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> > > https://www.startribune.com/for-american-birders-seeking-rare-owls-minnesota-in-winter-is-a-hot-destination/600040604/ > > VARIETY > > For American birders seeking rare owls, Minnesota in winter is a hot > destination > > > Photo Gallery - For American birders seeking rare owls, Minnesota in winter > is a hot destination > > > > > + > By RICHARD CHIN , STAR TRIBUNE > March 31, 2021 - 8:37 AM > > What would induce someone to drive halfway across the country to northern > Minnesota? During the coldest time of year? In the middle of a pandemic? > > The great gray owl. > > One of the world's largest owls — standing nearly 3 feet tall and with a > wingspan of up to 5 feet — the great gray is a rare and beautiful sight > that's been known to elicit victory dances and even draw tears. > > The owls once again made their appearance this winter in Sax-Zim Bog in rural > St. Louis County. And intrepid bird watchers like Basco Eszeki were there to > see it. > > Great grays are on Eszeki's bucket list. So the 67-year-old retiree made the > 1,200-mile, one-way drive from Silver Springs, Md., to Minnesota in early > February. > > Need a dose of cute? Minnesota Zoo's Farm Baby webcam shows lambs and kids > around the clock > "To see an awesome bird like a great gray owl — on one level it's an > adrenaline rush like nothing else I get these days," he said. "It's something > akin to a religious experience." > > > After coming all this way, Eszeki wasn't about to leave a sighting to chance. > So he hired one of the handful of professional bird guides that work the bog, > which has become an international winter destination for bird-watchers. > > The Sax-Zim Bog in rural St. Louis County is a unique boreal habitat that > attracts serious bird-watchers in search of great gray owls. Professional > guides Alex Sundvall (second from left) and Kim Risen (second from right) > were guiding... > Brian Peterson, Star Tribune > For the past 30 years, Kim Risen, a guide from rural Aitkin County, has been > making a living by helping people find birds in far-flung locations such as > Latin America and Southeast Asia. In winter, however, he stays closer to home > as birders migrate here to see the great owls of the North Woods. > > Risen said that word about Sax-Zim Bog spread rapidly during the winter of > 2004-05, when there was an influx (called an "irruption") of hundreds of > northern forest owls to northeastern Minnesota. Stories about the presence of > great gray, boreal and Northern hawk owls garnered national news, bringing in > birders from around the world. > > "I guided every day, nearly every day, for three months," said Risen, who > owns Naturescape Tours. > > Back then, he was one of only three guides in Sax-Zim Bog. Now there are > about 10. > > Training, timing and driving > > The accessibility of the bog adds to its allure, said Risen. Instead of > trekking into the forests of Canada, a birder can fly into the Duluth airport > and within an hour be in the old-growth tamarack and black spruce bogs, which > the owls favor. > > But just because the bog is easy to get to doesn't mean it's easy to get > around in. Even experienced birders heading into snow-covered back roads of > the bog often hire guides, said Judd Brink, the Brainerd-based guide Eszeki > hired for three days of birding. > > > "For first-time people, it can be intimidating," Brink said. "For Sax-Zim, it > is really critical to be there at the right time." > > Having someone who knows how to drive in the winter is another service that > guides provide for out-of-town visitors, said Gregg Severson, a guide from > Minneapolis. "Lots of people go off the road in Sax-Zim." > > Minnesota guides charge from $175 to $600 for a dawn-to-dusk day of guiding > at the bog. What clients ideally get for that is someone with sharp eyes and > well-trained ears, someone who's familiar with the birds' territories and who > knows what time of day to position a client for the perfect bird photograph. > Oh, they also need to know where to find a public restroom. > > "I can spot a great gray going 60 miles per hour," said Alex Sundvall, a > guide from St. Louis Park who works for Risen. That's a useful skill, because > a lot of the birding done at Sax-Zim involves driving from one wooded field > to another. > > While hiring a guide increases the chance you'll find the bird you're looking > for, there's no guarantee. > > "It's no different from a fishing guide or a hunting guide," Brink said. > > Most bird-watchers seem to understand that wild animals can't be produced on > demand. > > "It's not a zoo," said Kyle Te Poel, a guide from Stillwater. Still, he > admits it's a relief when he's able to spot a particular bird. "The weight's > off your shoulders," he said. > > In it for the smiles > > Sundvall has been a bird-watcher from boyhood. What got him into guiding was > helping a friend spot a summer tanager at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. > > "The look on his face was priceless," Sundvall said. "It was at that moment I > knew I wanted to be a guide." > > > Other guides say they've also been moved by clients' reactions. First-time > sightings of a species (or "lifers" as birders call them) — can trigger > intense emotions. > > "I've seen people brought to tears," said Erik Bruhnke, a birding guide from > Duluth. > > Last winter, Te Poel was guiding a group of Floridians through the bog. One > person was indeed crying — not from happiness, but from the intense cold. > Then one of the boreal owls they came to see appeared. > > "They forgot how cold they were," Te Poel said. The middle-aged bird-watchers > started jumping up and down with childlike joy. "You don't see adults do that > kind of thing," he said. > > The owl attraction > > The 300-square-mile bog is one of the few places in the country to see > certain birds, including the boreal chickadee, the black-backed woodpecker > and other northern species that winter there. But it's best known for its > owls, which are a strong lure. > > "A lot of people have a spiritual connection with owls," said Brink. > > To Stephanie Sellers, owls are "the most beautiful bird there is." This > winter, the Columbus, Ohio, woman flew to Duluth with her husband for a > guided tour of the bog. > > "Everyone thought we were crazy, but it's my type of thing," she said. "It > was exhilarating." > > During a February tour of the Sax-Zim Bog, Risen and Sundvall drove a narrow > snow-covered road to position three bird photographers from Illinois at the > edge of a field to see some sharp-tailed grouse. The birds were preparing for > their mating dance, which involves foot stamping, spinning and inflated lilac > neck sacs. > > "These guys are completely manic," Risen said of the male grouse. "It's like > the things we do for love." > > > Earlier in the day, the group had spotted a Northern hawk owl high up in a > tree. > > "Any owl, any time, any state, we're happy with," said Kate Scott of Lake > Zurich, Ill. > > Scott and her friends were happy with the birds they saw and the wealth of > information they got from Risen and Sundvall about the region and its birds. > > "We've already been talking about coming back," she said. > > Next time, though, they'll come in spring and hire a guide to see the > warblers. > > Richard Chin • 612-673-1775 > > Richard Chin is a feature reporter with the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. He > has been a longtime Twin Cities-based journalist who has covered crime, > courts, transportation, outdoor recreation and human interest stories. > > richard.chin@startribune.com612-673-1775 rrchin > > Sent from my iPhone > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "EIA-Environmental Issues Alliance" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to eialist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/EIALIST/E52D334F-9ABA-409B-8765-79C880F4B102%40gmail.com. ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
