Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Guardian of the Night: Great Gray Owl

Year 9
Normally I never try to photograph owls after sunset. They are extremely hard to find in the dark, but yesterday evening I made an exception. Thankfully I found a cooperative Great Gray Owl at the top of a dead snag … silhouetted against the sky.
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Just to set the scene, even though I was up in Sax-Zim Bog, I was far from where the crowds gather before sundown in the hopes of seeing an owl. I was miles away … just me and the owl … no traffic on my road. Life is good!
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If you are interested in seeing a Great Gray Owl, head to Mn State Hwy #7 between Sax and Zim Roads (a bit west of Cotton, Minnesota). Arrive 40 minutes before sunset on a day with calm weather. Our severe winter both in terms of the amount of snow, and cold weather has pushed quite a few owls south to join our native population of Great Gray Owls. Drive the stretch of road keeping a close lookout for owls on the tops of pine trees. As actual sundown approaches more owls will appear. If you see other cars parked, pull over and ask them to point out an owl! This winter’s sundown owl viewing will end within 2 to 3 weeks. Great Grays thoughts will be of love, and they will move deep into the bog.

Before my night time episode with the Great Gray, I found two Bald Eagles. The eagle on the snowbank is just becoming a mature bird (3 to 4 years old). It is at that age Bald Eagles acquire their white head and tail.

Snowy Owls and more …

Year 9,

Yesterday evening was perfect! How else would one describe finding a Snowy Owl just before sunset and then the following occurs:

  1. The landowners invites me onto their land for a closer view of the owl
  2. The sun comes out for the final 30 minutes of daylight
  3. The Snowy Owl poses on a beautiful, natural perch

Before I show the results of yesterday’s photo session, I think many readers of this blog know I support Project Snowstorm. This research effort tags Snowy Owls with solar array powered GPS tracking / communication devices. The banding devices have provided fantastic data in terms of learning more about the year round life and locations of Snowy Owls. Although these devices are up in the Arctic much of the year as Snowy Owls return north for mating and raising owlets, there has been no such comparable effort for another winter  visitor, Northern Hawk Owls. Are Northern Hawk Owls only winter visitors which return north into Canada in late March or early April, or do they just retreat deep into the northern Minnesota bogland to raise families … far from any road (maybe both)?

Enter Hannah Toutonghi, a masters degree candidate at the University of Minnesota. For her research project she has been banding Northern Hawk Owls this winter with similar devices as those used by Project Snowstorm on Snowys. I am happy to be a financial supporter of her efforts. She will present a free webinar on March 17th at 6:30 pm CST about her initial research results and future efforts. The seminar is supported by the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog. Read more via their website (scroll down upon browsing over to Hannah’s webinar), and/or register here (it’s free … I’m attending)

Now back to yesterday’s Snowy Owl experience … and one photograph of a Northern Hawk Owl I watched early this winter.

Snowy  Owl Just Before Sunset Yesterday

Northern Hawk Owl Photographed Earlier this Winter

And the Magpie said to the Cow …

Year 9

How now, black cow! This was the scene early this morning at a farm just south of the Sax-Zim Bog boreal forest. Magpies have been steadily expanding their range westward, and here in northern Minnesota it appears I always find magpies near a farm.  While in the summer there is lots of food in the forest, the cow’s fodder also provides an excellent meal for the magpie! At one point I even saw the magpies landing right on the cows. I’m not sure the cow looks pleased with sharing its meal.

I did also see this morning the traditional “bog bird”, the Great Gray Owl!