[mou] Sax-Zim Bog Winter Bird Festival

[Michael Hendrickson]

Hello:

This year the Sax-Zim Bog Winter Bird Festival will be held on February 13-15th 2008 in Meadowlands, Minnesota. 

Sax-Zim Bog during the winter season attracts a lot of birders from all over U.S.. who come to view some winter specialties like Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Snowy Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Hawk, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Shrike, Gray Jay, Black-billed Magpie, Boreal Chickadee, Bohemian Waxwing, Snow Bunting, Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpoll, and Evening Grosbeak. 

Other bird possibilities include: Scoter species, Long-tailed Duck, Harlequin Duck, Gyrfalcon, Thayer's Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Varied Thrush and Townsends Solitaire.

The Sax-Zim Bog Winter Bird Festival website is:  http://moumn.org/sax-zim/

There are also links to the Sax-Zim Festival on my website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ and also on my blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/  There will be a link on the Minnesota Ornithologists Union website: http://moumn.org/ ( the link is not yet posted on the website but it will be shortly ).  Also on my blog I post a owl map of all current owl sightings in Minnesota.

I like to thank the MOU for hosting our website and also to Tony Hertzel who put in a lot of time organizing it for us!

Minnesota like other upper midwest states are reporting good numbers of Snowy Owls and even Northern Hawk Owls. I got a report last night of a Northern Hawk Owl in Ely, Minnesota. This will be the 4th sighting of Northern Hawk Owl this fall season!  Good numbers of Boreal Owls have been banded in northern Minnesota this fall season which is a indication that northern Minnesota will have some kind of Boreal Owl irruption this winter season!  Boreal Owls usually get reported in January thru February during irruptive cycles in northern Minnesota. No one knows for sure what the status will be for Great Gray Owls this winter season but hopefully sometime in December reports will come in.  All in all it should be a pretty good winter season to see northern owls compared to last year's winter season.

Northern Minnesota should have a good winter season of winter finches with good number of White-winged Crossbills,Redpolls, Purple Finches and Pine Siskins already reported by several birders.  So far Evening & Pine Grosbeaks are beginning to trickle through our area and its up in the air what kind of numbers we will have in Northern Minnesota..  Bohemian Waxwings should be around as there are plenty of fruit trees with fruit on them along the northshore and other locations.  Also both Black-backed and Am. Three-toed Woodpeckers have been seen along the northshore and also inland.

Overall its going to be a good winter season to see lots of winter bird specialties!!  

So I invite everyone to mark down February 13-15th for the SAX-ZIM WINTER BIRD FESTIVAL.  Last year we attracted 130 birders from 20 plus states. Our speakers this year will be Larry Weber and Al Batt.  Please visit our website and make some plans to observe some fantastic birds and be led by area top birders!!

Thank You!


Mike Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/


      
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