it was that dark when we saw the bird.

I loved reading Jennifer's post about the day. "The one bird that was the icing on the cake alluded us all day., Great Grey Owl. We continued to have large flocks of White Winged Crossbills and Common Redpolls. We had Red Crossbills and still no Great Grey Owls. We were unable to find the Sharp Tailed Grouse and hope to try for them again. Friday takes us up north to search for Spruce Grouse, Three Toed Woodpecker, Black Backed Woodpecker, Boreal Chickadee and Bohemian Waxwings. We have hopes of finding all of these, but they are extremely difficult to find. Oh and they Great Gray? We left the bog without seeing one until just as the last bit of light was fading, a silouhette in a tree as we were leaving.....Great Grey Owl! Lifer! We watched him fly down and catch his dinner in the snow and then fly to a nearby tree. As the darkness took over, we watched him fly away. My cake for the day was complete. This was the bird I had wanted to see for many years. As I sit in the hotel room in Duluth and revel in the day of six lifers, I once again I had a fabulous day with some of my favorite people to spend the day with and it doesn't matter that I have now been up for 36 hours. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. Oh by the way when we got to the Bog it was -20 and that did not include the wind chill. It warmed to a balmy -2 in the afternoon."

Here are the "lifers" from our first day! 

Northern MN Birding: Wednesday January 4th 2017

A few months ago Micky and Jennifer committed to a trip north sometime during the first two weeks of January. I knew they saw Snow Buntings and Northern Goshawk during their October trip to Duluth, but otherwise the simple goal was to see as many northern specialties as possible on this trip. I tend to leave birding decisions to the last minute, but not in this instance. I used Google Maps to add markers for specific target birds. While some of these locations have been good areas to check for many years, other markers were added based on recent sightings. I used an additional feature of Google Map this winter for the first time, as you can load a map onto your phone using the "Your Places" option and then navigate to any of these markers directly.

You can see the visual representation of my planning in the screenshot of the Google Map to the right. In my planning I had hoped we would spend one day in Sax-Zim bog (the Blue markers), another day traveling north to Lake County from Duluth (the Red markers), and possibly spend the third chasing anything we missed. The simplicity of having Google navigate was nice, but if you have never been north to Lake County it is helpful to know that you may not have reception for most of it. While I won't name companies here, the supposed 1% difference on cell service is routinely obvious in a car full of birders. 

After discussing options for weekends (Jennifer took Thursday and Friday off) and coordination of everyone involved, I ended up driving back to Kansas City on Sunday the 1st in order to hop in the Van with them on Wednesday night after work and head back north. I seriously doubted my sanity as we started the trip and left Kansas City at 8:30 p.m. with light snow falling. Out intentions were to be in northern Minnesota at dawn to look for birds, and it was a 9 hour drive!! 

The next blog post will contain details, photos, and a report for each day. With a bit of foreshadowing that is obvious for anyone that kept up with the Facebook posts, it was a great trip and it would have been tough to improve the overall success. We were able to find almost everything on our target list. Stay tuned for more.

Northern MN Birding: 2016 One-Day Visit

An  adult male Pine Grosbeak

Between Christmas 2016 and New Years 2017 we had friends from Kansas City visit northern Minnesota in search of birds. Christine and I went over to Duluth from central Minnesota and spent the night with anticipation of searching the area with Kathy and Diane the next day.  Due to treacherous road conditions from an ice storm two days earlier we decided to search for Bohemian Waxwings together around Duluth. We spent the first couple of hours searching Duluth where they had been seen before but we were successful. We tried for an overwintering Golden-crowned Sparrow in Duluth as well, but again were unsuccessful. After trying a handful of locations in Duluth we decided to drive north to Two Harbors and chance the icy roads. Diane is an exceptional driver and we did experience any troubles along the way but did drive a bit slower.

We searched each and every road in Two Harbors. We started along the south edge of town at Agate Bay and drove back and forth, east to west, working our way through the town one street at a time from south to north. After an hour and a half Christine spotted a few Bohemian Waxwings. We saw them at quite a distance and shortly after we saw them they flew away. We continued our search and after another half an hour we found a small flock near the northern edge of town. These birds were more receptive. With overcast gray skies we did not get many pictures, but we sat in the car and watched the Bohemian Waxwings and Pine Grosbeaks feed together on the mountain ash.

A Bohemian Waxwing (left) with an immature/female Pine Grosbeak (right).

