Since this past weekend, I have done lots of birdwatching with friends and have also participated in the Isabella Christmas bird count! The weather was blustery on New Year's Day (during the CBC), but the snow falling and snow already on the ground was absolutely breathtaking. I ended up hiking 9 miles round-trip with my friend Aron Smolley, visiting that weekend. Some of the biggest highlights from that day were not one, two, but three GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 1 Brown Creeper, a quick, fly-by Black-backed Woodpecker, and one of my personal favorites - 3 Boreal Chickadees!
On New Year's Eve, Aron and I went out to Sax-Zim Bog. We were treated to a Northern Shrike, several Arctic Fluffballs (Rough-legged Hawks), three fly-over Sharp-tailed Grouse, and at the Admiral Rd feeders, heard (but didn't see) a Boreal Chickadee and a Brown Creeper. Several Black-billed Magpies also were seen. Hundreds of White-winged Crossbills and Common Redpolls could be found. Yesterday I visited Sax-Zim Bog with my friend Seth Spencer. At one point in the mid-morning, an adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK flew over the road!! Seth and I were treated to great looks at a Black-backed Woodpecker (male). A single Boreal Chickadee and Brown Creeper were heard again from the Admiral Rd birdfeeders, with no viewing. Although both recent visits to the bog were owl-less, both visits were incredible :-) Seth and I ended the day by thoroughly searching the Duluth Harbor, with no luck of finding any Snowies. Afterwards we spent a little while at Canal Park, where the "Iceland" Kumlien's Gulls, Thayer's Gulls, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Ring-billed Gulls made appearances. Mallards were copulating, and a few gorgeous American Black Ducks were seen with two Buffleheads too. Yesterday morning's sunrise shots at the bog turned out pretty cool, and I had a lot of fun photographing the gulls and Buffleheads at Canal Park. Enjoy the photos! Recent photos of visiting Sax-Zim Bog this year http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/saxzim_bog_2012 Isabella Christmas Bird Count (photographed Near Year's Day) http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/isabella_2011_christmas_bird_count Canal Park Gulls (photographed yesterday) http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/canal_park_2012_gulls_and_more Good birding, Erik Bruhnke -- *NATURALLY AVIAN* - Guided Birdwatching Trips and Bird photography 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
