Sax Zim Bog 2012

A few years ago I got "frost-bitten."  By which I mean, I fell in love with winter birding in the far north.  Winter can be a very harsh, desolate time.  But a winter landscape can be beautiful.

My interest in winter birding has been fed by exposure to the Sax Zim Bog, after attending a winter birding festival there in 2009.  The bog is northwest of Duluth, Minnesota, and it is a very cold place in winter. You can feel the warmth being sapped from your feet, even through heavy wool sock and sturdy hiking boots. 

But it is a magical place to see northern specialties like Pine Grosbeak, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay, Hoary Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak, Northern Hawk Owl, and Great Gray Owl.  I've seen all these species at Sax Zim Bog on different trips. 

Below are a handsome a couple of arctic breeders who came "south for the winter": a Rough-legged Hawk and a Norther Shrike.  Also, I found this sleepy resident Porcupine curled in a tight ball high in a tree. 

No owls on the trip this year, but some fine encounters nonetheless, including a Black-billed Magpie (at the eastern edge of their range) and a magnificent Northern Goshawk.  I'm looking forward to the next trip.

Chippewa Moraine 2012

One of my regular haunts in winter is the Chippewa Moraine of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and Scientific Reserve.  It's near a cabin where I spend a week in prayer.  Typically, I frame the day (morning, noon, and night) with prayer, including extended reading in the morning and hiking in the afternoon. 

The Chippewa Morraine is usually a great place to go snowshoeing, but this time I had to settle for my hiking boots.  It's also a great place to see winter birds.  I found a very handsome Common Redpoll on a sunny day, as well as Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, and Pine Siskin.  Other birds, like the Ruffed Grouse, Bald Eagle,  and Pileated Woodpecker, were either camera shy or too fast for me.

Winter Flower & Train Show 2011

I took my parents through the Winter Flower and Train Show at the Lincoln Park Conservatory this year.  My dad really liked the trains.

The tracks for three trains ran through a poinsettia "forest" and beside models of vintage Chicago buildings, such as the Shedd Aquarium and the Chicago Art Institute. 

Each building model was made of all-natural materials.  There were water features and bridges, as well. 

It was fun to walk through this very creative Christmas-themed setting in the historic Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Of course, there were stunning blooms throughout the rest of the Conservatory, especially in the orchid room.

Black-throated Blue Warbler in Millennium Park

I saw this very, very, very late Black-throated Blue Warbler in Chicago's Millennium Park on December 29, 2011.  Warblers are NOT expected in Illinois in December.  Previously the latest Illinois record for BTBW was November, 28, 2008.  They are a neotropical species which breeds in the deep woods of the northeastern U.S. and Canada.  Normally at this time of year, BTBWs are "wintering" on islands in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and Panama, with the northernmost records being in Florida. 

A little research on eBird shows that a female BTBW was observed in British Colombia on December 18, 2011.  Since BTBWs do not breed that far west, her genetic impulse to migrate must be really mixed up, sending her west instead of south. 

Perhaps the male BTBW I saw will make it to the tropics yet.  It is highly unlikely he could survive a harsh Chicago winter.  BTBW diet mainly consists of insects and some small fruits.   He has been seen taking advantage of the sap oozing from a tree drilled by a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (which is a little north of its typical range, too).  The presence of these birds underscores the importance of maintaining wildlife habitat in the middle of an urban landscape.  Vive le Chicago Wilderness! 

Both birds were easily seen from the sidewalk next to the Cycling Center.  I was especially pleased to add the BTBW to my Illinois list for the year (#242), since I had previously not seen any this year.  The handsome little guy was a real joy.

Christmas in Indiana 2011

Here are a few visitors during a snowy Christmas celebration in Indiana.  There's a pair of Northern Cardinals, an American Tree Sparrow, and a Dark-eyed Junco.

December Backyard Birds 2011

There has been a flurry of activity at the bird feeders lately.  I've been getting more species.  Here are some snapshots of the latest visitors.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Black-capped Chickadee

American Goldfinch

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Great Sand Dunes 2011

The Great Sand Dunes National Park is a world of sand, stone, and streams.  Situated against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes are the highest dunes in North America. 

"Star Dune," the highest sand ridge, is a strenuous 750-foot climb up shifting sand.  The view from the top is spectacular.  We hiked early on a fall morning while the ridges were frosted with snow.  Cold temperatures and frozen sand made the hike a little easier.  [NOTE: our campsite had a great view of the dunes.  At night the temperature dropped to 25°F, and by morning our breath had encrusted the tent fly with frost.]

It is an extremely diverse region with massive dunes surrounded by alpine peaks, a desert valley, creeks flowing on the surface of the sand, pristine mountains, and rural range land.  There was a herd of American Bison on the plains -- too far away to get a decent photograph.  But a pair of Pronghorn Antelope were grazing a little closer to the road. 

While exploring the valley, we visited the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.  October was a quiet time on the refuge (most of the breeding birds already left), but we managed to find a Porcupine!  In the absence of any trees, its quills were excellent camouflage in the dry grasses.

We also checked out Zapata Falls, a 30-foot cascade that is hidden a half-mile through a narrow crevasse.  I had to stand directly in the icy water to capture any images of the waterfall.  Here's a video postcard from the Great Sand Dunes.