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Sax-Zim Bog, MN. What a place; beautiful, vast, a winter wonderland. Winter actually is the busiest time here for bird watchers and photographers, as many birds from Canada spend the winter here. The star of the show is the Great Grey Owl, but other birds such as Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Grosbeaks, and Redpolls are also commonly seen. Along with the year-round residents like Canada Jays, Boreal Chickadees, Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, Nuthatches, and many types of woodpeckers, it truly is a birder’s paradise.

Late December of 2022 would be my first ever winter trip there, having only visited once the previous summer. I had my target birds for the trip, a list of around ten, but a few were high priority. The Great Grey Owl obviously, but I also had never seen a Canada Jay or Boreal Chickadee, and had wanted pictures of them for quite some time. Evening Grosbeaks were also high on my list, as I had seen them before but never got any satisfactory pictures. Having never seen a Pine Grosbeak, they were high on the list, as well.

Since the Great Grey is known to be more active in the mornings and again at sundown, I figured a good approach would be to hunt for them at those times, but spend the mid-days chasing my other targets. Day one did not disappoint; no Great Grey was seen, but the feeders that the bog committee (Friends Of Sax-Zim Bog) have set up at a few various locations were amazing. Some of the feeders are even maintained by the public. The feeders behind the Welcome Center had a flock of beautiful Evening Grosbeaks, a few other feeders scattered throughout the bog had small groups of Canada Jays coming and going, along with some Pine Grosbeaks, and I was definitely able to get the shots I was after.

Day two was just as amazing. Talking to other friendly birders and keeping a keen ear to the gossip, I was able to hear of a few spots where a Great Grey was seen. So, on morning two, I headed straight to one of those spots. Seeing all the cars up ahead parked on the side of the road, and many photographers out of their cars on the frigid morning with their cameras and tripods, I started to get excited as we pulled closer. As we quietly parked behind the line of cars, my gaze went to where all the cameras were aimed, and there it was. For the first time in my life I was laying my eyes on a Great Grey Owl, just sitting on a tree branch, unaffected by all the eyes that were on it. It was more interested in the activity in the field it was overlooking to maybe find a meal in the form of a vole. There were a few branches in front of it, so if I was to get a good shot, I would have to wait to see if it would hopefully move to a different branch, or a different tree altogether. It finally did; I was too far away for a good ‘in-flight’ shot, but it landed on a different tree out in the open. After getting a few decent shots, it again moved to a different tree and gave me an even better shot, before finally flying off into the woods. Truly a magical animal. The shots I got weren’t as fantastic as I’d hoped, but still satisfactory. And I couldn’t help but think I’d get more chances at another time.

That afternoon on day two, I decided to visit a feeder that a Boreal Chickadee was rumored to be frequenting. It was a bit of a walk, through the cold and snow, about 20 minutes or so from the Welcome Center, but was definitely worth it. A few friendly birders were there, just sitting on a bench watching the chickadee come and go. It was the only Boreal, as there were plenty of Black-capped Chickadees flying around. Patiently waiting in between his short visits to the feeders, I would try to plan a better angle or shot than the last. Feeling satisfied, we finally made the walk back to the Welcome Center.

At the end of days two and three, we were able to come across another Great Grey, but it never showed itself enough for any good photos. The afternoon on day three however was spent with more grosbeaks, Canada Jays, and more exploring, hoping to come across a Great Grey. It truly was a great experience, and three days is not enough time to see it all. Along with some fun shots of chickadees and random woodpeckers, I felt like the trip was a success with a good amount of my goals met. It will definitely be a place I try to visit every year, if not more. The hotel accommodations in nearby Eveleth, MN were fantastic, and only 20 minutes from the start of the bog itself. There are also plenty of places for a nice dinner in nearby Virginia, MN, only a few minutes past Eveleth.

The people are super friendly, the Friends Of Sax-Zim Bog do a fantastic job, and are always willing to help with any advice if you’re looking for a specific bird. There are bird guides for a small fee, and during the summer they have many activities and outings for kids and adults alike. Any and all avid birders and photographers need to visit the bog at least once, and most likely will want to return again and again. I know I will be.

Johnny Amato Photography

It was early winter of 2018. I was at my cabin in northern Wisconsin, in the tiny town of Newald, 15 miles north of Laona. We get many species of birds; some that stay all winter or summer, some that just pass through during spring and fall during migration, and some that are sporadic and can show up at any time. One morning, my first look out the window showed a small flock of yellow birds that I recognized were not goldfinches. Goldfinches lose their bright yellow color during the winter, plus, these birds that I was seeing were bulkier and looked slightly different, even from a distance. I have heard of Evening Grosbeaks, and seen pictures, but have never seen one in person. I now had a small flock of 15-20 of them in my backyard taking advantage of all my feeders.

