This past weekend I guided two groups of friends around the bog, one on Saturday morning and once on Sunday afternoon, into the night. Other than the gorgeous Northern Goshawk seen very late yesterday (about 5:30pm) and a Northern Shrike seen Saturday, the rest of the bird species listed were seen during both days of guiding. The weather has been quite intense recently, with cold temperatures and a biting windchill. Despite the cold conditions, there is something about taking brisk and refreshing short walks alongside the roads in the bog, and hearing the distant Gray Jays chatterin & whistling, seeing flyover winter finches that would have otherwise been missed, and seeing the beautiful Northern Hawk Owls simply exist. It's a pleasure visiting the bog each and every time.
Here is my list, from this past two visits this weekend: Northern Goshawk - 1 Sun Ruffed Grouse - 3 Sat, 4 Sun Northern Hawk Owl - 1 both days Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Black-capped Chickadee Boreal Chickadee Gray Jay Blue Jay Common Raven American Crow Red-breasted Nuthatch Northern Shrike - 1 Sat Pine Grosbeak One of my favorite photos from the weekend... Northern Hawk Owl with an itch: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046481 A little bit of preening to tidy up the insulation: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046484 Northern Hawk Owl at the tail-end of sunset: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046477 Northern Hawk Owl, staring with a look of power and purpose: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046478 Northern Hawk Owl, keeping an eye on the ground: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046488 Northern Hawk Owl in flight, about to pursue 3 Ruffed Grouse: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132046485 Saturday night I attended the wonderful birdwatching event in Minneapolis called Birds and Beers. Bird-buddy Sharon Stiteler runs this very fun event. Definitely one of the most fun and exciting bird-related events I've ever attended :-) To make the night even cooler, I got to see thousands of roosting American Crows in the trees within the city. Photos and photo gallery below. Gallery of the downtown-roosting crows: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/crows_of_the_birds__beers With illuminated buildings in the background: http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132062235 Crows and more crows! So cool! http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/132062236 Good birdwatching, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN NATURALLY AVIAN - Bird photography and guided birdwatching tours www.pbase.com/birdfedr www.naturallyavian.blogspot.com birdf...@gmail.com ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
