With binoculars and camera, Sparky heads off to beautiful Box Canyon in southeast Arizona. Only a few miles from the world-famous Madera Canyon, Box Canyon hosts some dry hillside species that are rare in most of this area. In fact, a cooperative and bold Five-striped Sparrow perches nicely for Sparky right off the rugged road that traverses Box Canyon.

Sparky also finds a nest of a pair of animated Thick-billed Kingbirds, but one of the babies is not quite ready to fledge.

Walking a random wash in the canyon leads to a close-up encounter with a Varied Bunting. Multiple evenings were spent with new friends listening for the CODE 3 Buff-collared Nightjar. This would be a Lifer…but did Sparky hear it? You’ll have to watch to see.

One stormy night yields a friendly Tarantula, and a 3-foot Black-tailed Rattlesnake sporting its lovely green scales.

Madera Canyon in southeast Arizona is a legendary birding location…and the bird photography isn’t bad either! I spend parts of two days in this “sky island” canyon on this mid August trip.

Berylline Hummingbird is a Mexican bird species that occasionally shows up in southeast Arizona. The American Birding Association (ABA) labels it a Code 3 rarity. It would be a Lifer for me. Will I see it? The Santa Rita Lodge feeders are alive with hummers including Rufous, Anna’s, Black-chinned.

During the slower parts of the day, I sit at a water hole along the creek, and watch multiple species come in, including a Warbling Vireo. I get a photo, but what I didn’t realize, was that in just two short days, the American Ornithological Society (AOS) would split this species into two—Western Warbling-Vireo and Eastern Warbling-Vireo. A LIFER!

The crimson-bellied flycatcher known as Painted Redstart comes in for a drink, as well as Acorn Woodpecker, White-winged Dove, Plumbeous Vireo and others. Calling its “squeaky toy” song nearby is a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, which I manage to get a few photos of in the canopy.

Other Madera Canyon highlights were Bridled Titmouse, Mexican Jay, and Hutton’s Vireo, a species I’ve never photographed before.

NEXT EPISODE—Arizona #3d 

Lifer on the Mexican Border—”Death march into Sycamore Canyon”

Sparky kayaks around Stone Lake in northern Minnesota’s Sax-Zim Bog looking for birdlife. Highlights include Sedge Wren, Belted Kingfisher, Common Loon and an unexpected River Otter.

Late summer wildflowers are peak in late July/early August in the Bog and we take a look at a few finds. 

Sparky gives updates on upcoming events including the Artist-in-Residence program and author/photographer Paul Bannick’s Welcome Center talk on Saturday September 27. Paul will speak on his new book, Woodpecker: A Year in the Life of North America’s Woodpeckers.

We end the video with highights of the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog BioBlitz XIII.

This is Virtually Live Episode 56 (Season 6, Episode 1)

Warbler Wednesdays in Sax-Zim Bog are a many-year tradition. These field trips often yield fantastic looks at some of northern Minnesota’s 25+ species of breeding and migrant warblers.

Sparky highlights some of the finds on two Warbler Wednesdays including Canada, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Pine, Magnolia, Mourning and Golden-winged warblers to name a few.

We also check in on spring highlights of our Friends of Sax-Zim Bog trail camera project, “A Year in the Life at a Sax-Zim Beaver Pond.” Meet Hank and Ginger the Timber Wolf pair that make this part of the Bog their home. Also a surprise cameo by a mom Black Bear with THREE bundles of joy.

Sparky encounters Larry and Patty from Maine along Taiga Boardwalk, and we hear about their exciting Sax-Zim Bog trip.

Then as Sparky is wrapping up the day, a TRIO of MOOSE (!) wander across his path.

In this April 16th outing, Sparky only drives for 15 minutes and hikes for 10 minutes to reach a very cool duck and waterfowl photography spot in northern Minnesota’s Jay Cooke State Park. 

But he is shooting straight into the sun! How can he get good photos doing that?? Some cool creative bird photography results.

Highlights include a pair of courting Wood Ducks only 12 feet away(!), backlit Trumpeter Swans, a Pied-billed Grebe shaking water off its back nearby Belted Kingfisher, and a Blue Jay imitating a Broad-winged Hawk. A Muskrat floats by and Sparky spots a male Yellow-belled Sapsucker on the way out.

