The ’23-’24 winter has been excellent to me for owls! I finally got to photograph the very tiny and adorable Northern Saw-whet Owl. When I saw this owl, it had a Deer Mouse in its talons, most likely a catch from the night before. It appeared to be half eaten, from the head. It was in a rather open spot, although still hidden very well, but excellent for photos. I watched it for about 20 minutes. I was able to see it cough up a pellet as well. Of course, my camera lost focus on that event, which was very irritating. I did capture the weird faces/poses it made before and after though. Photos below are from the late morning, that day. Enjoy!
I spent the week at Sax-Zim Bog, the first week of February. It was awesome! If you have never been there, it is a Black Spruce-Tamarack bog that attracts wintering owls. It has gotten quite popular in the recent years though. When I was there in ’18, I might have seen 5 people throughout the entire day. This year, there were at least 50, even during the mid-week! The weather was quite mild this year with temperatures in the mid 30’s most days. One day, it was 47 and sunny, t-shirt weather! That is a 70-degree swing from what I’m used to up there, in previous years. In 2018, it was -36 degrees and in 2020 it was -30 degrees, so I was pretty happy about the warmer temps. There was still snow on the ground when I first arrived, but it was all melted by the end of the week. I didn’t know what to expect with the warmer weather, but it worked out really well. I saw everything you would want to see, except the Sharp-tailed Grouse, which are getting rather uncommon in the area now. For the week, I took just over 13,500 photos! In those 7 days, I saw 4 Great Gray Owls, and I was able to photograph three of them. Those owls are absolutely stunning in person, and it makes your day just being able to watch them for a few minutes. I also saw a Northern Hawk Owl, which was in the same spot, posing beautifully almost every day. The Northern Hawk Owl was hanging around Byrn’s Greenhouse and you could easily spend hours watching it hunt from there. I saw it catch 5 voles, eat three of them, while caching the other two. All of this activity was less than 100′ from the highway most of the time. It was just incredible watching it! I got really lucky with an American Goshawk that week as well. I had just turned west onto Overton Ave from Owl Ave and about 3/4 of a mile down the road, I saw a hawk flying through the Birch trees. I hit the brakes and jumped out, grabbed my camera out of the back seat and the hawk circled around and flew right across the road, directly in front of me. I fired off a burst and got several very nice, in focus shots. It was perfect sunlight with bright blue skies. When I’m driving around, I always have my camera set to shoot flying birds into a bright sky. That way I’m not scrambling to adjust my settings. In previous years, the feeders throughout the bog had been very productive for the winter finches, but this year, only Common Redpolls were high in numbers. There were a few Hoary Redpolls mixed in and I found my first ever male. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of them. The Pine Grosbeaks and Evening Grosbeaks were seen sporadically on various roads and occasionally came to the feeders, but not many. That was a little disappointing, since watching those in big numbers at close range is a special treat. There were several Bohemian Waxwings flying around and seen the week prior to me arriving. I didn’t see any and there was only one report of two flying over Bryn’s Greenhouse one afternoon. Several Boreal Chickadees had been seen on Admiral Rd, McDavitt Rd and Arkola Rd feeders. I was able to watch at least one, on two separate occasions at the south Admiral Rd feeders. Each time, it just appeared and then within 30 seconds it was gone. Canada Jays were quite frequent to all the feeders, throughout the day. Black-billed Magpies seemed to be more active this year, as I found quite a few of them. They are always extremely tough to photograph though. I was originally only staying for 5 days but extended it by 2 more after I didn’t see any Black-backed Woodpeckers. Haha, well that’s not the only reason I stayed longer, but that was a good one. The last two times I was here, I saw one once, fly across McDavitt and out of sight. That was my only experience with them. The best places to find them are at Winterberry Bog and Warren Nelson Memorial Bog. I stopped by each just about every day, sometimes twice a day, walk the boardwalk and no luck. So, Saturday morning, it was my mission to find them. After walking the Winterberry Bog, I drove down the street a little and decided to go into the Indian Pipe Bog. I walked in, all the way to the loop in the back and found a female. Finally! I watched it pound on a few trees for about 30 minutes or so and then it flew deeper into the bog. By the time I got back to the truck and was heading back towards highway 7 it was almost noon already. Time sure flies up there! I knew that an American Three-toed Woodpecker had been seen about an hour north of the Sax-Zim Bog, so I pulled over and debated about going up there and looking. It had not been reported in a few days, but figured it still had to be around, so I decided to go. I arrived on Plum Creek Rd/Buboltz Rd just after 1pm, where it was reported and saw another person looking. I stopped and chatted, and they hadn’t seen it. I made my way a little further west and parked. I started walking down the road and heard some tapping on a tree. After a few minutes, I finally found a Hairy Woodpecker. That was not what I wanted! Fast forward an hour and half, no luck, so I decided to head back to the bog. I got into the truck, turned around and