[mou] Birding Sax-Zim

Leodwm@aol.com Leodwm@aol.com
Thu, 7 Jul 2005 22:38:31 EDT


-------------------------------1120790311
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Reporting in from a days trip to Sax-Zim!
 
We got here at around 2:00pm, ate and started driving down  133 to get off 
and birded the looped County Road 211. We  spotted a tree full of Cedar Waxwings 
on 133 which was fun. 
 
While we were nearing the general area we stopped at a field and looked at  
around 4 or 5 singing and perched Savannah Sparrows, a first for me.
 
We got to 211 and walked up and down it. It was very quiet. A Pileated  
Woodpecker was on a dead tree for a minute but took off. Common Yellowthroats  were 
abundant and singing everywhere throughout the day.
 
Eastern Kingbirds were also running around in plain view. We reached the  end 
of the road leading North and pulled off the road. We took a walk down the  
trail with cut wood on the left of it. A single Bobolink flitted through the  
fields. We reached the end and turned back.
 
Flies were everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, swarming around the  
car, flying inside. We headed back to the car and saw a female Rose-Breasted  
Grosbeak in the middle of the road.
 
Nothing else really came up as we rounded the corners, though on the last  
stretch there was something strange. We heard loud noises and got out, walked up 
 the road and about six Kestrels all scattered out of one tree and sailed 
off.  We'd never seen Kestrels do this, we thought it might be a sort of family 
of  Kestrels but that was just a guess.
 
We wanted to go up County Road 29 so we went to just before Meadowlands and  
then headed north again. It was pretty quiet, Kingbird's were abuzz and 
Kestrels  flew past every now and then. We reached a large farm a ways off from the 
small  turn in the road, looking at a field of Blackbirds. We couldn't get a 
look at  them to see what kind yet.
 
Then we were trying to find a perched one and I spotted a Sparrow in a  large 
bush. It was a Henslow's. We watched it for a long time, it was carrying a  
large bug and had the Henslow's thick bill and yellowish-green face, and a 
white  eyering. The markings behind the eye were unmistakeable.
 
We watched for a long time and it flew finally, Blackbirds then flew in to  
take it's place. We watched them carefully and decided they were female 
Brewer's  Blackbirds and most likely the field was full of males too.
 
We finally got out insect repellent and the flies stopped attacking us.  
Common Yellowthroat's were everywhere, we couldn't see them but they were  calling 
every other second. We we're at the intersection of 980 and 202. We saw  a 
woodpecker that was about the size of Black Backed/Three Toed but we finally  
caught a glimpse and recognized a male Sapsucker. After we watched that a  
White-Throated Sparrow perched on the line. We watched that and right behind it  I 
thought I caught a glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler.
It flew off into the trees but a few minutes later it emerged and flew  
across the road into plain view. Definately a Magnolia.
 
After that we decided to head up to Eveleth. We passed Raven's and one  
Northern Harrier. A good day to be birding. I'll most likely report on  tomorrow's 
birding as well. Good birding everyone!
 
Leo WM, St. Paul

-------------------------------1120790311
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3DUS-ASCII">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=3Drole_body style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY:=20=
Arial"=20
bottomMargin=3D7 leftMargin=3D7 topMargin=3D7 rightMargin=3D7><FONT id=3Drol=
e_document=20
face=3DArial color=3D#000000 size=3D2>
<DIV>Reporting in from a days trip to Sax-Zim!</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We got here at around 2:00pm, ate&nbsp;and started&nbsp;driving down=20
133&nbsp;to get off&nbsp;and birded the looped County Road 211.&nbsp;We=20
spotted&nbsp;a tree full of Cedar Waxwings on 133 which was fun. </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>While we were nearing the general area we stopped at a field and looked=
 at=20
around 4 or 5 singing and perched Savannah Sparrows,&nbsp;a first for me.</D=
IV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We got to 211 and walked up and down it. It was very quiet. A Pileated=20
Woodpecker was on a dead tree for a minute but took off. Common Yellowthroat=
s=20
were abundant and singing everywhere throughout the day.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Eastern Kingbirds were also running around in plain view. We reached th=
e=20
end of the road leading North and pulled off the road. We took a walk down t=
he=20
trail with cut wood on the left of it. A single Bobolink flitted through the=
=20
fields. We reached the end and turned back.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Flies were everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, swarming around t=
he=20
car, flying inside. We headed back to the car and saw a female Rose-Breasted=
=20
Grosbeak in the middle of the road.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Nothing else really came up as we rounded the corners, though on the la=
st=20
stretch there was something strange. We heard loud noises and got out, walke=
d up=20
the road and about six Kestrels all scattered out of one tree and sailed off=
.=20
We'd never seen Kestrels do this, we thought it might be a sort of family of=
=20
Kestrels but that was just a guess.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We wanted to go up County Road 29 so we went to just before Meadowlands=
 and=20
then headed north again. It was pretty quiet, Kingbird's were abuzz and Kest=
rels=20
flew past every now and then. We reached a large farm a ways off from the sm=
all=20
turn in the road, looking at a field of Blackbirds. We couldn't get a look a=
t=20
them to see what kind yet.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Then we were trying to find a perched one and I spotted a Sparrow in a=20
large bush. It was a Henslow's. We watched it for a long time, it was carryi=
ng a=20
large bug and had the Henslow's thick bill and yellowish-green face, and a w=
hite=20
eyering. The markings behind the eye were unmistakeable.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We watched for a long time and it flew finally, Blackbirds then flew in=
 to=20
take it's place. We watched them carefully and decided they were female Brew=
er's=20
Blackbirds and most likely the field was full of males too.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>We finally got out insect repellent and the flies stopped attacking us.=
=20
Common Yellowthroat's were everywhere, we couldn't see them but they were=20
calling every other second. We we're at the intersection of 980 and 202. We=20=
saw=20
a woodpecker that was about the size of Black Backed/Three Toed but we final=
ly=20
caught a glimpse and recognized a male Sapsucker. After we watched that a=20
White-Throated Sparrow perched on the line. We watched that and right behind=
 it=20
I thought I caught a glimpse of a Magnolia Warbler.</DIV>
<DIV>It flew off into the trees but a few minutes later it emerged and flew=20
across the road into plain view. Definately a Magnolia.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>After that we decided to head up to Eveleth. We passed Raven's and one=20
Northern Harrier. A good day to be birding. I'll most likely report on=20
tomorrow's birding as well. Good birding everyone!</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Leo WM, St. Paul</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

-------------------------------1120790311--