Sax-Zim bog is Minnesota's best winter birding area. Here is an update on birds being seen there as of last week. The bog is 50 miles north of Duluth. See https://saxzim.org/plan-your-visit/
Maps of suggested driving routes are available at the welcome center. They show feeder and best birding locations.
Great Gray Owls, photo above, continue to be best seen early and later in the afternoon along McDavitt and Admiral Roads, plus Owl Avenue south of the Welcome Center, Nichols Lake Road, and CR133 east of CR7. Great Grays are more easily found on calm, cloudy, snowy, warm days (temps in 20s) than on bitter cold, sunny, windy days.
Northern Hawk Owls — At least wewre being seen along McDavitt and Admiral Roads.
Black-backed Woodpeckers are most likely found by listening for the tapping sound of a bird flaking bark in a Black Spruce bog.
American Three-toed Woodpecker — Several sightings this late fall/winter. Try walking in the McDavitt Road bogs and Nichols Lake Road bogs (east of the lake about a mile from US53). Look for larger spruce and tamarack with flaked bark.
Common Redpolls are common.
Hoary Redpolls are being seen at Welcome Center feeders.
Pine Grosbeaks are being seen Loretta's feeders . These birds also are regular at Blue Spruce feeders and Mary Lou's feeders in small numbers.
Evening Grosbeaks are being seen at Mary Lou's in the morning. She has a photo blind thanks to Friends of Sax-Zim Bog's Hoeg Family Good Neighbor Fund. Remember, the grosbeaks depart by early afternoon.
Rough-legged Hawks, Snowy Owl, Snow Bunting are rare this winter in Sax-Zim
Sharp-tailed Grouse have been found at the feeders along CR29/229 south of intersection with Correction Line Road.
Boreal Chickadee can be found by pishhhing and squeaking loudly at any stretch of dense Black Spruce bog. They hang with Black-caps in winter.