Although called a grosbeak, Evening Grosbeaks are actually in the finch family. They are a very erratic migrant, depending on food availability and cone crops in the northern coniferous forests of Canada and the northern United States. An irruptive species, where flocks could end up spending the winter is very unpredictable, and I was lucky in the winter of 2018 to have a small flock spend the winter near my cabin. A very skittish bird, and were rather difficult to get good pictures of, as I had a hard time getting close to them. I don’t live at the cabin, only visit for a few days a few times a month, but they were there on and off basically all winter. It was our fifth year at the cabin, and that winter was the first we’d ever seen them, and unfortunately have not seen them since. At the time of this writing it is 2022, which makes four years since they have been around. I have seen a straggler or two a few times, but they never stuck around.

Evening Grosbeaks are a beautiful bird with a strong, conical bill similar in appearance to that of true grosbeaks and cardinals. Adult males are yellow with black wings and a bright white wing patch, and dark heads with a bright yellow stripe over the eyes that somewhat resembles sunglasses. Females and juveniles are mostly grey, with a little bit of yellow around the neck area, and lack the yellow stripe over the eyes. Striking in appearance, they really stick out when seen frolicking around the evergreen trees of the north woods.

The females mostly build the nest, and incubation of the two to five eggs is also done by the female. Both parents will feed the nestlings, and the male will often feed the female as well.

Evening Grosbeaks are considered songbirds, although they do not sing a distinct song. Instead, they have a very distinct chirp that once heard, is pretty easily identifiable, and flocks can be quite noisy as they forage around and feed. Mine seemed to favor sunflower seeds, and it was a treat just to watch the flock bounce around from feeder to feeder as they got their fill. Their overall diet consists of a variety of seeds, small fruits, maple sap, and many insects in the summer. A favorite is the spruce budworm, a forest pest, and Evening Grosbeaks are credited with keeping their numbers down. They are also known to occasionally eat salt from roadsides during the winter.

Along with their sporadic, unpredictable movements, Evening Grosbeaks have a unique history. Their eastern range has expanded over the years, believed to be the result of the planting of box elders in the northeast, as they were originally known as more of a western bird. Their name came from the fact that some early observers originally assumed they only came out and sang at sunset, but this was eventually proven incorrect. By that point, however, the name was so established that it stuck, and is still used to this day.

The Evening Grosbeak’s sporadic, unpredictable movements also make them difficult to survey and study. Their populations have been decreasing; particularly in the east, possibly due to habitat loss from logging in their boreal forest home, disease outbreaks, and lower numbers of spruce budworm (a favorite summer food) as a result of aerial spraying. Even climate change is believed to be having an effect. At the time of this writing, a loosely estimated 4 million birds exist in the wild.

Every visit to my cabin, I’m always hoping the Evening Grosbeaks come back. They haven’t yet, but I patiently wait with my feeders filled with sunflower seeds knowing they probably will eventually. It’s now been four years since I’ve seen the flock, but with their movements sporadic, they could return at any time.

Johnny Amato Photography

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

Wilderness Inn
N13903 State Road 80
Necedah, WI 54646
(608)565-2277

Necedah Motel
W5645 WIS-21
Necedah, WI 54646
(608)565-2263

Sunrise Motel
N9695 State Road 80
Necedah, WI 54646
(608)547-0376

AmericInn Lodge & Suites
1702 E Bridge St.
New Lisbon, WI 53950
(608)562-5141

Oakdale Motel
109 W Badger Dr.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)372-5865

Rest Well Inn
25491 US-12 E
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)372-2471

Hampton Inn Tomah
219 Buan St.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)374-3800

Microtel Inn & Suites
115 West Andres St.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)374-2050

Best Western Tomah Hotel
1017 McCoy Blvd.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)372-3211

Cranberry Country Lodge
319 Wittig Rd.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)374-2801

Quality Inn
305 Wittig Rd.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)554-1559

Econo Lodge
2005 N Superior Ave.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)567-4491

AmericInn Lodge & Suites
750 Vandervort St.
Tomah, WI 54660
(608)372-4100

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My First Season At Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

My only regret is not going sooner. That first June morning, as I was traveling west on County Highway Z just north of Kekoskee, WI, I came around a corner and laid my eyes on Horicon Marsh for the first time. Being on a bit of a hill, my first view of this place was astonishing. Vast, seemed like I could see for miles, and I was actually only looking at a small section of it. Prairies, small sections of woods, creeks, and marshland as far as my eyes could see. I was amazed.

