Sax-Zim Bog: Day 4
Toivola, MN
Wednesday 3 January 2024
38 °F
This morning, Kim, Susie, and I woke up extra early since we wanted to fit in a bit of birding at the Bog before heading back to Chicago. We were particularly hoping to find a Great Gray Owl along Overton Rd or Owl Ave.
Soon after first light, we found our first notable bird of the day — WILD TURKEYS:
Then, on Owl Ave, I spotted an owl perched alongside the road and was hoping for a Great Gray, but it turned out to be the other species in the Strix genus: BARRED OWL! Unfortunately, it literally stuck around for five seconds allowing for this one slightly out-of-focus photo before disappearing into the woods, presumably finishing up its morning hunting.
Then, a bit later in the morning, we came upon a huge flock of WILD TURKEYS, numbering 42 in total, possibly my largest flock ever! Too cool!!!
Unfortunately, we missed a Great Gray by about ten minutes and then had to head back to Chicago which left us a bit disappointed, though we did have a fabulous trip.
Huge thanks to Kim and Susie for organizing this incredible trip to the Sax-Zim Bog — they did all the (extremely delicious!) cooking and Kim generously let us use her car for this trip. Always a joy to travel with these two!
Bird-of-the-day to the Barred Owl with runners-up to the Wild Turkeys.
Stay tuned: Up next is the January Cook County Big Day, and then on January 7 I head to Brussels and Paris with my dad to tag along on the CSO tour, and hopefully see a couple European birds along the way!
Happy birding,
Henry
World Life List: 1174 Species (1 life bird this trip: Bohemian Waxwing)
Thanks for documenting our trip, Henry! It was so much fun. I hope your Big Day is a success, and enjoy Brussels and Paris!
by Susie Nies