Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota ... any of you ever shoot there?

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Last week I spent a day and a half at a renowned birding destination, the Sax-Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. . It's known for providing opportunities to see and photograph boreal species during winter ... species such as the Great Grey Owl, the Northern Hawk Owl, Hoary Redpoll, Common Redpoll, Pine Grosbeak, Boreal Chickadee, and other visitors from the sub-Arctic regions that come down for the winter, as well as resident Black-backed Woodpeckers and Sharp-tailed Grouse.

Here's an Audubon article on the bog:

https://www.audubon.or​g …ad-minnesotas-sax-zim-bog

Just wanted to share this special place with others here, and to find out of any of you have ever gone there to shoot. . If so, I would be interested in hearing about your experience there, and would love to see some photos.

It's can also be a good place to see and photograph mammals such as Pine Marten, Ermine, Moose, and Snowshoe Hares.

I came in at the very end of the winter birding season there, and hence didn't see as much as I would have if I had gone earlier when it is much colder. I've been told that mid-December to the end of January is the best time to be there. I would love to go back next year during that time!

Despite missing the peak time, I did manage to see and photograph a few "lifers" ...

Hoary Redpoll

Boreal Chickadee

Pine Grosbeak

I also saw a Great Grey Owl, but it wasn't in a good spot for photos, so I just enjoyed observing it instead of taking poor quality pics.

A short film about the bog, with emphasis on preservation and conservation:

https://www.visionproj​ect.org …tinels_of_the_b​oreal.html

And a link to Friends of the Sax-Zim Bog, where there's lots of interesting info:

https://saxzim.org/

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The director of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Sparky Stensaas, has a YouTube Channel called Shooting with Sparky. He does a really good job and, while some of his videos are from other places than Sax-Zim, they are all worth watching.

CDMOOSE wrote in post #19353517
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The director of Friends of Sax-Zim Bog, Sparky Stensaas, has a YouTube Channel called Shooting with Sparky. He does a really good job and, while some of his videos are from other places than Sax-Zim, they are all worth watching.
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Oh yeah, I'm glad you mention Sparky.

Sparky is great! . It's a rare treat to meet someone who is so knowledgable and so accomplished, yet so friendly and humble.

Here is a link to one of his videos that I found when doing research on the Bog, prior to going there, and another link to his channel:

https://www.youtube.co​m …hYpCFLe6pZr026P​&index=181

https://www.youtube.co​m/c/SparkyStensaas/vid​eos

That really does look like a very cool spot. I have a friend in Duluth so it would be a good destination area for me, maybe next winter.

Now that I live in Wisconsin, Sax-Zim is on my short list of places I need to visit. Maybe next winter for me as well.

This winter though, I had Common Redpoll visit my front yard, and got to see some Lapland Long Spur and Snow Buntings out along the country roads.