More From the Sax-Zim Bog

Sunday was an early rise for us as we needed to be on the bus at 530AM. I think the alarm rang at 425AM as we had a 40 minute drive from Duluth to Meadowlands. Ugh. Our trip that day would take us through Aitkin County and our first stop was just north of a little town called Tamarack at a field where there was a Sharp-tailed Grouse lek. We needed to be there early if we wanted to see them dance. There were approximately two dozen grouse in the field. Most of us stayed in the bus and watched out the windows. The extra elevation in the bus gave us a little better view and helped at bit with the cold. The birds were still a pretty good distance away but with binoculars we soon could see the dance. A male would tip his tail strait up into the air, cup his wings with the tips pointed to the ground, inflate the air sacs on his neck and start stomping his feet. Another and then another would join the dance and soon a whole group would be doing the boogie! It was one of the neatest birding moments I've ever seen. I took just over 100 pictures, trying to capture spectacle. This picture is the closest I came and I'm still disappointed. However, one of the trip leaders mentioned that in March the Aitkin County Department of Natural Resources sets out blinds in this field that can be reserved for watching the Sharp-tailed Grouse lek. Art and I are going to do it. He said we'll have to get to the blind EARLY in the morning before the grouse start to gather at the field. I can't wait to get a closer view of these birds and their dance. LIFER!!!

Most of the rest of my pictures are from the Sax-Zim on Saturday. Our bus went to several wonderful feeding stations that local residents maintain to bring birds in for viewing and to feed them during our harsh Minnesota winters. We got good looks at both of the wintering grosbeaks. The males are a deep dark pinkish- very pretty. But like female Cardinals, I like the more subdued colors of the female Pine Grosbeak.

We only saw a few Evening Grosbeaks. Isn't this male handsome? I wouldn't want a pinch from that beak.

We also saw several Ruffed Grouse throughout our weekend. These birds are quite shy and secretive. They blend in with the twigs and branches and can be tough to find. We see quite a few Ruffed Grouse at Hasty Brook especially in areas where there are lots of young aspen trees. Deb told me that is prime Ruffed Grouse habitat.

White-winged Crossbills have been seen in large numbers throughout Minnesota this winter. They feed on the seeds in spruce cones and since the cone crop in Canada is poor this winter they've moved south to find food. We saw plenty of them during the festival weekend. They are fun to watch as they are able to dangle like acrobats on the tips of spruce branches, using their special crossed bills to pry open the cones and get at the seeds.