Short-tailed Weasel in snow, Pine Marten, Fisher, Sax-Zim Virtually Live 40: S4E5 2023

A BROWN Short-tailed Weasel runs through fluffy October snow, while a WHITE Snowshoe Hare huddles down in a brown December landscape. Sparky also spends some time with a Pine Marten, and travels up to Mary Lou's Feeders to enjoy some Evening Grosbeaks.
Also remiders of the upcoming Tiny Bird Art fundraiser, BRRRRdathon: World's Coldest Birdathon, 2024 Bog Wild Calendar.
Virtually Live #40: Season 4 Episode 5

[@shreecreativearts5132]

Nice video,awsome,got to know about different species,thanks for sharing

[@SparkyStensaas]

So nice of you Shree!

[@KLG777]

Love your video ❤❤❤❤

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you KLG!

[@tracyreaume6451]

We need snow in central Alberta too. It’s brown and dry and an average of +5°C the last couple weeks!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Hi Tracy, sorry to hear that! It is raining now here, but we’re supposed to get about 4 inches of snow overnight. I am excited!

[@StephanieHughesDesign]

It's always good to watch a Sparky Stensaas video. The Northern Shrike, Grosbeaks, Ruffed Grouse and Canada Jay and Sax Zim Bog were all beautiful. Love the feeders.

[@SparkyStensaas]

All awesome birds! Every day in the Bog I seem to find something cool. Not always owls!

[@davidolson8559]

Thanks Sparky for sharing another wonderful and insightful video on Sax bog . Hope to see you this winter.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you, David! Enjoying your stuff on Instagram as well.!

[@JJs-ClassC-Adventures]

Thank you so much for sharing with those of us who live a long distance away (Texas) from this awesome place. We visited Minnesota before retiring, so only 2 weeks went by way too fast. We hope to visit again now that we are retired.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks, JJ! Glad you could join me virtually on the field trip. You’ll have to come back!

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

glad the Pine Marten's are still around! I have a tail in my car. I saw it on the land and then only the tail remained. haha

[@SparkyStensaas]

There are at least two around :-)

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@SparkyStensaas any word on Lynx? I used to hear one and see tracks and scat. I think I told you - then the south of me got developed with dogs. hahaha.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

can you list the welcome center location in the description? thanks

[@SparkyStensaas]

@@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885 8793 Owl Ave, Toivola, MN

[@withvinayak]

What an amazing video! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I was planning to come down there to sax zim bog all the way from California. Preferably in the last week of December. Do you think I stand a chance to see some owls up there at that time ? Should I rent a 4x4 or AWD would do the job in the snow?

[@davidolson8559]

You could have a great possibility of seeing great gray owls, may be a boreal or northern Hawk owl. All Wheel drive does good here too, really just depends on the weather and snow amounts. The key to driving a round the bog in winter is too be very careful pulling off to view and getting stuck. It is always amazing here, good luck to you.

[@withvinayak]

@@davidolson8559 thanks for your valuable insights! Appreciate it! Cheers

[@SparkyStensaas]

Come on up! Hardly any snow so far but you do fine with just the AWD vehicle. There are all the resident Great Grays around but you just need to get out early and drive any roads in Bog habitat. The Welcome Center host/Naturalists can also give you locations.

[@withvinayak]

@@SparkyStensaas that’s reassuring! I might fly to Minneapolis and rent a car there and drive up to sax zim bog! I have about 4-5 days there. Hope that’s enough to find some great grays and other owls.

[@bucktailjay7697]

Sparky- do u have a good recommendation for a beginners camera/zoom lens? Binocular suggestion as well?

[@SparkyStensaas]

Hi Bucktailjay, Tough question… Completely depends on your budget. In the under $2000 category, you might want to look at the canon SX series which are great for their light weight and extreme built in zoom lens. Four good binoculars you might want to look at Vortex. Once again, it depends on your budget. I wouldn’t go less than 300 or $400 for a good pair. If you want to have recommendations for camera and lens over $1000, let me know. Hope this helps.

[@ryanmarshik8971]

The weasel was almost as fun to watch as my 2 seconds of fame😂

[@SparkyStensaas]

Ha! I should’ve done a zoom and crop on your excellent brush cutting technique!

[@berthamoen4488]

Why do you call it a short-tailed weasel and not a stoat?

[@SparkyStensaas]

Hi Bertha, in the United States, we call it the Short-tailed Weasel. In Europe, it is called a stoat. Same species. Latin name is Mustela erminaea. Excellent question!