Winter Birding in Minnesota: Owls and Feeders

I decided to escape the deep snows of Philadelphia by going to Minnesota for a short winter birding trip!  I was joined by California Girls, Ann, Janis and Michelle, none of whom have ever felt a northern winter. With constant, below-zero temperatures, this was definately a new experience for them!

We spent much time northwest of Duluth, at the zenith of Minnesota winter birding hotspots, Sax-Zim Bog, named for two gentlemen, neither of whom were birders.  This region is characterized by a mixture of farms, fields, mixed woods and spruce bogs, with a smattering of small hamlets. Was it cold? Absolutely!  We maintained at least a 100-degree difference between inside our vehicle and outside.  90-degrees inside to keep us cozy and limber enough to withstand temperatures as low as minus-27 when we stepped outside into the arctic air.

On such a northern winter trip, the focus is on the quality of bird species, not quanity.  Owls are the big target, and we were not disappointed.  Northern Hawk Owl is best spotted at the very tops of trees surveying the landscape, and that is exactly how Janis spotted our first one. The second one (above) was ridiculously confiding, landing just a few feet away and staring at us with a scornful look.

On our second full day in the bog, we enjoyed excellent views of the majestic Great Grey Owl (above). We saw this bird the previous night only briefly at dusk, after searching up and down the road for over an hour.  We were keen to relocate it and, luckily, Michelle spotted it beside the road.  It flew into the woods, then out onto a tall stump, where we watched it peer downwards and rotate its head in all directions, looking and listening for a rodent.

Many feeding stations are located along the roads of Sax-Zim bog region – some are free-standing set-ups seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and others are maintained in residential yards, where visitation is generally welcomed.

Steady streams of Black-capped Chickadees flew back and forth from feeders to trees enjoying a buffet of suet and seeds.  Occasionally, a Boreal Chickadee (above) and a handful of Red-breasted Nuthatches joined in the activity.

We examined sporadic flocks of Common Redpolls (above) hoping for a Hoary; only one individual was a possible candidate.  

Every feeder station featured a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers, and most feeders attracted about a dozen Pine Grosbeaks.  At one station we saw one Pine Siskin and three Gray Jays (above).