We decided to check Agate Bay before stopping to get a bite to eat. The parking lot and trails were glare ice and we were careful not to slip and fall. Kathy spotted a Red-necked Grebe out in the harbor, it was a species that neither of them had seen before. After searching over half the day for the Waxwings we were fortunate they could add a second life bird in 10 minutes. The wind off the water had given us all a chill so we ate a relaxing lunch at Culver's to warm up and determine our next course of action. We took scenic 61 along the lake back to Duluth and saw more Pine Grosbeaks and a Northern Shrike. With the remaining light we followed up on a previous report of a Townsend's Solitaire rather than heading to Canal Park.

On our first pass we did not find the bird, rather we found a flock of 150 to 200 Bohemian Waxwings. I guess we should have started the day out here instead. The Solitaire was found near the dog park and gave us wonderful views. It was the third lifer of the day for Kathy and Diane!

Townsend's Solitaires are a member of the thrush family, just like bluebirds!

While we did not find any of the northern specialties like a Boreal Chickadee, Black-Backed Woodpecker, or Spruce Grouse we were successful in the day. Perhaps the biggest success of the day was navigating the treacherous roads, as later that night on our way back to central Minnesota we drove 45 miles per hour on the thick snow/ice, snow pack, black ice, and uneven lanes. It was a wonderful day sharing conversation and searching for birds with friends. I enjoy watching others see birds for the first time and helping them fine them, but am even more thankful that Christine decided to lend her eyes and ears in our search. She is my favorite person to go out in the woods to search for birds, animals, and take pictures. I hope we are able to do it again soon even if our daughters lives have us starting to go in many different directions.

Northern MN Birding: Part 4 of last year

Over this last week of 2016 and first week of 2017 I was fortunate to spend time with friends from Kansas City looking for northern and boreal bird specialties in northern Minnesota. Before I described these birding trips, the routes taken, and the birds seen together I should probably finish the story from last year.

As you may recall I visited northern Minnesota with Jack and Terry during the 2015-2016 holiday season. We spent a day driving to the Canadian border, stuck around Duluth for Gulls and a Gyrfalcon, searched Lake County, and on the last day went to Sax-Zim Bog to search for a Great Great Owl and Black-backed Woodpecker.

We were fortunate to have Clinton join us on this day. Unfortunately neither the people nor the birds would be the story of the day. Rather my mistake took up half of the day and in the process gave us this story while freezing everyone's toes.

We drove around in the morning searching for an Owl and a late morning hike to search for the Woodpecker; both searches were unsuccessful. I tried to be the first back to the car in order to unlock it and open it up for everyone else.  Two keys for the rental car we're so large I was unable to put them in my jeans pocket and instead and put them in my outer clothing pockets. I hit the two buttons for the trunk and unlock and shed some clothes to remain comfortable in the car.  I was only abstractly aware that I transferred the keys from my pants to jacket, but it became obvious to me what I had done when the trunk closed with my jacket inside. Immediately I checked the doors to hit the trunk release, but alas the door unlock had not worked even though the trunk button had.  We were locked out of the car.

We all started calling around for options and fortunately had a Lock/Unlock Service that was able to come by and open the car. Once inside our troubles did not end though, as the trunk release button was electronic and did not unlock the trunk after the alarm went off unlocking the door. Over the next 15 minutes we tried a few other ideas but ended up taking the backseat apart piece by piece to get into the trunk. I beg that no one ever locks their keys in the trunk and has to go through our ordeal. After a couple of hours and borrowing a single small-sized crescent wrench from the Lock/Unlock Service we had the backseat sufficiently a part that Terry, the smallest guy out of the four, could squeeze between the two pieces and start pulling pieces out. After nearly 4 hours we had the keys. The kindness of the Lock/Unlock Service was the only thing that saved us that day from calling a tow company and getting a ride back to Duluth and waiting for a mechanic to get the keys out. Last winter when we returned I sent them a thank-you card, as they went well beyond Midwestern Nice.

While I was quite warm from the frantic activity of taking apart a car, everyone else was a bit cold or frozen. The Welcome Center was nearly complete and able to warm everyone up. With limited time remaining in the day we ventured back into the cold fog in search of a Great Gray. As the end of the day approached I feared we were going to miss seeing the largest Owl in North America.

We turned down McDavitt Road and saw a car parked. My spirits were lifted as I saw people looking through a scope and taking pictures. We parked behind them and exited to see a large owl sitting along the side of a field a ways back. The views we're not amazing and pictures or not possible but it was one of two target birds for the day and a lifer for Terry.