started heading back towards the highway. I was driving slowly and looking into the trees and saw a tree with at least 4 holes in it. I backed up and while I was doing that, I saw something fly. I got out and tried to relocate it. Within a minute, I found it, an American Three-toed Woodpecker!!! It gave me extended, wonderful looks making this life bird an exciting road trip. On my last day there, I started on Lake Nichols Rd in search of the owls, no luck. I made my way over to Arkola Rd and I saw several people with cameras on the side of the road, which is usually a good sign. I pulled up and was looking in their direction to see what they were looking at and saw a woodpecker. I pulled all the way over and got out. It was a beautiful male Black-backed Woodpecker! Finally! It moved a few trees and then flew across the street to the stump of a Black Spruce. It stayed there, pounding and stripping the bark of it for a good 5 minutes, before moving in the bog a little deeper. I walked down to the feeders and chatted with a few people for 20 minutes or so. I looked over and saw two guys aiming into the trees again and saw that the woodpecker made its way back out. It sat at eye level pounding on a Black Spruce for over 10 minutes! I couldn’t believe it. After not seeing these birds in all my time there, the 2 extra days I stayed and was rewarded with excellent views. Sometimes that’s just how it works. I found numerous Ruffed Grouse most days. Several on the sides of the roads, which I was able to photograph. Most evenings, just before sunset, they come into the birch trees and eat the seeds. That is tough lighting and lots of branches/sticks in the way though. One evening, I found 2 of them on the south end of Owl Ave. I stopped and looked at them through my binoculars and thought to myself they had a little more yellowish and barring on the sides and belly. It was rather dark, and I didn’t take any photos, although I could have made it work. When I got back to the hotel, I was looking at Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse on the Audubon App. It was then I realized I had seen 2 female Spruce Grouse! Oh no, a lifer and I didn’t take photos!!! I was pretty upset with myself that evening. I’m normally very good with identifying subtle differences and I just kind of wrote it off, even after making those small mental notes to myself. Oh well, next time, I guess. Lastly, the animals of the bog were showing quite nicely the week I was there. At least 3 American (pine) Marten were being seen at the Admiral Rd feeders. They would come out and eat the beef fat that was put out or they really liked the peanut butter that people would spread out. Short-tailed Weasels (Ermine) were being seen at the Welcome Center and Arkola Rd feeders. I saw one, for about 2 minutes at the Welcome Center and never got any photos. That was my only bummer on the trip. I’ve seen them plenty of times around Whitnall Park, but I really wanted to watch them in their all-white winter coat. I saw hundreds of deer, but only doe. I had a Red Fox but was driving on highway 7 and didn’t see it soon enough, to stop. While watching the Northern Hawk Owl, an American Mink popped out of the ice in the ditch. It stayed out for a minute or so and the 8 of us watching the owl got decent looks at it. Red squirrels are everywhere throughout the bog and are very common at the feeders. They chase each other around and are very noisy. Some of them are very red and really pretty. While driving around the western side of the bog, I found 2 Porcupines sleeping in trees. I had seen them up there in past years, but they were always on the south side of the road. This year, they were both on the north side of the road in perfect light. I’m still waiting to see a Timber Wolf or a Moose up there. So, that’s my story of this year’s bog trip. All in all, it was an excellent vacation and I’m glad I spent a week there. I ended up with 33 species, including 2 lifers! This is a very long photo gallery, hopefully you will enjoy as much as I did editing it. If you see a name underlined, you can click it, to be taken to its homepage gallery for more photos. Enjoy!
Here is a link to the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, which should provide you with all the information you need.
Last week Saturday (1/20) was an excellent and sad day for Long-eared Owls (LEOW) in Milwaukee County. I found one early in the morning while out. About an hour later, I received a text about one being found at Grant Park, near the feeders. Unfortunately, that one was found dead in the road, presumably from being hit by a car. Shortly after that text, I received a call that two had been seen down by the Milwaukee River Mouth, behind the amphitheater. In the meantime, I was watching a dark morph Rough-legged Hawk (RLHA) in Oak Creek. I got word that one of the LEOW was still being seen down by the amphitheater, so I went to try that. I had heard it was right on the side of the road 6′ off the ground. When I got down there, sure enough, sitting in the sun right on the side of the road. If you didn’t know it was there, you would have drove, walked or ran right past it, as most people did. It is unbelievable how well they blend right to their surroundings! I looked for the second one briefly, without luck. I had heard later in the afternoon, that one of the LEOW was attacked and carried away by a Rough-legged Hawk. That was shocking to me, since I had no idea that a RLHA would even make an attempt at an owl. With temperatures below zero for the week, I’m sure they eat whatever they can get their feet on. I would have preferred one of the 2000 scaup that were out in the water, but that is nature. Photos below are from Saturday, 1/20/24. Enjoy!
