Chris Wood on his just completed Minnesota in Winter tour.

There is no tour that has a better ratio of "high quality" to total number of species than Minnesota in Winter, and our recent trip was among the best ever with Spruce, Ruffed and lekking Sharp-tailed Grouse; Black-backed Woodpecker; all the winter finches (including Pine Grosbeak, White-winged and Red Crossbills, and Evening Grosbeaks) and splendid ducks including 2 male Harlequins and a Pacific Common Eider. But owls stole the show, from a wonderful evening Great Gray to 11 Snowies in less than an hour including an adult male that we watched catch and quickly eat a vole). But this Northern Hawk Owl had the most votes for "Bird of the Trip”. It’s easy to see why.

A male Spruce Grouse picks up grit along a northern Minnesota roadside

A dusk Great Gray Owl

An adult male Snowy Owl 

Voted bird of the trip, a brilliant Northern Hawk Owl.