The best part? He makes it home for his 9am meeting!

April 4-5. 2025

In part 2 of my “Grouse to Goose” birding and bird photography trip in western Minnesota, I head south to the west central part of the state to find at least ONE Greater White-fronted Goose. But along the way, and despite the spring snow, I encounter multiple cool birds—Lapland Longspurs in near breeding plumage, dancing Sandhill Cranes, a “Gray Ghost,” and the World’s Largest Greater Prairie-Chicken!

Excited to finally get to one of Minnesota’s best birding sites, North Ottawa Impoundment in Grant County, my day is nearly ruined as I get mired in mud while pursuing a daytime-hunting Short-eared Owl.

But then a massive flock of Greater White-fronted Geese arises in the distance…3,000?, 5,000? Quite a sight, and success in my search!

Sparky heads to northwest Minnesota after an early April snowstorm. He has reserved a Sharp-tailed Grouse blind and is excited to photograph them dancing on top of the snow. But, alas, disappointment. The sounds of the courtship displays are amazing as usual, but he can’t really see them dance!

Sandhill Cranes and a bobbin of Robins in a ghost town save the day.

Daunted (is that a word?), Sparky sets a goal for the rest of the trip. See if he achieves it in Part 2.

Mid-Trip Pivot to BIRDING Minnesota’s Big Bog Wildlife PHOTOGRAPHY

February 7-8

The prairies of northwest Minnesota’s Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is a vast prairie restoration project…and in midwinter it can be a bit bleak. 

Sparky encounters a few cool species including Sharp-tailed Grouse and Northern Shrike but decides to do a MID-TRIP pivot and go to Big Bog Boardwalk even farther north. The mile-long boardwalk in Big Bog State Recreation Area is the longest of its kind. 

Sparky has to snowshoe to get there but finds MANY White-winged Crossbills feasting on Black Spruce cones, a Canada Jay gathering nesting material and he plays hide-and-seek with a Snowshoe Hare. 

But the fun doesn’t stop there as he finds a couple “Hoary” Redpolls and a very focused Pine Marten allows Sparky to join in in his hunt!

Then as a BONUS, Sparky stumbles upon a Great Gray Owl hunting in interesting backlight.

Side trips include birding a GHOST TOWN, finding a historic French Canadian settlement and cemetery, and “relaxing” in Key West.

In this Part 3 of Rio Grande Valley Texas birding, Sparky visits San Benito Wetlands, National Butterfly Center, Frontera Audubon, and Hugh Ramsey Park. He tries to fit this all in while still manning his Friends of Sax-Zim Bog table for the Rio Grande Valley Festival in Harlingen.

An unexpected McCall’s Eastern Screech-Owl is a “back-pocket” bird….One that is now only a subspecies but may be a full species (and a Lifer) someday. Other highlights include Clay-colored Thrush, bathing(?) Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Anhinga in slow motion, Vermilion Flycatcher, Gray Hawk, Olive Sparrow, Green Jays, Plain Chachalacas and Altamira Oriole.

A surprising trio of Groove-billed Anis makes Sparky happy since he hasn’t seen this species in decades!

The butterflying was fantastic too, as Sparky gets many Lifers including Blomfild’s Beauty, Gray Cracker, Soldier and Florida White, but also enjoys stellar view of stunners like Red-bordered Pixie and more Mexican Bluewings than ever before.

January 3-6, 2025: Sparky finds and photographs FOUR species of northern owls during Friends of Sax-Zim Bog’s 2025 BRRRRdathon-World’s Coldest Birdathon. TWO Boreal Owls, TWO Great Gray Owls, Snowy Owl and Northern Hawk Owl! What a great event, and photos of the other teams are shared.

Bitter cold makes birding difficult as he tries to fat bike and bird on a remote forest road (unsuccessfully). But Sparky has more success along Lake Superior with a very late lingering Bufflehead. White-winged Crossbills appear along Gray Jay Way in Sax-Zim Bog. Other highlights include two “rough” birds…Rough-legged Hawk and Ruffed Grouse. Sparky also explores a bit of the 1010 acres Friends of Sax-Zim Bog recently purchased along Owl Avenue.