2Lab
New member
You said it but not all of us know Minnesota in detail. There was no clue in the original posting.. I was originally thinking Zimbabwe but couldn't figure out the Sax.
Any interest in a winter trip to Sax-Zim Bog?
- Thread starter Abinoone
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Hobbzz
Well-known member
Best times are usually January and February. My wife and I skipped last winter because there was no snow.
Hobbzz
Well-known member
Bring the longest lens you have. If an owl ends up close to the road, the crowds will quickly flush it farther back or completely away. Most owls are 75 yards or closer though. Daytime Temps in January and February are usually negative to positive teens or single digits. One year was -30 when we got there an hour before sunrise. Wear multiple layers with a heavy jacket. Typical cold winter clothing. Glasses will fog, and if you exhale when bringing a camera up to your face you will fog the viewfinder, so be mindful of that. Bring extra batteries and keep them in the inner layers next to your body. Drive around with the heat off to keep your gear the same temp as outside so you don't get fogging when you get out, or distortion from the lens elements cooling down. The last few years have been very busy (we skipped last year).
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Hobbzz
Well-known member
Just like spring and fall have migrants, so does winter. Best to wait until January and February for all of them to arrive. Some of the owls are migrants as well.
Hobbzz
Well-known member
This is the director of the non profit that buys up the land for the bog. He has lots of videos of the area and I would guess some of them are informative regarding what to bring and when to go. Probably be a good person to consult with if you're arranging a tour.
Maybe
peachfront
Member
I went in February for owls because I also wanted to get Snowy (which I did in nearby Superior, Wisconsin) but I imagine a lot depends on the weather conditions. I missed a previous February tour because of weather...
We must have been there the same year! My windshield cracked. I managed one good day and then the owls just vanished. One of the local guides I spoke with said the owls had headed back north to a place along the MN border. Still it was a good experience! Sometimes the Pine Martin are fun to shoot. Last year was an apparently good year for them. There are bird feeders around for some of the boreal species we dont have in my area. The Northern Hawk Owl was difficult but a great experience. You can join Telegram. People post sightings on there. It has become really crowded in the winter.
I have a friend who lives in Winnipeg and does some guiding in that area and north of there. Some years are good for Snowy, some for GGO. We planned a trip for this year but cancelled due to low numbers of both species. The takeaway: watch for numbers and plan accordingly for both locations. Heres a link to my trip:
Great images, Kim!We must have been there the same year! My windshield cracked. I managed one good day and then the owls just vanished. One of the local guides I spoke with said the owls had headed back north to a place along the MN border. Still it was a good experience! Sometimes the Pine Martin are fun to shoot. Last year was an apparently good year for them. There are bird feeders around for some of the boreal species we dont have in my area. The Northern Hawk Owl was difficult but a great experience. You can join Telegram. People post sightings on there. It has become really crowded in the winter.
I have a friend who lives in Winnipeg and does some guiding in that area and north of there. Some years are good for Snowy, some for GGO. We planned a trip for this year but cancelled due to low numbers of both species. The takeaway: watch for numbers and plan accordingly for both locations. Heres a link to my trip:
peachfront
Member
Well done. and I agree about looking at irruptions etc. I missed a VERY good GGO year because weather stopped me from being able to fly in from New Orleans but got a very good (AFAICT) Snowy Owl year when I tried again. There were supposedly 12 around town, and I saw 7 in an hour... I will say the Great Gray Owl we had was very close and very calm. We also got the gyrfalcon that returned after many years but at that time we couldn't talk about it because the guide and his buddy was afraid of falconers & I was left with the impression that if you do see the gyrfalcon you should not be posting coordinates to eBird or anybody else who can't sit on a secret for a year or two...We must have been there the same year! My windshield cracked. I managed one good day and then the owls just vanished. One of the local guides I spoke with said the owls had headed back north to a place along the MN border. Still it was a good experience! Sometimes the Pine Martin are fun to shoot. Last year was an apparently good year for them. There are bird feeders around for some of the boreal species we dont have in my area. The Northern Hawk Owl was difficult but a great experience. You can join Telegram. People post sightings on there. It has become really crowded in the winter.
I have a friend who lives in Winnipeg and does some guiding in that area and north of there. Some years are good for Snowy, some for GGO. We planned a trip for this year but cancelled due to low numbers of both species. The takeaway: watch for numbers and plan accordingly for both locations. Heres a link to my trip:
Yes, I would be interested. For the most part, my schedule is flexible and would need only about a week's notice.