BRRRRdathon 2025 is “BRRRR-worthy”
BRRRRdathon 2025 [January 3-4]
A truly “BRRRR-worthy” birdathon! Teams in the 15th annual Friends of Sax-Zim Bog BRRRRdathon-World’s Coldest Birdathon saw temps as low as Minus-19ºF and windchills of Minus-33ºF. OUCH! In fact, the warmest it got anywhere in the “playing field” was +9ºF.
Ten teams endured these conditions to tally a respectable 70 composite species, including such difficult to find boreal species as Black-backed Woodpecker and Boreal Chickadee.
Teams birded from Ashland, Wisconsin to the Baudette in far northwest Minnesota. Other hot spots included Silver Bay Marina, Superior National Forest, Sax-Zim Bog, Duluth, Hedbom Road in Aitkin County, MN, Crow Wing County and Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge. As usual, Team Common Oldenguys birded only in Otter Tail County, Minnesota.
Despite the bitter cold, some birds that should have migrated long ago were still lingering: Swamp Sparrow (Ashland, WI), American Robin (WLSSD in Duluth), White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, and amazingly, THREE Meadowlarks at Two Harbors!
Waterfowl really came through with 14 species of ducks, geese and swans, including Ruddy Duck, Harlequin Duck, White-winged Scoter, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Gadwall, Trumpeter Swan and Canada Goose.
Owl sightings put frozen smiles on most team members faces, with many Great Gray Owls being tallied, and the first Boreal Owls of this winter’s irruption. Two Northern Hawk Owls were tallied in Aitkin County, a Snowy Owl in the Duluth Port Terminal, and a Duluth Great Horned Owl completed the 5 species romp. Not many outings on the continent can tick this many rarely-seen species and yet miss Barred Owl!
Most amazing was the perseverance of Team Walking Dead :), which hiked a new record 14.4 miles, Team members Sarah Wood, Jamie Tigges, Erik Bruhnke, and Caroline Urban tallied 26 species and 48 points in their happy slog from the lowest point in Duluth (Lake Superior at Park Point) to the highest point (Enger Tower). In the process they won the Wintergreen/non-motorized division. Their effort breaks the 14-year old record of Diana Doyle who walked 13 miles through the Sax-Zim Bog in 2011.
John Ellis of the Grousing Twitchers was the money-raising hero of the event as he raised $1,000 in pledges in support of our Mission to Preserve & Protect the Greater Sax-Zim Bog. You did it again John!
On behalf of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, thanks to all the hardy and “hearty” participants in the 2025 BRRRRdathon! Spread the word and see you all in January 2026.
FINAL RESULTS
2-DAY BRRRRdathon
- The Grousing Twitchers (134 pts / 59 species) Dave Benson, Lars Benson, John Ellis, Alex Ellis
- Anderson Birding Team (71 pts / 38 species) Joe Anderson, Jeff Anderson, Noah Anderson, Aleesha Anderson
- Emily & The Crow Wingers (65 pts / 32 species) Mark & Linda Seifert
- The Norwegian Solitaire (44 pts / 22vspecies) Sparky Stensaas
- Whisky Jills (29 pts / 19 species) Kelly Larson, David Harrington
- Common Olden Guys (35 species in Otter Tail County) Steve & Diane Millard
1-DAY BRRRRdathon
- No Egrets (25 pts / 18 species) Kari Hitchcock, Alia Hitchcock
WINTERGREEN Non-motorized Division (No Carbon Emisions generated)
- Walking Dead 🙂 (48 pts / 26 species) Jamie Tiggs, Caroline Urban, Sara Wood, Erik Bruhnke [Duluth on foot: 14.4 miles! New Record]]
- White-tailed See Eagles ( 40 pts / 22 species) Ken Gilbertson, Pat Kohlin [Duluth on bike]
- Rice Lake Ramblers (27 pts / 18 species) Andrew Webster, Tim Bates, Greg Drexler [Rice Lake NWR on bike/foot]
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Division coming next year! (Maybe?)
