Folks often ask me at the Sax-Zim Bog Welcome Center where I volunteer in the winter: “Is the Bog worth visiting in the Spring or Summer? Absolutely yes!”

This morning given light fog and no wind … perfect conditions to find an owl, I left home in Duluth at 5:20 am and arrived in the bog at 6:20. As the fog was burning off I found a Great Gray Owl and watched it hunt for one hour! Our owls live in the Bog year around, and given their young hatch right about now, some extra hunting is required to feed hungry chicks. Warning … I was extremely glad to have bug repellent. I would not have lasted five minutes otherwise.

Yesterday I went in search of Black-Backed Woodpeckers. Given the weather forecast I knew the day might be the last one I could easily hike into the Boreal Forest Bog. The day dawned at -3F, and with my long johns plus mukluks I started the first of my hikes. Today the temperature is supposed to soar to 50F. Given there is still a foot of white stuff in the deep forest, my trails will become mush. Even yesterday by the time I exited my last bog the sun had warmed the air to 40F. Nice!

On my first stop of the day I found a female Black-Backed which was cooperative for viewing, but not photographs,; however on my final hike of the day I struck pay dirt in the Winterberry Bog. I found a pair of woodpeckers which were obviously “an item”, and welcomed an alien in the woods. Over the course of two hours, these two woodpeckers never strayed more than 40 yards from each other … true love. At times the male would stop foraging, pause and listen. When he was certain he could hear his true love near by it was back to flaking bark in search of grubs. Not only were these two Blackbacks cooperative, they really didn’t even care that I existed … often landed on Black Spruce trees only a few feet above my head.

Flaking Bark off Black Spruce Trees (male has the yellow patch on its head)

A nice view of the Yellow Crown

The red around the Black-Backed’s eye

Flaking Bark Videos

Yesterday I knew the winds and cloudy skies would be present along the shores of Lake Superior; thus I escaped to Sax-Zim Bog where the weather forecast promised lighter winds and some clearing skies late morning. I was not disappointed!

If one knows where to look, there are signs of spring with lots of courting! These turkeys know a warm spot with southern exposure where the snow melts early in the season, and the protection makes for warmer days. They are not stupid!

Later I found two Northern Shrikes looking to find a tweet bird or vole to eat.

Finally, some Gray Jays worked there way along a back road to within feet of me. The snow cleared portion of the road offered tasty seeds!