Having already game-planned a few nights before on the spots I was going to hit, I focused back on the road to head to my first destination. It was difficult, however, to keep from looking to my left at the views of this magical place as I drove. As I slowly drove down the access road I chose into the marsh itself, I opened the window. Being about six in the morning, the chorus of singing birds coming from every direction was incredible. Red-winged blackbirds seemed to be singing from all around me, goldfinches with that unmistakable chirp as they flew overhead, and the ’sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet’ of yellow warblers was constant. Dickcissels were chattering their calls in every prairie, mallards and other ducks were quacking off in the distance, sandhill cranes could be heard, song sparrows and wrens of every kind were singing their morning songs, mourning doves were crying their first mourns of the day, the soft chirp of cedar waxwings as they flew overhead, the meows of unseen gray catbirds in the shrubbery, chickadees chirping and flying from tree to tree as they looked for their breakfast of seeds, swallows by the dozens were darting through the sky, and random woodpeckers were pecking away at tree trunks and branches. This was all at once, the moment I opened the door and stepped out of the car. It was an attack on the senses, and was truly surreal.

Among all the chaos to the ears, there were also many sounds I was unfamiliar with, as there were many birds I’ve never seen before in person. The yellow-billed cuckoo, black-necked stilt, bobolinks, and random warblers, vireos, and flycatchers, to name a few. American white pelicans seemed to be everywhere high up in the sky. Great blue herons and egrets competing for prime fishing spots, green herons claiming small sections of marsh as their hunting grounds, black terns darting back and forth over the marshes, swamp sparrows and yellow-headed blackbirds sharing the same reeds as the marsh wrens, and so much more. That first visit was truly magical, and will be a day I will never forget. I don’t even remember specifically if I got any great pictures that day, I’d have to check my records. I’m sure I got a few, but the biggest memory of it all was simply being introduced to the spectacle of Horicon Marsh for the first time.

I proceeded to go back about every two weeks through the summer, as Horicon Marsh is about a third of the way to my north woods cabin from my home city of Chicago, IL. It was amazing to witness, as it seemed to slightly change a bit every visit. Some early June birds were just passing through, and some birds, like the yellow warbler, head south much earlier than others and seemed to be completely gone by early August. Dickcissels and the yellow-headed blackbirds also seemed to be gone by the time the first cool breezes of early fall arrived. The overall songbird activity seemed to get slightly less and less every visit as the season progressed.

One day in early July, a bird I’d been after, the yellow-billed cuckoo, was seen by me and a few other friendly birders on a particular path through some trees. The bird would come and go, slightly off in the distance, as we all waited and hoped it would come closer. After a while and a few unsatisfactory long distance shots, the other birders gave up and moved on. I decided to give it a little longer, even though it was super hot outside and I longed for the air conditioning of my parked car and a cold water out of my cooler. I quietly sat there on the path for about 15 minutes or so, and randomly looked behind me, and to my shock the cuckoo was sitting in a tree right next to the path, no more than ten feet away. Miraculously, he stayed there for a bit and posed for me, then moved to another close tree and allowed me to get a few more shots with a different background. Satisfied with his modeling audition, he finally flew away, and I was confident I could mark another bird off of my list. Definitely was a magical moment.

As the season progressed and songbirds were disappearing for their journey south, the colder air of fall was moving in, and it started taking much longer for the sun to come up in the morning. The red-winged blackbirds were no longer in the reeds intently guarding their nesting areas, but instead starting to gather in huge flocks to prepare for the winter. The numerous swallows were also gathering in huge flocks, sometimes seeming like a few hundred of them were in a single tree.

Fall itself is another story altogether, however. Every visit into the month of September seemed to bring more and more sandhill cranes, egrets, Canada geese, and many different types of ducks as they prepared to head south for the winter. Into early October, the choruses of calling sandhill cranes from every direction was amazing, as they slowly gathered there by what seemed to be the hundreds. Seeing small groups of 15-20 cranes gathering in every field as I drove the perimeter of the marsh was common, and amazing to see.

It wasn’t until fall that I finally got to lay my eyes on the elusive whooping cranes. I spent all summer hoping to cross paths with them on one of my visits, but always came up short. There are only a few mating pairs at Horicon, and only around one thousand birds left on the planet. Amazingly, on my last visit of the season to Horicon, on a freezing, sleet-filled November day, I walked what’s known as the boardwalk on the auto-loop tour. I turned a corner, and there they were, right in front of me, two of them. They seemed to glow a brilliant white as the rain and sleet fell around them. I froze, literally and figuratively, and just starred for a moment before I got into position with my camera to get what I could. It was overcast and windy, with a sleet/rain mix which was practically going sideways, just downright brutal weather. But I didn’t care. I figured the pictures probably wouldn’t turn out pristine because of the conditions, but I didn’t care. This was a beautiful bird that not many people get to see, and just being in their presence in the wild was incredible. It seemed like a storybook; going to Horicon all summer long and not seeing them even once. Now it was just me and them, on a freezing November day. They didn’t move once, and I took as many pictures as I could stand before heading back to the warmth of my car, hoping at least a few of the shots came out decent. Needless to say, I didn’t feel the cold too much on the ten minute walk back, as my mind was too busy taking in the moment of what just happened. I contemplated going back out after I warmed up a bit, but Mother Nature wouldn’t have it as the sleet and rain got more intense. As I pulled out of Horicon for the last time of the season, I could only be grateful for what just occurred.

