Price of Black Oil sunflower seed

[shorebird]

I see them around my property alot. I cannot guarantee you would see them but I would say there is an 80% chance I would be able to find them close by.

There was an article in the Mpls.Tribune about my property in April. It was called Minnesota Safari. If you go on line and type that in you would be able to get an idea of what the author and photographer found. They did have very good luck however.

You could also try my HSOforum www.wiktel.net/birdsanctuary

If you are intrested let me know.

[Steve Foss]

shorebird, I remember that article. Here it is.

"It's not for everyone," says Larry Wilebski of his wildlife cabin at Evergreen Acres. "There's no phone, no traffic. But for the handful of people who enjoy it, I'm happy to have them use it ... I never charge anybody. Just come on out." Call 1-218-762-4205. If you go, I suggest you leave a generous tip. Check the HSOforum, www.wiktel.net/birdsanctuary, for photos of the property.

David Astin, Special to the Minneapolis Star Tribune

My birding pals David Astin and Frank Wilebski kept telling me that I had to visit the wildlife paradise Frank's brother Larry was creating back home in Lancaster. Where's that? Kittson County. Where's that? Clearly I needed enlightenment.

So last April, Dave and Frank arranged for us to spend a weekend at Larry's cabin to prove that all the wildlife stories I was hearing were true.

"I guarantee we'll see Short-eared owls," Dave said.

What did I see? Seventy-eight species of birds in one weekend, including black-billed magpies and gray jays, unusual in Minnesota. Three elk herds. A mother bear and her cubs. And few homo sapiens, who average only two per square mile throughout the county. But what people. Remnant tribes of hardy Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, Irish, Polish, English, Ukrainian. I felt like we were on safari. I have never seen such varied wildlife in such a brief period of time in a setting that wasn't an African plain or the Minnesota Zoo.

Kittson County scratches North Dakota on the west and Canada on the north, as far as a body can go and still speak Minnesotan.

Its flat western upland prairie rubs softly against eastern aspen parkland as glacial Lake Agassiz imperceptibly slopes west toward the Red River. After crossing the county line, we passed through Karlstad, population 794, whose church sign proclaimed, "The Bible said it. I believe it. That's final!"

Larry's place is a few miles outside of Lancaster, population 363, near the geographic center of the county and not far from the collection of Polish farms where he grew up.

Down a gravel road we passed a mailbox fronting a vanished farm house, then an occupied roadside badger burrow, before turning onto a two-track to enter Wilebski's Evergreen Acres, a life's work in progress. Beyond a resting tractor and sleeping snowmobile, the two-story cabin floated on a concrete slab, spartan but warm, with two bedrooms plus a loft for sleeping, a refrigerator for food and beer, and windows, lots of windows, from which to observe the wild world parade by.

A pothole pond abuts one side of the cabin. The other sides are studded with 150 bird-houses, numerous critter feeders, trails running through the woods and a stream babbling through fields waiting to burst into flower.

Settling in, Dave aimed his camera through sliding glass doors toward nearby feeders, "passive birding at its best," he said. But our first visitors were not birds, rather Big Time Birders up from the Twin Cities who had stayed here the night before. With them was Larry Wilebski.

While Dave and one of the visitors traded birding tales, I thumbed a book of wildlife photographs Larry had taken here, including one of a bobcat. For Larry, a father of five who builds buses in Pembina, N.D., this land is "his retirement." He buys 80-acre parcels whenever he can, digs ponds, restores wetlands, plants trees and wildflowers. He's happy to share it with anyone who wants to come.

Birds and birders thrive

After the others left for home, Dave drove into the flat countryside in afternoon light. At another of Larry's ponds, we observed shoveler ducks, pied-bill grebes and a Northern Harrier hawk loitering on a sand knoll, accompanied by the song of an Eastern meadow- lark. Stopping by another pond, we caught great views of greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs and a pair of wood ducks, and at yet another, we saw ring-necked ducks, mallards, and a hooded merganser, among others.

In Lancaster, we made a lazy U-turn on the main street and glided to a stop before Dean's Family Diner, one of two restaurants in town, for an early dinner -- and glances from the regulars wondering who these strangers could be.

After dinner we drove gravel roads with the sunlight behind us. A pair of marbled godwits stood on their long blue legs in the middle of the road. The ditches rattled with the songs of American chorus frogs, like a comb being stroked with a thumb.

