The wife and I took a short weekend away recently, and one of our goals was to hit Sax Zim Bog in northern Minnesota. My wife is a birder, and I’m a photographer. Between the two of us a place like Sax Zim is perfect. It is one of the main spots to see winter birds, and you can even catch some species that barely extend into our range.
I decided that I needed a better lens for this, and so I rented a 100-400mm lens for my Sony a6000. It’s the biggest lens I’ve ever worked with, and it performed perfectly. It was really great to be able to get in close for some amazing shots. I don’t know that it’s worth investing multiple thousands of dollars for me, but knowing I can rent one when needed is perfect.
We got to see a few different species that my wife hadn’t seen before, and even came across a Boreal Chickadee which was a somewhat rare find in Minnesota. Below is a link to the SmugMug gallery for perusal. (https://swiftphotography.smugmug.com/Exploration/Sax-Zim-Bog/)
Second Runnings 
Saw your post and decided to spend a day up there. Got a couple new species and a few miles of hiking. 🙂
Nice! Have you made it down south yet for the eagle migration? We’re keeping an eye on the updates from the Eagle Center for a good opportunity to head down.
Nope. I didn’t spend much time along the river this winter. We’re heading south next week for a few weeks of camping, so maybe when we get back.
Looks like you made it to the welcome center, but I don’t see any owls! Hours drive the bog roads at sunrise and sunset for some truly epic great grey’s. I live 15 minutes from the bog!
Ya I was sad that we got there too late got owls. We were staying in Two Harbors so dawn would have been a tough one. Next time though we’ll stay closer.