It has been a year since the incident occurred and I remain ashamed that it happened. After returning to my parents late that night I was able to put the backseat together in less than 10 minutes using the appropriate tools. Learning how to take a back seat apart can be quite challenging with only a crescent wrench, in a couple feet of snow, and and 15 degree weather. Fortunately last year's follies did not repeat again this year. Look for a next blog post to chronicle the northern birding adventures from this holiday season.

Day 4 Recap of Wish List

Great Gray Owl (Lifer for Terry)

Stuck in the Bog (On no one's wish list)

Northern MN Birding: Part 3

After success with finding a Northern Hawk Owl on January 3rd and Gyrfalcon on January 4th we decided to spend the 5th heading north in Lake County looking for Spruce Grouse, Boreal Chickadees, and Black-backed Woodpeckers then heading to Sax-Zim Bog on the 6th for Great Gray Owls and whatever else we could find.

Day 3: January 5th  

We left early in the morning amidst a stiff breeze and colder weather than the previous two days. We were at the desired location on Lake County 2 at first light as Spruce Grouse seem to be most easily found picking grit along the road early in the day before logging trucks become common. Unfortunately we did not have any luck in the first hour and half and decided to head toward Isabella Lake in search of them. Along Trappers Lake Rd we had a Snowshoe Hare hop over the crest in the road, past the car, and continue south on the road behind us. It happened so fast than none of us got a photo, but was fun to see. 

Boreal Chickadee bum

Shortly after the hare observation Clinton stopped the car and started to pish, hoping to find Boreal Chickadees in a section of Bog. The call of a Boreal Chickadee is similar to Black-capped Chickadees but scratchy and nasal in comparison. These Boreal Chickadees' calls gave away their location as soon as we stopped.

As the sun poked through the clouds it back-lit the three curious yet careful birds. Unfortunately the conditions offered terrible views but it was a lifer for both Jack and Terry none the less!

After heading north for the first four hours of the day we found the road to Isabella Lake closed for the season; our search for Spruce Grouse was unsuccessful and with no access to Isabella Lake we would have to search for Black-backed Woodpeckers in the Sax-Zim Bog tomorrow.

Being a couple hours north of Duluth we decided to head to Hwy 61 and follow the North Shore toward Grand Marais in search of reported Bohemian Waxwings. Along our trek north we found Pine Grosbeaks and Long-tailed Ducks.

  

Checking out a section of bog for boreal chickadees and scoping Good Harbor looking at long-tailed ducks.

Arriving in Grand Marais we saw a thrush shaped bird near the Harbor, but we were unsuccessful in finding it after it flew. A lone White-winged Scoter was between the docks and break wall. It was diving often and allowed me to approach closer to take photos with the larger camera rather than digiscoping.  It offered close views and was a lifer for Jack.

The strong breeze persisted throughout the day and crashed waves high into the sky along the rock shore. I stood in water taking this video and as soon as I stopped shooting it a large wave sent mist over my head. Luckily a warm car allowed my phone and binoculars to dry. Click on HD in the bottom right of the video to see icy details of the North Shore.

We spent the next couple of hours searching town for Bohemian Waxwings, but as was the case earlier in the day we were unable to locate any in the wind. For the first time in three days we stopped to sit down for lunch and warmed up. The Blue Water Cafe's food was good but the ambiance humbled me; the booth next to us had four cold-blooded surfers and the sign to the restrooms made me think.

  

Map of the day's drive and sign by the Blue Water Cafe restrooms.

Our continued search for a Black-backed Woodpecker and for a Great Gray Owl would occur the next day in Sax-Zim Bog and is the final blog post from this trip.  

Day 3 Recap of Wish List

Boreal Chickadee (Jack and Terry)

Gray Jay (Seen again but added the first day)
Pine Grosbeak (Seen again but added the first day)

White-winged Scoter (Not on the initial Wish List but added to Jack's life list)

Northern MN Birding: Part 2

After our successful search for the Northern Hawk Owl on January 3rd we were in great moods having added a few lifers and freeing up an extra day to spend in the Duluth area.

Day 2: January 4th  

Taking photos is not the time to figure out a new lens. As
requested no photo of Shawn Z is online, magically removed. 

We had returned to Staples and my parents for a bed on the 3rd and departed on the 4th for Duluth/Superior in search of the Ivory Gull and Gyrfalcon. Our first stop at Conner's Point in Superior was unsuccessful, but the immature Ivory Gull was hanging out at Canal Park when we arrived. It sat on the break wall for most of our visit as we studied Black Ducks, searched other gulls for something interesting, and talked with a others. After a short while the Ivory Gull flew closer to the observers and ate the salmon offerings. Many grabbed their camera and started taking photos, myself included.

