Hey guys! Denise from Sax Zim - so happy to see this video and checking off the northern shrike. I actually got my first decent photo of a northern shrike at Mary Lou’s feeders the day after we chatted at the welcome center. So excited to see the videos from the bog (and the drive to/from). Hope the drive home was fruitful and that you are getting ever closer to the 300!
Thanks Denise, it sounds like you had a better time than we did after our chat. Spoiler alert: Our adventure required calling a tow-truck! (We are okay). I saw your picture of the Shrike - great couple of shots! Very nice time talking with you at The Bog and hope to run into you again.
@BritHikesOntario on no!!! I am so sorry to hear about the travel struggles. You guys aren't alone - I was delayed almost an entire day due to a broken navigation system on my plane. At least we are all home safe and sound.
That mocking bird was really doing a good job lol. I do love the butcher bird. I've been lucky to see Great Grey, Red Backed and Woodchat shrikes here in the local area. Great job. Well done.
To be honest, I wasn't aware of the latter two you mentioned. They're both really cool looking, especially the Woodchat Shrike. Might have to add that to my bucket list! Did that one sneak into The UK and you saw it there?
Nice one. It's a pretty cool bird. We've seen a few more since this video was filmed, especially while we were traveling north. Typical, right? You wait so long to see one....
Good morning 🌅 to you from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR. Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR only has ONE Shrike, and that is the Long-tailed Shrike. The last time I saw it was a month ago in the New Territories of Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR near our residential area just below the train 🚈station 🚉 , when I first saw this Long-tailed Shrike. It flew off quickly in two seconds as soon as it landed on a tree stump, and I had no chance of photographing it. That was my first ‘LIFER’ seeing a Shrike for the first time.
Hmm... those look like a lot of female Common Mergansers at 7:15, as they seem to be showing a well-defined white throat patch. The throat patch on the female Red-breasted is more diffuse -- it's a bit like the throats of Bank v. Northern Rough-winged Swallows, if that makes sense. Hope you have a safe, productive trip to MN!
Thanks Chris. Yeah, looks like you're correct, but things wouldn't feel right without at least one mistake per video. It will have to be our secret, so I can still have my silly merganser trifecta rhyme at the end. In seriousness, appreciate the tip on the throat patch.
Thank you. We will give it a shot. Our plan is basically.... travel to Sax-zim Bog for owls and hope we get fairly lucky. Not sure we will make it, but we will try.
Hey guy's! I just finished my 2 day trip to Sax Zim Bog and heading back to Michigan tomorrow through the UP then down home to the lower part of the mitten. Took me 11hrs driving. Sorry you had car troubles. Congrat's on the Shrike. My first picture of one was last year near my home and I did get one today. I only added 4 new bird's. 2 Gray Owl's, White Wing Cross Bills, Evening Gross Beak's, Canada Jay. I also saw 3 Moose. The UP has a couple places that have the Boreal Owl,Red Wing Cross Bill's and Black backed woodpecker. I also would like to find a pine Grosebeak as well. I won't have much time though I need to head home. I might take another weekend and visit longer. I wanted to stop at at Rudyard the Snowy Owl capital of Michigan but won't have time. Got my first Snowy last year there. The bog is big and lot's of driving and so far from my hotel. I would of liked to have stayed longer and done more walking, it was pretty cold and the road's slippery. The board walk's are nice and peaceful and I saw a Snowshoe. Hare. Well I guess I'll have to wait and hear about your adventure here. Talk to you later.
Hi Susan, we had a similar experience to you (although you had more luck with mammals!). Don't want to give away spoilers here in the comments, but we would have liked to have seen more and, the same as you, it would be nice to have a day or two longer to spend there. We did a few trails, but one of the days we were there, it was -38c with the windchill, so we mostly stuck to the car. It was a long drive for us over several days, but I'm glad we did it that way because we picked up several cool species on the journey there and back.
I'm jealous. Your nemesis bird is also mine but unlike you I have not been able to check it off my life list. Well done!! I'm sure Sax-Zim bog will be amazing and get you over the 300 finish line🦅Cheers.
Thank you Jane. You know how it is with a nemesis bird. Since we saw the one featured in this video, we have of course seen about four more in the last couple of weeks! I hope you get to see one soon. Nice bird.
Not sure if a run up to Ottawa would be worthwhile but pretty sure you would get a barrows. Also if you don't have lapland longspur, horned lark and/or snow bunting, these are all around right now. Evening grosbeek and common redpolesare here as well but not in large numbers.
Thanks for the tips Peter, we appreciate them. Barrow's has been a pain in the butt, and it is teasing us. It's still in the same area we tried before.
Not rare, no, but they're still a pretty cool bird. They stay in Ontario year-round. In maybe March-April time, you might start to see them getting a little more agitated, heading towards breeding time. The most common swans in Ontario are Mute Swans and Trumpeter Swans. Look for an orange beak with a black nub (Mute) or an all-black beak (Trumpeter). Mutes are originally from Europe/Asia but large numbers have been introduced to North America and they are well established here now.
Another great lifer! I absolutely love both shrike species. Such cute little butcher birds!
Hey guys! Denise from Sax Zim - so happy to see this video and checking off the northern shrike. I actually got my first decent photo of a northern shrike at Mary Lou’s feeders the day after we chatted at the welcome center. So excited to see the videos from the bog (and the drive to/from). Hope the drive home was fruitful and that you are getting ever closer to the 300!
Thanks Denise, it sounds like you had a better time than we did after our chat. Spoiler alert: Our adventure required calling a tow-truck! (We are okay).
I saw your picture of the Shrike - great couple of shots!
