Among the Northwoods species observed during the Brrrrdathon, a Spruce Grouse was an expected standout. One of the hardy cold-weather birding teams that participated in the annual fundraiser for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog.

Bundled in their warmest winter clothing, exuberant birders braved January’s cold weather in northern Minnesota to participate in the annual Brrrrdathon, in which teams of birders competed in this year’s fundraiser for Friends of Sax-Zim Bog. “The Bog” is one of the top winter birding “coldspots” in the region, supported by an active Friends group. Braving sub-freezing temperatures that varied from zero to the 20s, teams found a total of 67 species of birds, just 4 short of the all-time high of 74. Teams participated in 3 categories: The 2-day Brrrrdathon, 1-day Brrrrdathon, and the coldest of all, the Non-motorized “Wintergreen” Brrrrdathon, which included cyclers and hikers.

Among the excellent birding finds was the sight of a Boreal Chickadee mobbing a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Locally unusual ducks for the season were Redheads, a Wood Duck, and a Bufflehead. Among the woodpeckers sighted, an American Three-toed Woodpecker was the standout, and the variety of gulls along Lake Superior included Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed, and Greater Black-backed Gulls. A cozy compilation dinner was held with food, drink, plenty of fun stories, and prizes, while the pledges raised to support activities at the Sax-Zim Bog were toasted. Participants invited all birders: “Are you ready to join the fun (and mayhem) of Brrrrdathon in January 2024?”

For more details, see BRRRRdathon 2023 Results : Friends of Sax-Zim Bog (saxzim.org)