After the short photo op we tried again unsuccessfully for the Gyrfalcon at Conner's Point and continued on to the Superior Landfill. Although the sun was out and the temperature was near 30 degrees Jack was a bit chilled and I convinced him to put on additional cold-weather northern clothing. He loved the Ice King boots and threatened to keep them on forever. Personally I am glad to see they are once again available for purchase.

With warmer clothes we were able to scan the Landfill for gulls and picked out Glaucous Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, and an adult Iceland Gull. The Iceland Gull is one I have been searching for over the past five winters and tickled me silly with joy as this lifer (#427) gave us good views in binoculars soaring over our heads in great light. Leaving the Landfill we also came across one of our few mammals on the trip, a porcupine that was a bit camera shy for Terry.

Jan 4th was spent driving around the twin ports area.

With gulls in hand we searched berry trees for Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings. While we did get better views of Pine Grosbeaks we were unsuccessful in our search for Bohemian Waxwings and decided to check for the overwintering Golden-Crowned Sparrow. As was the case with the Waxwings this bird avoided us.

Clinton finished work mid afternoon and we planned to meet him at Conner's Point in search for the Gyrfalcon again. While on the phone he calmly stated, "It just flew in" and we jubilantly arrived in time to see it in the scope. For the second day in a row the target bird was seen late afternoon, a lifer for the three of us and my second of the day (#428)!

With the remaining light we searched Superior for Snowy Owls, finding one and a couple of Ruffed Grouse for Terry. While we dipped on Waxwings and the golden-crowned Sparrow we did see both target birds for the day and picked up most of Jack's gull wishlist. I survived my two days as the guide and was looking forward to having Clinton take over. I made many wrong turns but lucky we found birds. We ended the day at Applebee's with shortened wish lists and planned the next two days together.

The search for Boreal Chickadees and Spruce Grouse will wait for the next blog post.  

Day 2 Recap of Wish List
Pine Grosbeak (Seen again but added the first day)
Ruffed Grouse (Terry)

Gyrfalcon (Jack and Terry)

Thayer's Gull (Jack)
Iceland Gull (Jack)
Glaucous-winged Gull (Jack)
Ivory Gull (Not on the initial Wish List but added for Jack's life list)

Northern MN Birding: Part 1

Last year Jack Landes visited Duluth with me in search of northern MN birds. We visited Sax-Zim Bog last year but left many species on his target list. As 2015 neared an end I was particularly excited for winter break, as he planned to return with Terry Swope on January 2nd for a few days of birding. They sent me a wish list of birds, many of them species that they hoped to see for the very first time. 

Wish Lists
Boreal Chickadee (Jack and Terry)
Gray Jay (Jack and Terry)
Northern Hawk Owl (Jack and Terry)
Great Gray Owl (Terry)
Black-backed Woodpecker (Jack and Terry)
American Three-toed Woodpecker (Jack)
Spruce Grouse (Jack and Terry)
Ruffed Grouse (Terry)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Terry)
Rough-legged Hawk (Jack)
Thayer's Gull (Jack)
Iceland Gull (Jack)
Glaucous-winged Gull (Jack)
Bohemian Waxwing (Terry)
Pine Grosbeak (Terry)
Red Crossbill (Jack)
White-winged Crossbill (Jack)
Boreal Owl (Jack and Terry)
Gyrfalcon (Jack and Terry)

Looking at this list I initially eliminated the last two species as none had been seen in the area this year. I used previous knowledge, eBird, MouNet, FB, and reached out to acquaintances and friends to create the map above with possible locations for each species on the list. I was particularly stoked to get out birding again with Clinton Nienhaus and reached out to him to schedule dates and a plan to get as many species as possible. Preliminary planning was completed shortly after Christmas and I was excited to get out.

Before Jack and Terry arrived however I received a text from Clinton that a Gyrfalcon had been seen in Superior Wisconsin!!! This species was back on the list!! I drove over on December 31st myself in search of this bird, but alas came home without seeing it. This species was one of the few on the wish list that would be a lifer for me, a species that I have not previously seen. I did find Ruffed Grouse and plenty of gulls at Canal Park and Superior Landfill however, raising my expectations of good birds for Jack and Terry's visit. On new years I received even better news, an Ivory Gull had been seen in Canal Park! Terry and I saw the Quincy Illinois bird last year, but I suspected this would be a lifer for Jack and one that was not on our radar.

Day 1: January 3rd  

Roads traveled this day.

