Bright pink birdie.

[JayinMN]

Pine grosbeaks are starting to make an appearance along with red polls. It may be a great winter for northern finches.

And the ever present chickadee

[Jim Almquist]

Very Nice Jay

Hang the feeders on Thursday and by Sunday we got birds. The only missing subject so far seems to be the Boreal Chickadee.

I will have to get off my duff a PP a few of mine.

[Steve Foss]

Sweet portraits, Jason.

I'd wondered if the boreals would be the one casualty after the carcasses were forbidden, but I've seen them at suet stations several times, so hopefully they'll show back up. When Ken and I were in the Bog a week or two ago, we noticed they hit the roadside brush/trees hard with the trimmer/mangler, and those spruces/firs on the same side of Admiral and just down from the dead feeding station tamaracks are a lot less thick now. That may impact the boreals somewhat, since they almost always made their way to the feeding station by sneaking in through those evergreens.

[Jim Almquist]

Steve I noticed just how bad of a job the guy did when I went through in early November. I don't think you are suppose to brush hog the side of trees

I think the Boreal Chickadees will show up at some point in time. Jay did bring up a good point when we were BSing today that there was a lot of logging done just to the west and that might just have a impact.

[MN Shutterbug]

Both beauts, Jason.

[JayinMN]

Quote:

I'd wondered if the boreals would be the one casualty after the carcasses were forbidden, but I've seen them at suet stations several times, so hopefully they'll show back up

Ironically enough someone dumped a box of deer remains right by the feeding spot. Its maybe 50 feet away or so up the road. Of course the birds are feeding on them but we are now forbidden to hang them on a branches because its littering. They will have to eat from the cardboard box they are in because I am not touching them... Even with the venison scraps in the ditch we didn't have any boreals show up so I don't think they were in the area. I am going to put a jar of peanut butter out down there next time I go. I learned last year they really dig that stuff and a dab of PB will get them perching anywhere you want them. Since I will probably limit my bog trips to once a week if that at the earliest I will be down there next weekend. Jim did build a huge tray feeder though and the pine grosbeaks are already loving it. I think we are going to be in for a good year of pine grosbeaks and red polls which are fun to shoot. There were a lot of red polls buzzing around today. They would stop by the feeder but none came in. If they come in large numbers I am sure a few hoarys will come too.

[Dbl]

Really some nice shots!

[finnbay]

Really nice, Jason! Hope the feeder stuff works out!

[Griggs]

Good photos Jay! I'm hoping for a good season this year!

[Steve Foss]

Thanks again for your work, Jim and Jason. You make things nice for avian photographers who are traveling from short and long distances, but you also make things easy for non-photography birders, who also often come from great distances to tally difficult life list species such as boreal chickadees.

Birders and avian photographers alike appreciate it!

It's really amazing how much trimming (or damage, if you will) those brushing cutters do. What we saw along Admiral Road is just like how it looks up the Echo Trail when they decide to prune. Hopefully it wont' be an issue.

[Borealhunter]

I talked to one of the local trappers on the Admiral Rd and it seems he might of dump some of those deer remains near one of his traps for Weasels. He told me he is trapping weasels and trying to get that Bobcat that is alluding his traps.

Jim: Thanks for all your doing this year with the feeders on the Arkola Rd.

Also good to hear that the winter finches are finding the feeders. I am perplexed as to why the Boreal Chickadees have yet to find the suet but in time hopefully they will the food.

Ken: it was good birding / photography with you at Canal Park.. did you post the Thayer's Gull photos yet?

If you are a PBS nature show viewer there is a program called Nature Adventures out of South Dakota PBS that is coming to this year's festival to do a segment on Sax-Zim Bog and the festival. Terri Lawrenz is the host and is quite good looking. And here is the site of the Nature Adventures: http://www.sdnatureadventures.org/

Merry Christmas all!