As the light began to fade, we made a final stop along a roadside hay field to observe male Sharp-tailed grouse gathered in a lek -- a display ground where males strut their stuff in hopes of attracting passing females, like a singles bar on Saturday night. A clump of 14 males vied for center stage, sharp tails up, wings cupped down, bodies parallel to the earth, feet stomping like pistons, shaking their booties. Unfortunately for them, only the birders were mesmerized.

Like birds, bears evoke awe

Dawn at Wilebski Acres began like this: At first light, a ruffed grouse drummed his wings against his chest at increasing speed, his mating call, on a log not 5 feet from the cabin. At 6:30 a.m., the much-anticipated black-billed magpie arrived near the feeder, followed by three gray jays.

Later we watched the courtship flight of a male Northern Harrier bobbing above and below the tree line, demonstrating for a female his strength and grace. A male Wilson's snipe performed an even more dramatic mating flight, as if he were strung on a yo-yo.

In golden morning light we watched a pair of sandhill cranes perform their courtship dance. She suddenly broke forward, dipped her beak into a bunch of grass, threw it wildly up over her head, leaped up off the ground, turned toward him, they both leaped, crouched, leaped again, heads back together facing the sky, joyfully calling. She looked like "a flamenco dancer throwing a rose," Dave said. Up ahead, a coyote dashed across the road and bounded through the neighboring field, his pointed ears bouncing above the grass.

As we finished breakfast at Dean's, three farmers wearing overalls and feed caps regaled us with their own back-yard wildlife stories, of cougars sleeping on the railroad tracks, a bear playing with a deer spine, and elk grazing spring wheat, "a herd can do a lot of damage."

Then we were back on the road. A Wilson's snipe stood on one pale leg on a fence post and, as he turned his head, surprised us with his out-sized bill.

Then we caught our biggest surprise -- a mother bear and two cubs grazed a roadside field. She glistened silken black, 300 to 500 pounds. When she caught our scent, she reared up on her hind legs and put her front paws together as if in prayer, saw we were far enough away to make us all comfortable, then shuffled off with her cubs into the brake.

Three elk herd roam area

Returning to the cabin, we found a wild turkey wandering the yard and two river otters swimming upstream in the creek. I logged a blissful midday nap in the sun next to the pond, serenaded by choral frog comb strokes, bull frog bass drums and a yellow-bellied sapsucker hammering the power pole -- a mating symphony at full volume.

Back on the road later, we encountered an elk herd feeding in thick grass, one of three herds that now roam the county. A massive bull watched over his harem of 14 cows, all with buff-colored butts and oddly inconsequential tails. His velvet antlers glowed in the sun.

The next day Frank joined our wanderings. At Dean's again for breakfast, we imbibed more of his locally flavored stories. "The Polish were from the wrong side of the tracks, and the Wilebskis farther than that. Now they're all bled together, Polish married Scandinavians, Scandinavians married Poles."

Our last afternoon, we traveled County Road 4 west and north to a town called Caribou, the caribou population now zero, the human population nearly that. But we located what we were looking for, a Ukrainian Orthodox Church glowing against the tree line along the Roseau River, the Canadian border spitting distance on the other side. The padlock on the door revealed that it closed in 2005 after exactly a hundred years of service. Still, the graveyard and grounds were carefully mowed, the church freshly painted, the domes gilded and glistening. A flock of magpies flew by.

Only one critter we never did see-- a Short-eared owl. Dave guaranteed that, the next time we visit Kittson County, we'll see "a truckload."

James P. Lenfestey is a former editorial writer at the Star Tribune.

[JayinMN]

Wow, I just read the article, refreshed the page and Steve had it posted on here. Sound like a great place to visit, I think I need to make it over there this spring. One thing great about Minnesota there is always some place new to explore!

[shorebird]

If you have a family it is not a bad place for a mini vacation.

I had a couple from minneapolis with a little boy about 6 years old and he loved it out there.

There are several miles of walking trails I keep mowed.

I plan to do some cross country skiing tomorrow. It is snowing hard now.

[MN Shutterbug]

That does sound like a fun place to visit. Ahh, so many places and so little time.

