April 3, 2025

A spring snowstorm blankets the Sax-Zim Bog in white. How did the migrant birds fare? Sparky finds some Hooded Mergansers, Fox Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbirds. Open water on the edges of Stone Lake are occupied by patient Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans waiting for the ice to melt so they can claim the best territories.

He also shares why one bird’s name should be “Canadian” Tree Sparrow instead of its current name.

Finally we head over to Mary Lou’s to enjoy the cacophony of bird calls, gawk at the Battle Royale between feeding siskins, and witness the only bird with a green bill in the North Woods.

Mammals take the spotlight in this early spring episode from Minnesota’s Sax-Zim Bog. Sparky encounters two charismatic weasel species in the Bog’s first unfrozen water of the year. 

The snow is mostly gone, but ice clings to area lakes and rivers, but Sparky finds some open water to check.

First he spots something on the ice at Sax WMA, which turns out to be a River Otter, but there is something wrong with this “mega water weasel.”

Later, while looking for early returning waterfowl at Stone Lake (Wood Duck, Canada Geese) he finds, and travels with, a fast-swimming Mink.

The day ends with a brief sunset encounter with a hunting Great Gray Owl.

Sparky shares his six favorite photos from the two days.

He also gives an update on upcoming spring and summer field trips in Sax-Zim Bog, and shares some details on Andy Forbe’s Big Green Year on behalf of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog.

Filmed March 17 & 22, 2025

Virtually Live 52 S5E7

Sparky makes a March 8 excursion into the boreal forest of Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. He finds a gorgeous male Spruce Grouse in a beautiful snowfall. Boreal Chickadees and a flock of Redpolls enliven the mostly quiet woods. 

Snowshoeing down a remote creek, Sparky breaks through the ice…Fortunately it’s only a couple feet deep! Will he survive?! Oh wait, I’m the one writing this, so I guess I did get out of that icy situation.

Animal tracking was awesome with the 2 inches of new snow—Moose, Lynx, Snowhoe Hare, Pine Marten, River Otter all left signs of their recent passing.

Sparky also stops for a cross-country ski a loop at the Flathorn-Gogek trails.

Our final stop is at Rich Hoeg’s feeders near Greenwood Creek where we find a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches investigating a possible nest cavity.

A surprise Boreal Owl is the Superstar Bird of the Day!

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.

Warbler-Palooza II starts strong with Sparky finding one of the rarest breeding warblers in North America….the Connecticut. But technical difficulties hamper the warbler count. Fortunately he is able to share video of some beautiful warblers including Northern Parula, Golden-winged Warblers. And there are many other highlights to be seen in northern Minnesota’s Sax-Zim Bog in summer…Great Gray Owl, Sedge Wrens, LeConte’s Sparrow, Snowshoe Hares and much more. Sparky also shows us highlights from May’s Warbler Wednesdays and the bi-annual “garbage clean-up best find contest.” Oh yeah, it’s also time for Tiny Bird Art!

Sparky finally makes it to Coastal California to do some more birding and bird photography—Point Reyes, Bodega Head, Elk Head Trail at Trinidad Beach. Lifer Elephant Seal appears at Drake’s Beach! Inland bird highlights include Chestnut-backed Chickadees, singing Wilson’s Warblers, fruit-eating Band-tailed Pigeon, curious California Thrasher pair, and a surprisingly loud Yellow-breasted Chat.

On the way to the Coast Sparky detours to enjoy the MASSIVE California Redwoods along the Avenue of the Giants and Founders Grove in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. He even drives THROUGH the Chandelier Tree!

Along the Coast, the best sightings were a couple pairs of enigmatic Black Oystercatchers, Western Gull with four fuzzy chicks, Heerman’s Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants, thousands of nesting Common Murres and watching the fascinating courtship and mating rituals of the Brandt’s Cormorant.

Sparky birds northern California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park in this episode. Unfortunately the late spring has the road through the park still blocked by snow. But he is able to see a bunch of cool mountain birds including Hermit Warbler, Mountain Chickadee, “Thick-billed” Fox Sparrow, “Audubon’s” Warbler, Western Tanager, Clark’s Nutcracker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and he finds the nests of Steller’s Jay and Dark-eyed Junco.

But something is calling incessantly from a steep bank. Sparky investigates and finds a day-old Mule Deer fawn wedged in a rock crevice.  See what happens next!

In Part 1 of Birding Northern California. Sparky heads out to San Francisco to fill in some gaps in his ABA Life List. He also hopes to get photos of birds he hasn’t seen in 20 years or more.

He visits Ellis Creek Water Recycling in Petaluma, Red Bluff Recreation Area, Rayhouse Road/Road 40, Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, McArthur-Burney Falls State Park, Whiskeytown NRA, and some random roadside spots.

Avian Highlights include Yellow-billed Magpie, Lazuli Bunting, “California” Red-shouldered Hawk, Black Phoebe, Acorn and White-headed woodpeckers, Wrentit, Bushtit, Acorn Titmouse and a happy family of Common Mergansers. 

More coming in Parts 2, 3 and 4!

Sparky visits three of his favorite spring birding and bird photography spots in western Minnesota…Lake Osakis by kayak (Western Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Marsh Wren, Forster’s Terns), Felton Prairie in Clay County (Marbled Godwits, Greater Prairie Chickens, Bobolinks) and Thief Lake WMA by floating blind (floating hide) (Franklin’s Gulls, Dunlin, Forster’s Terns)

Spring in Sax-Zim Bog filmed on April 25, 2024: Season FIVE of Virtually Live from Sax-Zim Bog begins with Sparky seeing what spring migrants have returned to northern Minnesota. Along McDavitt Road he finds TWO rarely seen behaviors…Mating Sandhill Cranes and two leaping Black Bears! We also see some crazy video clips of our 8-year old friend Blake who has an American Woodcock that has chosen him as a mate! Other avian highlights include cooperative Green-winged Teal, courtship display of the Broad-winged Hawk, and slow-motion Trumpeter Swans.

Sparky also encourages everyone to join Friends of Sax-Zim Bog’s big spring event called the Big Week. It runs from May 11-18.