Very nice time talking with you at The Bog and hope to run into you again.
@BritHikesOntario on no!!! I am so sorry to hear about the travel struggles. You guys aren't alone - I was delayed almost an entire day due to a broken navigation system on my plane. At least we are all home safe and sound.
I love your videos, I’m thrilled when I see that you have posted! Great luck you two! 😁🐦⬛
Thanks so much for the words of encouragement 😊
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always ♥️🤗
Thank you!
That mocking bird was really doing a good job lol. I do love the butcher bird. I've been lucky to see Great Grey, Red Backed and Woodchat shrikes here in the local area. Great job. Well done.
To be honest, I wasn't aware of the latter two you mentioned. They're both really cool looking, especially the Woodchat Shrike. Might have to add that to my bucket list!
Did that one sneak into The UK and you saw it there?
Yay! for the Shrike. I have been lucky lately. There is at least one that has been hunting the prairie at one of the sort of nearby preserves I go to.
Nice one. It's a pretty cool bird. We've seen a few more since this video was filmed, especially while we were traveling north. Typical, right? You wait so long to see one....
Well done!
Thanks 😄
I'm cold just watching 👀
Wait until you see our Minnesota video.
It got to -38c (-36f) with the windchill.
Good morning 🌅 to you from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR.
Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR only has ONE Shrike, and that is the Long-tailed Shrike. The last time I saw it was a month ago in the New Territories of Hong Kong 🇭🇰 SAR near our residential area just below the train 🚈station 🚉 , when I first saw this Long-tailed Shrike. It flew off quickly in two seconds as soon as it landed on a tree stump, and I had no chance of photographing it. That was my first ‘LIFER’ seeing a Shrike for the first time.
Nice sighting, Mark. That's a nice looking bird
Thanks, Steve and Sara 😄😄
Hmm... those look like a lot of female Common Mergansers at 7:15, as they seem to be showing a well-defined white throat patch. The throat patch on the female Red-breasted is more diffuse -- it's a bit like the throats of Bank v. Northern Rough-winged Swallows, if that makes sense. Hope you have a safe, productive trip to MN!
Thanks Chris.
Yeah, looks like you're correct, but things wouldn't feel right without at least one mistake per video. It will have to be our secret, so I can still have my silly merganser trifecta rhyme at the end.
In seriousness, appreciate the tip on the throat patch.
Congratulations on the lifer. This is getting quite tense, but I’m sure you’ve got great plans to make it to the 300.
Thank you. We will give it a shot. Our plan is basically.... travel to Sax-zim Bog for owls and hope we get fairly lucky. Not sure we will make it, but we will try.
I've got my fingers crossed for you both the get to 300, but 15 new ones does seem daunting!!
It's a big ask! We might not make it, but we will give it a good try.
Hey guy's! I just finished my 2 day trip to Sax Zim Bog and heading back to Michigan tomorrow through the UP then down home to the lower part of the mitten. Took me 11hrs driving. Sorry you had car troubles. Congrat's on the Shrike. My first picture of one was last year near my home and I did get one today. I only added 4 new bird's. 2 Gray Owl's, White Wing Cross Bills, Evening Gross Beak's, Canada Jay. I also saw 3 Moose. The UP has a couple places that have the Boreal Owl,Red Wing Cross Bill's and Black backed woodpecker. I also would like to find a pine Grosebeak as well. I won't have much time though I need to head home. I might take another weekend and visit longer. I wanted to stop at at Rudyard the Snowy Owl capital of Michigan but won't have time. Got my first Snowy last year there. The bog is big and lot's of driving and so far from my hotel. I would of liked to have stayed longer and done more walking, it was pretty cold and the road's
slippery. The board walk's are nice and peaceful and I saw a Snowshoe. Hare. Well I guess I'll have to wait and hear about your adventure here. Talk to you later.
Hi Susan, we had a similar experience to you (although you had more luck with mammals!). Don't want to give away spoilers here in the comments, but we would have liked to have seen more and, the same as you, it would be nice to have a day or two longer to spend there. We did a few trails, but one of the days we were there, it was -38c with the windchill, so we mostly stuck to the car. It was a long drive for us over several days, but I'm glad we did it that way because we picked up several cool species on the journey there and back.
I'm jealous. Your nemesis bird is also mine but unlike you I have not been able to check it off my life list. Well done!! I'm sure Sax-Zim bog will be amazing and get you over the 300 finish line🦅Cheers.
Thank you Jane. You know how it is with a nemesis bird. Since we saw the one featured in this video, we have of course seen about four more in the last couple of weeks! I hope you get to see one soon. Nice bird.
I really enjoyed your video! Keep up the good work.
Thanks Nathan. Some big ones coming up next!
Not sure if a run up to Ottawa would be worthwhile but pretty sure you would get a barrows. Also if you don't have lapland longspur, horned lark and/or snow bunting, these are all around right now. Evening grosbeek and common redpolesare here as well but not in large numbers.
Thanks for the tips Peter, we appreciate them. Barrow's has been a pain in the butt, and it is teasing us. It's still in the same area we tried before.
😊🌨⛄🐦👍✌
There are red-bellied woodpeckers on Lake Wilcox in Richmond Hill. Is that rare? Also swans.
Not rare, no, but they're still a pretty cool bird. They stay in Ontario year-round. In maybe March-April time, you might start to see them getting a little more agitated, heading towards breeding time.
The most common swans in Ontario are Mute Swans and Trumpeter Swans. Look for an orange beak with a black nub (Mute) or an all-black beak (Trumpeter).
Mutes are originally from Europe/Asia but large numbers have been introduced to North America and they are well established here now.