HMANA Conference 2010, Day 3: Sax Zim Bog and Tomson Hill Hawk watch

Today started early at 6:00 am with a trip to a birding hotspot known as Sax Zim Bog, which was a field trip option for the conference.  Sax Zim is a huge bog complex that is excellent for northern and boreal species.  It is well known for great gray owls and northern hawk owls in the winter, in addition to other sought-after species such as boreal chickadees, crossbills, gray jays, and rough legged hawks.  The bog is also home to sharp-tailed grouse. Normally this time of year, there would still be snow on the ground, and the chance of seeing the boreal species would be much higher.  But when we started today, we all had low expectations because of the recent warm temperatures in the area.  Basically we all decided we would be happy with whatever we saw.

Around 7:00 we started down the first road into the bog..and just about 3 minutes later we saw the first bird of the trip.  We had a scout car in front of us with a local newspaper reporter inside, and they told us by radio that there was a GREAT GRAY OWL on our right.  Much to our surprise, we had passed it, and had to back up to get closer.  At first the owl was backlit in the morning sun, as if the birding gods had placed it there moments earlier just for our trip, right in our path.  As we drove backwards, Alex got some great shots out the door of the bus.  We drove a good ways back, and the owl was not disturbed at all.  Instead it just continued hunting, staring straight down at the ground.  You could see its eyes watching us even with its head turned down.  It would be completely motionless, and then would all of a sudden stare at all of us.  Everyone was able to get some great shots, and excellent looks at the bird through the scope.  It was a massive owl, even though our guide said it was probably a smaller male.  As we drove away, I felt actual sadness leaving the bird; I could have watched it all day.  This was only the second great gray owl of the season reported at the bog, and none have been seen on this particular stretch of road before.  This was a completely unexpected life bird for me and also Alex.  It will be hard to get a better bird this year.

great gray owl, Sax Zim Bog 4/17/2010

We would have all been happy for the day if we had to leave after that.  But the day only got better.  We next stopped at a sharp-tailed grouse lek, where there were a few grouse displaying.  Alex and I have only seen one of these before, at Crescent Lake NWR in Nebraska (we almost stepped on it while looking for one), so this was great to be able to see more than one on a lek.  Nearby was a yellow-bellied sapsucker, and ruby-crowned kinglets were calling in the birch trees nearby.  In the marsh nearby, we heard faint sandhill crane calls, but did not see them.  A flock of Bonaparte's gulls also flew by, in addition to a loon.

sharp-tailed grouse lek

yellow-bellied sapsucker

Our next stop was a random stop for magpies that we spotted from the bus, one of my favorite birds.  Magpies are usually found near homes and farms in rural landscapes, as was the case for the 3 we saw.  

black-billed magpie

Our next stop was to check out a raptor we saw from the bus.  Initially we thought it was a rough-legged hawk, but it turned out to be a juvenile male northern harrier.  Also in this area, hundreds of snipe were calling all around, and were circling all around us high in the sky (I wish they had been this easy to find in February in the Mississippi Delta). One even landed high atop a utility pole at least 80 feet in the air for a few moments.  Two tree swallows sat nearby on a wire, while many others were flying over the fields.

male northern harrier

Wilson's snipe on utility pole

Wilson's snipe in flight

Alex spotted this snipe from the bus

tree swallow

As if seeing the great gray owl and sharp-tailed grouse wasn't enough.... 

Our next stop was an area where a pair of hawk owls have been seen.  In the distance, a pair of cranes on the ground took off, disturbed by something, and proceeded to fly in our direction.  While we were watching them fly, our guide pointed out a NORTHERN HAWK OWL sitting in a nearby tree.  In a moment that will probably never happen again ever in my life, the sandhill crane flew fairly close to the hawk owl for a photo with both species in it.  We watched the owl for awhile, and during this time he made 2 attempts at a kill.  His third attempt was succesful (probably a vole), and he flew into a stand of birch with his prey.

sandhill crane and northern hawk owl

northern hawk owl hunting

going for a kill (unsuccesful)

northern hawk owl, Sax Zim Bog 4/17/2010

Down the road a few miles, we miraculously spotted another northern hawk owl.  While we were all preparing our cameras for photographs, the hawk owl flew right over us.  I couldn't get my camera prepared fast enough, and I missed the moment.  However, I got an excellent look at the owl, which looked incredibly similar to a cooper's hawk in flight.  He headed towards a perch and watched us at a distance.

At a nearby lake, we picked up blue-winged teal, wood duck, lesser scaup, belted kingfisher, and more sandhill cranes.  An immature bald eagle flew over us, while an adult was out over the lake.  In the woods nearby were a few yellow-rumped warblers and a yellow-bellied sapsucker.

immature bald eagle

Our next stop was a few bird feeders placed in the woods in ideal boreal chickadee habitat.  Dark-eyed juncos were at the feeders, and nearby sat two white-throated sparrows.  A pine siskin sat high up in a tree before coming down close into the feeders.  A red-breasted nuthatch could be heard in the distance, and he quickyl came into the feeders to feed.  A purple finch also made an appearance.  The accipters didn't go unnoticed in a group of hawk-watchers, and two cooper's hawks were spotted high in the sky at a good distance at two seperate times.  A sharp-shinned hawk also darted through the feeders, and made the birds disappear for about 10 minutes.  No boreal chickadees showed up here or at the next feeder stop.

red squirrel

pine siskin

red-breasted nuthatch

purple finch

We got back around 12:30 and headed for the hawk watch by 1:00.  The flight was a little better than yesterday, and a few sharpies and broad-wings flew by close.  Two osprey also migrated past, in addition to a few bald eagles.  A juvenile peregrine was seen, but was not counted (an assumed local).  The highlight was a bald eagle that a birder from Nebraska spotted, which we then took turns following through the sky for about ten minutes.  It was far out over the lake, and took its time rising and falling, looking for the right area to continue an easy flight through.  Eventually it found it, and joined another bald eagle out of view.

When we got back, we took our poster down to the conference room and discussed it with those who had questions.  We then ate dinner, followed by a talk from L. David Mech, who is a famous wolf researcher.  He offered great insights into the lives of wolves, and I'll be reading much more of his work in the future.  He showed a clip of a pair of wolves singling out an elk from a herd, and taking it down.  A necropsy later showed the elk had badly arthritic joints, which the wolves sensed from its slight limp.

Alex convinced our friend Hannah Lanci, a fellow saw-whet owl tracker, to take us birding again tomorrow at Sax Zim before we leave town.  It will be hard to beat the day we had today, but we are up to the challenge...