Jack and Terry arrived on the 2nd and we made plans for the coming days. We left early on the 3rd for Roseau MN in search of a Northern Hawk Owl, as the only credible reports came from Norris Campground and from Roseau County via a birding acquaintance. We also had hopes of finding Spruce Grouse and Great Gray Owls north of Roseau in the Lost River State Forest. If needed we planned to spend the night in the area to have both the evening of the 3rd and morning of the 4th before heading east toward Duluth on the 5th.

We arrived at our first stop in the Bemidji area shortly after first light and had two flocks of calling Red-Crossbills. Eventually a flock flew over the road and we had our first lifer of the day for Jack!

The early morning clouds gave way to sun and the drive around Red Lake was quiet both in and out of the car. After leaving the Red Lake Nation we saw a large flock of Sharp-Tailed Grouse eating in a field.  We pulled the car over and spent nearly 15 minutes studying and observing these beautiful birds. These beauties were lifers for Jack and Terry and we were all happy to finally have seen a few birds.  In the next few miles we also saw a fly over Rough-legged Hawk, Snow Buntings, a Northern Shrike, and Black-billed Magpie.

 

Walking a road search unsuccessfully for Spruce Grouse and Norris Fire Tower.

We turned off on Dick's Parkway and headed toward Norris Campground. As is often the case with Northern Minnesota winter birding, the birds were few and far between and the roads were icy. Fortunately it had not snowed recently and the roads were relatively clear.

We arrived at Norris Campground to Gray Jays and Pine Grosbeaks on the feeders. The Jays had been trained to eat from the hand and soon they were approaching us for handouts. Terry was the only successful hand-feeder in our group in the couple minutes we tried. 

Driving north from the campground we searched for the reported Northern Hawk Owl, but were unsuccessful. Fortuitously we did find a second year Northern Goshawk, which perched long enough for all of us to see it through the scope.  

With a few hours left in the day we went to Roseau to search for Owls. We found very few birds but had nearly a dozen Black-billed Magpies along 110th Ave north of Roseau. The sun was nearly gone for the day and the sky was full of all colors of the rainbow. We had spent the entire day driving and my mind started to drift toward the next day. I was thinking how we would need to find a hotel, would return the next morning to search for northern owls, and was rambling aimlessly as I abruptly switched topics and stated "There it is!"

I pulled over to the side of the road immediately, we all got looks at it through binoculars and piled out of the car to get scope views of this visitor from the north. A fellow birder had shared information on this bird and we were all very grateful for Sandy for it.

My girls had asked for photos showing them were I was and what I was looking at, so I took the silly photo on the left with the bird on my phone. Yes that little speck is the bird and yes you do get better views taking photos with your phone through a scope. I have been terrible at taking photos through my scope so I tried to document the bird better with this short video.

The bird sat patiently for almost 10 minutes and at last light flew across the road. We got the bird we were looking for.  What an awesome way to end the day. Without the need to search for this one bird the next day we decided to drive back to Staples late into the night and spend the extra day in the Duluth area.  The story of that search will have to wait for the next blog post.  

Day 1 Recap of Wish List

Gray Jay (Jack and Terry)

Northern Hawk Owl (Jack and Terry)
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Terry)
Rough-legged Hawk (Jack)
Red Crossbill (Jack)
Snow Bunting (Officially in eBird now for Terry)

Trip to MN: Bird Feeder Photos

One of the downsides of living in a Kansas City apartment is the lack of bird feeders. We have some outside on our deck, but the variety and number of birds is quite small.  After seeing many excellent photos shared on Facebook and reading about taking photos at bird feeders, I tried it at my parents feeder station.  

I found a couple of sticks and stuck them in the ground, placing the feeders on the ground next to the sticks. I hoped that birds would land and sit on the sticks on the way to the feeders and initially sat outside waiting for a bird to show-up. When one did I would move the lens to where that bird was and quickly snap a few frames. After only a couple of birds I was reminded how still one must be in order to get close pictures, so I changed my tactic and laid down on the grass closer to the sticks (this was before the first MN mosquitoes hatch). This worked better than before but I soon got tired of holding the lens and needed to change once again, this time I grabbed the tripod to support the camera and laid behind.  I had such a comfortable setup that I could lay my head on the tripod legs while waiting for birds to arrive.

The photos are from this learning attempt and a similar setup used the next morning. I was lucky with the bit of species variety that stopped by, but missed the Gray Catbird and male Indigo Bunting that I was hoping for. 

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Female Purple Finch

Black-capped Chickadee

Male Baltimore Oriole

Female Indigo Bunting

Chipping Sparrow

American Goldfinch