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nmerc_photos
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Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that often 400mm was at the longest end I would want to use. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the best tool that I brought was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF


General Strategy

  1. for the most part, there is abundant wildlife everywhere near the bog
  2. if you are looking specifically for Great Gray Owls (as many do) we found the best times to be right at sunrise and sunset
  3. GGOW activity was best from 7AM - 10AM and 3PM - 6PM
  4. during this trip, the majority of sightings were near Admiral and McDavitt Rd
  5. once peak GGOW activity time was over, we would watch the feeders, welcome center, or drive around with the thermal looking for other activity


Sightings
Over our short trip we saw:

  1. 7 unique Great Gray Owls
  2. 50+ Rough Legged Hawk
  3. 20+ Ruffed Grouse
  4. 10+ Bald Eagles
  5. 10+ Black-billed Magpies
  6. 5+ Snowshoe Hares
  7. 1 Wolf

We did not see, but others around the same time period saw:

  1. Pine Marten
  2. Ermine
  3. Bobcat
  4. Otters
  5. Barred Owl
  6. Great Horned Owl
  7. Northern Hawk Owl
  8. Red Fox
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:25 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that often 400mm was at the longest end I would want to use. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the best tool that I brought was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF


Sightings
Over our short trip we saw:

  1. 7 unique Great Gray Owls
  2. 50+ Rough Legged Hawk
  3. 20+ Ruffed Grouse
  4. 10+ Bald Eagles
  5. 10+ Black-billed Magpies
  6. 5+ Snowshoe Hares
  7. 1 Wolf

We did not see, but others around the same time period saw:

  1. Pine Marten
  2. Ermine
  3. Bobcat
  4. Otters
  5. Barred Owl
  6. Great Horned Owl
  7. Northern Hawk Owl
  8. Red Fox
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:18 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that often 400mm was at the longest end I would want to use. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF


Sightings
Over our short trip we saw:

  1. 7 unique Great Gray Owls
  2. 50+ Rough Legged Hawk
  3. 20+ Ruffed Grouse
  4. 10+ Bald Eagles
  5. 10+ Black-billed Magpies
  6. 5+ Snowshoe Hares
  7. 1 Wolf

We did not see, but others around the same time period saw:

  1. Pine Marten
  2. Ermine
  3. Bobcat
  4. Otters
  5. Barred Owl
  6. Great Horned Owl
  7. Northern Hawk Owl
  8. Red Fox
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:10 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that often 400mm was at the longest end I would want to use. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF


Sightings
Over our short trip we saw:

  1. 7 unique Great Gray Owls
  2. 50+ Rough Legged Hawk
  3. 20+ Ruffed Grouse
  4. 10+ Bald Eagles
  5. 10+ Black-billed Magpies
  6. 5+ Snowshoe Hares
  7. 1 Wolf

We did not see, but others around the same time period saw:

  1. Pine Marten
  2. Bobcat
  3. Otters
  4. Barred Owl
  5. Great Horned Owl
  6. Northern Hawk Owl
  7. Red Fox
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:10 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that often 400mm was at the longest end I would want to use. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:01 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  4. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 08:00 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel

we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:59 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:58 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:53 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:50 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  6. Hat - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQFXN56/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  7. Boots - https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-QUEST-Hiking-Olive-Safari/dp/B08LK635PP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UWATRMTUJMEF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ii4DIAx-QqItcTyfvgQ5-YbDRYX56sPpP4Ct0pyYi28NgzUg3qiFpLUNO2ErSWhm5QfLiboG3CndRhPBR3OZxw.jfORJJ2KOykYXfzcdUMbMYIHn0tpcoIAIBhZYhmRl3g&dib_tag=se&keywords=salomon+quest&qid=1704934195&sprefix=saloman+ques%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-3
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:50 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OA2NCVI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HFXXVMR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J45G5BQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:46 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://a.co/d/2AC7dSd
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://a.co/d/aEXtvYl
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://a.co/d/bJdwMh6
  5. Photography gloves - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KMC3114/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:46 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://a.co/d/2AC7dSd
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://a.co/d/aEXtvYl
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://a.co/d/bJdwMh6
  5. Photography gloves - https://a.co/d/4Wda0i1
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:45 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife


Clothing

  1. if you are not from a cold weather climate and don't have experience with snow, here are my suggestions
  2. Waterproof/insulated jacket - https://a.co/d/2AC7dSd
  3. Waterproof/insulated pants - https://a.co/d/aEXtvYl
  4. Rechargeable hand warmers - https://a.co/d/bJdwMh6
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:45 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:43 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:43 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:41 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:41 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. I also brought a 1.4x and 2x TC but did not use either
  5. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:40 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
  4. the biggest tool that I brought, was my new thermal monocular - the Pulsar Telos LRF XP50, as I will demonstrate - this was an essential part of the kit for finding wildlife
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:38 PM
nmerc_photos
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2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty


Gear

  1. unfortunately, they day before this trip I dropped one of my Z9's while it had the 400mm f2.8 tc attached, so I had to send the body in for repair. I did bring the lens, with no apparent damage
  2. for the trip, I brought my Mr Jan Boris IV bag with 1x Z9, 1x 400mm f2.8 TC, 1x 800mm f6.3
  3. I ended up using the 400mm exclusively, and found that at times - 400mm was too long. in the future, I will bring a 70-200mm f2.8 as well
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:37 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps. this gave us locations that we could GPS to during the day, and increased odds of seeing specific creatures (great gray owl, barred owl, great horned owl, northern hawk owl, ermine, pine marten, bobcat, wolf, etc.)
  5. make sure to also download offline maps of the bog ahead of the trip - as cell service with Verizon was extremely spotty
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:35 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:34 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:33 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:33 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:32 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
  4. prior to the trip, I took telegram coordinates from every sighting over the previous 8 weeks, and saved them on my google maps
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:31 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. there is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting - that posts live sightings
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:30 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. Facebook has several good groups - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. There is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:29 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again


Planning Resources

  1. although our trip was mainly dictated by available time off from work, we did monitor animal/bird reports up to the day of the trip
  2. Facebook has several good resources - "Sax-Zim Bog", "Friends of Sax-Zim Bog", "The Beautiful Sax-Zim Bog and Amazing North Shore"
  3. There is also a telegram group (similar to discord) "Sax Zim Bog Sightings" with 1137 members at time of posting
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:29 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles
  4. in the future, we will never go to the bog on a weekend again
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:27 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles




Jan 10, 2024 at 07:26 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel


we made sure to bring snacks (sandwich materials, chips, nuts, chocolate covered raisins) to eat in the car during the day. with accommodations in Duluth, 1 hour each way from the bog - we would spend all day in the bog

Time - Friday, January 5th & Saturday, January 6th 2024

  1. at this time in January, it was light enough for pictures around 7:30AM and too dark for pictures around 5:30PM
  2. temperatures were very mild, between 25F - 40F for the duration of the trip
  3. Friday did not have many other photographers (20 or less), while Saturday easily had 50-100 different vehicles




Jan 10, 2024 at 07:26 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2024 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:23 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2023 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth

  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:23 PM
nmerc_photos
Offline
Upload & Sell: On
2023 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations

Hotel - AmericInn by Wyndham, Duluth


  1. 2 star hotel for about $160/night for 2 queen beds, included breakfast
  2. room was large, clean, oversized TV, strong flow in shower
  3. best breakfast we ever had from a normal hotel
Jan 10, 2024 at 07:23 PM
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2023 Sax Zim Bog Trip + Thermal Monocular Testing


didn't see any Sax Zim Bog threads, so figured I'd dump some info in here from my first trip

the Sax Zim Bog is well known as THE place to go for northern owls, finches, warblers, and other boreal birds

encompassing more than 300 square miles of Minnesota, it is a great place for many different types of wildlife

my journey was just a short, 2 day trip - driving up from Lansing, Michigan. It was about a 12 hour drive through the UP of Michigan, and to the bog

we stayed in Duluth, but in the future may opt to stay in an AirBNB near the bog, or Alesches' Acommodations


Jan 10, 2024 at 07:21 PM





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