If you’ve never been to Horicon Marsh, it truly is a spectacle that every birder must see. It will obviously be slightly different depending on what time of year you go, but anytime is worth it. I’m kicking myself for not going until June for the first time, but next year I will definitely be there in May. There are so many different species of birds there, including many I didn’t get a satisfactory picture of yet, but there is always next year. And I can’t wait.

Johnny Amato

Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge is located in central Wisconsin, near the towns of Mayville and Horicon to the south, Waupun to the northwest, and Brownsville to the northeast.

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Horicon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

Mayville Inn
701 S Mountin Dr.
Mayville, WI 53050
(920)387-1234

The Audubon Hotel
45 N Main St.
Mayville, WI 53050
(920)485-9472

Rock River Lodge
W3032 State Road 33
Iron Ridge, WI 53035
(920)387-2053

Royal Oaks Motel
W4419 WIS-33
Horicon, WI 53032
(920)485-4489

Iron Ridge Inn Motel
129 S Main St.
Iron Ridge, WI 53035
(920)387-4090

AmericInn Lodge & Suites
204 Shaler Dr.
Waupun, WI 53963
(920)345-1140

Inn Town Motel
27 S State St.
Waupun, WI 53963
(920)324-4211

Grand View Motel
1510 N Center St.
Beaver Dam, WI 53916
(920)885-9208

AmeriVu Inn & Suites
645 East Ave.
Lomira, WI 53048
(920)269-7477

Disclaimer: I will earn an affiliate commission if you purchase any services from the links on this page, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ohio

C & D Restawhile Apartment/Hotel
6254 N Harris Dr.
Oak Harbor, OH 43449
(847)414-6263

Lake Erie Lodge
10530 Corduroy Rd.
Curtice, OH 43412
(419)836-2822

Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center
1750 Park Rd. Unit 2
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)836-1466

Hampton Inn Toledo/Oregon
2931 Navarre Ave.
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)724-3333

Holiday Inn Express Toledo/Oregon
3154 Navarre Ave.
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)691-8800

TownePlace Suites By Marriot
2851 Navarre Ave.
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)724-0044

Comfort Inn East
2930 Navarre Ave.
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)691-8911

Sleep Inn & Suites
1761 Meijer Cir.
Oregon, OH 43616
(419)697-7800

The Casey-Pomeroy House
802 N Huron St.
Toledo, OH 43604
(419)243-1440

Renaissance Hotel
444 N Summit St.
Toledo, OH 43604
(419)244-2444

Camp Perry
1200 N Camp Perry Eastern Rd.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)635-2700

The Island House Hotel
102 Madison St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-0100

Our Sunset Place Bed & Breakfast
2803 E Sand Rd.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-3875

Staybridge Suites
9749 Clark Dr.
Rossford, OH 43460
(419)872-3700

Courtyard By Marriot Toledo North
5875 Hagman Rd.
Toledo, OH 43612
(419)392-9637

Commodore Perry Inn & Suites
255 W Lake Shore Dr.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-2645

Marshall Inn Bed & Breakfast
204 Monroe St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-2707

Fairfield Inn & Suites
1811 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-0007

OurGuest Inn & Suites
220 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-7111

Deboard Caroline
229 W Lake Shore Dr.
Kelley’s Island, OH 43452
(419)746-2210

Clinton Inn & Suites
1785 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-5633

Best Western
1734 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-2274

Quality Inn
1723 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)960-4202

Americas Best Value Inn
121 E Perry St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-2101

Craft’s Lakeview Lane
319 W Lake Shore Dr.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)746-2254

A Touch Of Italy Bed & Breakfast
303 W Fourth St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-3719

Bashful Mermaid Bed & Breakfast
503 E Second St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)734-3400

Holiday Inn Express & Suites
50 NE Catawba Rd.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-7322

Country Inn & Suites By Radisson
3760 E State Rd.
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-2434

Sleep Inn & Suites
947 SR 53 N
Port Clinton, OH 43452
(419)732-7707

Disclaimer: I will earn an affiliate commission if you purchase any services from the links on this page, at no additional cost to you. Thank you!