Northern Minnesota’s Sax-Zim Bog is home to 19 species of breeding warblers (20 if we include the “wild card” Cape May Warbler). And in Warbler-palooza III Sparky tries to film as many of them as he can.

First surprise of the day is a singing male Brewster’s Warbler! (hybrid between Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warbler). Thanks to Dave Bartkey for pointing this out!!

Spoiler Alert! He films 16 of the 19 regular species…and gets some amazing opportunities for close-ups. Sparky only hears Magnolia but totally dips on Northern Waterthrush and Canada Warbler.

Warbler Number 3 provides a surprise that will be revealed at the end of the video. Stay tuned!

We go to Nichols Lake Road (Mourning, Golden-winged, Northern Parula), Owl Avenue (Connecticut, Yellowthroat), Admiral Road (Northern Yellow, Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, Nashville), St. Louis River at Zim Road (Blackburnian), Norway Ridge Road (Pine), Pine Road (Black-throated Green).

A Save-the-Date reminder of the 15-year Friends of Sax-Zim Bog October 25th party is also included.

I find some cool things in this episode of Virtually Live from Sax-Zim Bog. Snow Buntings and Pine Siskins have arrived from the north. Then I run across a bizarre sight…A Muskrat is chasing a Wood Duck around a Beaver pond!. Later a Great Gray Owl flies over my van and into the bog so I put on my rubber boots and go in after the owl. Amazingly I find it and plop down in the Sphagnum moss to enjoy the show. Eventually the Great Gray comes within 30 feet or so and plunges into the moss for a vole. Wow! 

Birding and bird photography in Sax-Zim Bog in October.

Also remiders of the upcoming Tiny Bird Art fundraiser, BRRRRdathon: World’s Coldest Birdathon, 2024 Bog Wild Calendar, and Wrap up of Bog BioBlitz XI in Sax-Zim.

Virtually Live #39: Season 4 Episode 4

October 16, 2023