Finally, a Snowy Owl graces us with its beauty! Normally this would be a common sighting, but Milwaukee County has not had one since the beginning of 2022. We are usually spoiled with anywhere between one to five of them during the winter months. It’s nice to end the snowy drought though. This owl was found sitting atop a chimney vent, in a residential neighborhood, in Bayview. By the time we figured out where it was exactly, it was almost 3:35pm. I didn’t even get there until right around 4pm. Soon, there were at least 20 or so from the bird community, and then another 15-25 neighbors and passersby. People were in awe of this exquisite owl, so close to everyone. Cars were slowing down and looking as well. It turned out to be quite an awesome event. It’s always nice to be able to chat with friends, while photographing birds. I stayed until it flew away, which was close to 4:45pm. It flew off to the southeast. By then, it was pretty dark out already. Photos below are from the late afternoon, 12/20. Enjoy!
A couple of these photos were featured on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel website today, in a very nice article written by Paul Smith. I think they might be in the sports section tomorrow as well. If you would like to read the article, click on the link below.
The last month has been very good for me, for owls in the state. I found a Barred Owl while out deer hunting on opening day, in Lincoln County. It was near sunset as we were driving out of the woods. It was sitting about 20′ up, but from our vantage point on the road, it was eye level. I always carry my camera with me, and it paid off that day. The Screech Owls were found at parks in Milwaukee County. I’ve always seen the gray and brown morph’s before, but this was my first red morph. The Short-eared Owls were at Killsnake Wildlife Area, in Chilton. There were at least 12 flying around at one time. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were 20+ of them. The Saturday I went, it was cloudy with low clouds, making it appear darker. That is usually my luck when I have a chance to go there. The first one I saw, flew out just after 3pm and landed about 70 yards behind my truck, on the side of the road. From then on, they just kept coming and flying over the fields, at times coming rather close to the roads. They were very vocal and chasing each other around as well. It was fun to watch! Photos below are from the last month in Wisconsin. Enjoy!
These owls are very hard to find and blend in with their surroundings incredibly well. You can be looking right at them and not see them. They are nocturnal and sleep during the day. Consistent activity around a roosting site can cause them to expend too much energy that is needed for the nightly hunting. If you ever stumble across a roost, please use discretion and proper etiquette. That being said, they are very approachable (within reason) and will let you know if you are too close based on their facial expressions. I will try to show you the various stages that they show you, with the 4 owls at this particular roost, in the following pictures:
Acknowledging you but showing content
Notice that they might look at you, but their eyes are mostly closed. They still watch their surroundings, in case of any potential threats, but are fine with your presence. They will most likely go back to sleep, but you should keep your distance.
A little too close for comfort
Notice how their eyes are mostly open. They are intent on watching you, to make sure you are not a threat to them. At this point you should move away slowly and give them their space, so they can return to sleeping.
Too close, back off
Notice their eyes are wide open and they consider you an immediate threat. If you end up at this point, try to move away very slow and quietly. Failure to do so will most likely end up in flushing one or more from the roost.
I was on my way to Whitnall Park to look for the Northern Goshawk, when a friend text me and said a Snowy Owl was sitting in the grass, close to the road. This owl has been hanging around the airport for a little over a month, but has been hard to locate. I immediately turned around and went over there. I’m glad I did, because it was about as close and good a look you would ever get of a Snowy Owl. She just sat there, rotating her head back and forth, hunting for prey. I watched her for about 15 minutes, and then went on my way, back to Whitnall Park. I never did see the hawk that day, but missed it by about ten minutes, after waiting around for it close to 6 hours. Here are some photos of the owl, sitting in the grass, hunting.
My friend Lorri and I were planning a road trip on Friday 12/27. We were originally going north to find some of the winter birds. However, in combination with the negative reports and warm weather, we decided to try for the Varied Thrush instead. We arrived at the UW-Stout parking lot 21 at 7:15am, where it was apparently feeding with a group of robins. It was still fairly dark, so we parked facing the berry trees, in case they came in before sunrise. Sure enough, about five minutes later, the thrush came in with the robins. This was a life bird for both of us! They were feeding on berries in the snow, that got knocked off the trees. The trees were right alongside the road, so they would fly up into the larger trees, when trucks would drive past. We pulled up right next to the trees and waited for them to come back down. After 20 minutes or so they came back down. They would go up and come back down about every 30-45 minutes, and would disappear and then reappear into the larger trees. We then caught some bad luck. A woman was plowing the parking lot with a front end loader with a large plow, scraping across the asphalt and making a lot of noise. We waited it out, but the thrush never came back. We did see a flock of robins head off to the south, during the snow removal. We spent the majority of the morning there, and before heading out, we decided to take a ride around the block, to see if we could relocate the thrush. We did! It was with several robins in parking lot 30, between the fire and police departments. We didn’t stick around to see if it would come down to some of the berry trees over there.
We then thought we would head over to the Buena Vista Grasslands, hoping to see the male Snowy Owl, that has been around. We didn’t find any Snowy Owls, but did see several Rough-legged Hawks, Northern Harriers and American Kestrels. We also saw 38 Greater Prairie-Chickens, which were lifers for me. They were very far out, but were flushed by something and flew a good distance, that we could watch them. We drove around the area for the rest of the afternoon, but there wasn’t too much activity. We did get 3 Short-eared Owls just after sunset. They were in the field southeast of the intersection at Hwy W and Taft Rd. The photos below are from the day.
