What a difference a day makes! Yesterday and the day before I went birding in the Cook, Minnesota Bog. This Boreal Forest Bog has many things going for it that I like. Unlike Sax-Zim Bog which is much more popular, and may have more birds, the Cook Bog has zero people. I enjoy the private birding experiences, but means that birding requires using your own skills. Sometimes you see birds; sometimes you do not. Over the course of two days I never saw another birder, and only a few cars from locals.
Two days ago it was cloudy, dismal and dark as evidenced by this Northern Hawk Owl photograph.
However, yesterday the sun shone bright for the first time in over a week. Thankfully after searching for over an hour, I spied he Northern Hawk Owl, and eventually the bird came close to my access point.
It was also fun to watch a pair of Gray Jays / Canada Jays. These jays, like the owls nest before the winter is over. I was actually surprised the Gray Jays did not mind the owl being within two hundreds yards. I have seen instances of Northern Hawk Owls attacking these jays in the past.
You write in your latest blog that “I spied the Northern Hawk Owl, and eventually the bird came close to my access point.” Is that unusual for the owl to fly towards you? Are you now an owl kindred spirit? We would “call” owls in northeastern Minnesota during the winter by attempting to mimic owl calls (with limited success). Generally, if we came across an owl in the forests, the owl seemed to be interested for a few moments in whether our activity would rustle up some critter for its meal before the owl would fly off in an opposite direction. Hoo-hoo-hooooooo.
Basically the owl was a bump on a Tamarack Pine almost 1/2 mile away (they almost always sit on the very top of a tree), and I knew from experience with this unique owl and the few trees next to the road I had a decent chance it would ulitimately come over to the trees near me. I did not call the owl. However, Northern Hawk Owls are famous for having preferred hunting perches … kind of like a fisherman have favorite spots.
hello
where is the Cook bog
I just bought a house in Silver Bay and have been looking for nearby places to go to photograph birds. Would you mind sharing more information about the location of the Cook Bog?
The Cook Bog is Boreal Forest Bog Habitat east and west of Cook, Minnesota. Some key roads include Hwy #22 going west from US #53, Johnson Road (#48) going east from US #53 just south of Cook, and Mn #73 which is a north / south road a bit west of Cook. Just like in Sax-Zim Bog, these roads will not be 100% Boreal Forest Bog. A person will need to learn Bog forest habitat and focus on those regions. Please understand many other back roads are worth exploring. You will NOT find “Cook Bog” on any map. In general this area is 45 to 60 minutes north of Sax-Zim Bog.