Sax Zim Bog Great Grays Status

[Borealhunter]

I been hearing from birders who been visiting the Sax Zim Bog lately that Great Gray Owls are getting scarcer or harder to find in the Sax Zim Bog. I have yet to hear of any recent reports of GGOs along the McDavitt Rd, CR 7, Nichols Lake Rd, CR 83 and many of past locations where these owls were found on a regular basis. Jay or John have you been noticing less Great Grays lately in the bog area?

I'll be in the bog this Sunday and for most of the month in February guiding several birders and professional photographers. Also remember that Feb 13-15 is the Sax Zim Winter Bird Festival and there will be a lot of birders in the bog so photographers looking for a peaceful place to photograph birds that are thinking about visiting the bog that weekend will be crowded with birders and other photographers.

John thanks for setting up more suet feeders along the Arkola Rd. Boreal Chickadees have traditionally been found along the Arkola Rd in past years.

[JayinMN]

Mike, I was down there tonight and I did see a GGO fly across the road on McDavitt so there is one still there. On Christmas Day I know a GGO was killed on the intersection of Hwy 7 and Arkola so one of our bog owls was lost to traffic. They are becoming more scarce though. The one on Hwy 5 and Townline Rd is still being seen off and on but that one has always been a hard one to locate. I think looking on some of the less travel roads east of McDavitt, like Lavel Rd, Cnty Rd 28 and N. Overton might be worth a shot. I have seen owls on those roads this winter and they have nice open grassy shoulders for them to hunt in.

I met Kim Eckert and a group he was birding with a couple minutes after I saw the fly by on McDavitt. They did not find one either.

On Wednesday the Arkola spot was hosting three boreal chickadees when I was there.

[jonny_redhorse]

It's been over a week since I've spotted any great greys...but then again I've been concentrating on the boreal chickadees so haven't frequented the "best" owl spots....Maybe I'll see something tomorrow morning!....

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm just going to have to get there earlier in the year, next year.

[Big-Al]

I have seen two GGO in the last week to ten days. One on the Lake Nichols rd and the other west of 7 on 133.

[JayinMN]

Thanks for the update, Big-AL. Did you see them in the morning or the evening?

[Big-Al]

The one on 133 was around 9:30 and the one on the Lake Nichols Rd was around 3:00.