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
