2026 Minnesota – Sax-Zim Bog, Boreal Specialties, and Owls

Today we’ll bird Sax-Zim Bog for Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Buzzard (Hawk), Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Great Grey Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Great Grey Shrike, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Black-billed Magpie, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Arctic (Hoary) Redpoll, Two-barred (White-winged) Crossbill, Red Crossbill, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Snow Bunting, and Evening Grosbeak.

Overnight: Days Inn, Duluth

Today we’ll visit Lake County to try for Spruce Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Northern Goshawk, Great Grey Shrike, and Bohemian Waxwing. We’ll also check Ely or Two Harbors for Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Three-toed Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Arctic (Hoary) Redpoll, Two-barred (White-winged) Crossbill, Red Crossbill, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, and Evening Grosbeak.

Overnight: Days Inn, Duluth

We’ll leave Duluth and bird our way to Grand Marais along the north shore of Lake Superior. We’ll keep our eyes out for Sharp-tailed Grouse, Ruffed  Grouse, Northern Goshawk, Rough-legged Buzzard (Hawk), Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Snowy Owl, Canada Jay, Great Grey Shrike, Snow Bunting, Pine Grosbeak, Common Redpoll, Arctic (Hoary) Redpoll, Two-barred (White-winged) Crossbill, Red Crossbill, Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch, and Pine Siskin.
Making our way up the North Shore to Grand Marais along Hwy 61, we will have a chance for Long-tailed Duck and possibly some scoter species. We will see Common and Red-breasted Mergansers and Common Goldeneye here too. There is an outside chance for Harlequin Duck.

Overnight: Grand Marais

Cook County – Grand Marais. We’ll hit the Gunflint Trail and locations along the north shore of Lake Superior today, looking for Spruce Grouse, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, and several of the wintering finches like Common Redpoll, Evening Grosbeak, and Pine Grosbeak.  Possible finds here will include both Red and Two-barred (White-winged) Crossbills and Arctic (Hoary) Redpoll, or Purple Finch, Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, Bohemian Waxwing, Great Grey  Shrike, and Northern Goshawk. There is an outside chance for Boreal Owl, Great Grey Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Varied Thrush, or Townsend’s Solitaire.  Along Lake Superior we hope to come across Long-tailed Duck, Common Merganser, Common Goldeneye, and Red-breasted Merganser. Both Glaucous Gull and Thayer’s Gull are possible here too.

Overnight: Grand Marais

We’ll make our way back to Duluth to catch our flights home.

Minnesota winters can be very harsh. Temperatures can drop quickly, and it can be challenging to remain outdoors for more than a few minutes at a time. Dress in layers, and wear cold-weather gear – thermal underclothes, insulated gloves, hat, scarf, etc.

Other than during short excursions, we will always have the vehicle nearby for anyone that needs a break to get warm.

YES! – Assuming that everyone’s flight arrives before dark. One of our first targets is only a few minutes from from the airport.

See question one above, and check the weather for the destination as close to your departure date as possible, and dress accordingly for your comfort level. You can also review our What to Bring page for more information.

There are many items the will be useful to you while on a Bird Treks tour. We have put together our list of recommendations on the What to Bring page.

Our tours are all conducted in English, but we do have some experience working with client that don’t speak English well – Some English would be needed for safety reasons. In locations where another language is predominately spoken, a native guide may accompany the tour.

Yes, we will always try our best to help with anything at all! We’re here to serve you. However, it is usually easier if you book your flight through your own travel agent as we can’t always get the best deals from your particular country. But we will help whenever needed!

While Day 1 is usually a travel (arrival) day, and the last day of the tour is usually also a travel day (departure), many people do like to arrive early and/or leave late. We can indeed book extra nights before and after the trip, and we in fact recommend you let us book them, as it avoids confusion and allows us to book the accommodation that is most convenient for the tour.

NOTE: Most often it is the same hotel or lodge that you use on the first night of the tour, but in some instances, it could be an airport hotel or an accommodation establishment where the guide is staying.

No, we do not. We find that it is better for trip participants to purchase their own medical, trip cancellation, and baggage insurance through their own insurance provider in the country they reside in. We expect all tour participants to have comprehensive insurance, and we encourage everyone to send us a copy of their insurance documents.

For most tours, meals are included in the tour price. This may include a hotel-provided breakfast, or guide-provided box lunches. For dinners, we strive to find interesting and delicious local restaurants – this allows us to give back to the local economy, and find exciting new place to eat.