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!

In this week’s installment of Virtually Live in Sax-Zim Bog, Sparky takes us on a fly-over of the little-explored Blue Dasher Bog where he searches for Trumpeter Swans. We also bird Stone Lake Road and Zim Road. Great looks at a gorgeous drake Blue-winged Teal, singing Yellow-rumped Warbler, flapping Sandhill Crane, nest-building Trumpeter Swans and more. Three FOY (first-of-year) species are found including two iconic Sax-Zim Bog breeding birds…LeConte’s Sparrow and Sedge Wren.

[Shot with Panasonic GH5 & Sigma 50-500mm lens (for bird videos); Sony A6500 and Rokinon 12 mm lens (for vlogging); DJI Phantom 4 Pro (drone aerials); Bird sounds recorded with Sennheiser 18″ shotgun microphone and Zoom H4n recorder; Voice sound with Rode Micro mic.]

It’s always good to get back out to the prairie…and western Minnesota’s Felton Prairie is always a nice escape from the North Woods. Just a few of my favorites from this mid May trip to Clay and Norman Counties. Enjoy! (pssst…We’re off to Florida…I’ll post photos when I get back)
Marbled Godwit…a very large and raucous shorebird that makes its home on medium-grass prairies.

Brewer’s Blackbird

Brewer’s Blackbird

Upland Sandpiper

Northern Shoveler

Marbled Godwit

Marbled Godwit

Western Meadowlark. Great to hear their melodious song since we get the less melodious Eastern Meadowlark near Wrenshall.

Northern Harrier

Yellow Warbler

Swamp Sparrow

Lark Sparrow a bit further north, near Agassiz Dunes SNA in Norman County

Sedge Wren

Sedge Wren

Bank Swallow Colony in an old gravel pit…This colony has made this cut its home for many years.