[sirfishalots]

I just had to restock and was pleased to see the prices at my local feed and garden store(St. Francis)

*50# Black-oil Sunflowers $13.99

*50# whole corn $5.40

*50# Thistle $39.00

*50# peanut parts(no shells) $35.00

*50# peanut in shell $55.00

*50# White Millet $14.85

*50# sunflower chips (med.) $38.00

My best deal I ever got was last year when a tractor supply was clearencing there 3 50# bags of thistle seeds for $12.99 each, yes I did buy them all.

[JayinMN]

Man did you score a deal on the thistle. I got a 50 pound bag once for $15 and I was jumping up and down. It lasted a long time too.

[Birdsong]

Thanks to your suggestion about feeding corn. After bleaching and restocking feeders yesterday, and giving the squirrels a sled full of corn back by the river, everybody seems to be in their rightful places, and the birds are actually all coming back. Hallelujah! I greased the hooks and baffles, as well, and put a metal grate on top of Brother Franny's seed. The squirrels are actually starting to cooperate and share space on the sled.

[Steve Foss]

Just picked up two damaged (and taped up) 50 lb bags of black oil sunflower for $17 total at L&M in Mt. Iron. Half price, just because they were ripped a bit. Looked like about 10 lbs had come out of one of them, but the other was completely full.

Deals are where you find them.

One of those bags will stay in the vehicle so when I make those trips to the Sax-Zim Bog I'll never have to worry about whether I have seed along to restock JayinMN's feeder.

[JayinMN]

The ole ripped bag rack. Hibbing's store used to do that too but now instead of half price they only mark them down a couple dollars. I need a stale bread source for those gray jays then I can make one gigantic pile of bread crumbs.

[jonny_redhorse]

Kinda wondering if the "Tasty Bread Outlet " in Hibbing here might have old outdated bread etc.......hmmmm,might have to check

[Steve Foss]

You would feed our beloved gray jays stale bread? What are you guys thinking? Birds are people too!

[JayinMN]

And this is from the guy who was swatting at our friendly gray jays on Sunday....

[finnbay]

Ask him about the day three of 'em ate almost a whole bag of hot dog buns!

[jonny_redhorse]

I think 2(or 3) Guys sitting in a circle on their butts having a sandwich with their cameras in their laps with the gray jays on their shoulders would make a great photo!.......Hmmmm

[jonny_redhorse]

bird seed(black oil) is going "cheap" starting at 10:00 AM this morning here at L&M Supply{Hibbing)!(yup ,it's open on New Years day!)....9.99 for 50#(limit 10 bags).....they must have purchased a semi-load ....not sure if the sale is at the other L&M stores....just a quick reminder!

[Jim Almquist]

Thanks for the heads up Jonny.

[JayinMN]

I got 2 bags this morning. That brings me to 4 unopened bags. I am probably good for the year now.

Its been 2 days since I have no gone down to the bog. I bet today would be a good owl day though, seems like they are out more on the overcast days.

[Steve Foss]

Buzzsaw's up in the Bog today looking for boreal chickadees and owls. Hope he's having good luck!

[jonny_redhorse]

Steve...I met Mike Lentz and Stan Tekiela at Ribs 2 this morning...they were snapping images of the boreals and the "other" birds of course.....Then we met up again on Sax Road and snapped some images of the NHO....I think Mike had a good day!....I think he even had a GGO encounter earlier in the day.....speaking of seeds...I picked up one 50# bag of black oil and 2 bags of the "wild bird seed" mix also....the mix was only 1.99 for 10#....I had a great New Years Day!

[Jim Almquist]

We had a gift card so now I have 250 pounds of seed. That should last me for a couple of days

[JayinMN]

I think some of use are turning into bird seed hoarders. How was the feeder on Admiral? I am wondering if I need to go fill it tomorrow.

[jonny_redhorse]

I saw 2(feeders) there Jay....another added since last week....I thought there was quite a bit of seed in both....but....we know how fast seed can go when 30+ birds are constantly chewin on the seed.....I threw a little more out at ribs 1 today also....squirrels didn't eat "too" much ...Plus another chunk of rib cage...let the wolves chew on this one....lol!

[Jim Almquist]

Before I left Ribs2 I filled the feeder that Jay put there and the second one was just starting to get hit by the Black-capped so it was quite full. What was strange we only had the Gray Jays there early and they never came back and here I brought bread for them- Go figure.

[JayinMN]

Wow the feeders are multiplying. I guess I probably won't go down there then. I think I am going to head towards Isabella, Finland, North shore or maybe the Gunflint trail tomorrow. I never seem to end up where I plan to go.