Winter in Northern Minnesota - February 2026
Dates: February 12 - 17, 2026
Leaders: Erik Bruhnke & Kevin Burke
E-bird
Total Species: 44 birds
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Overall Summary
Our Winter in Northern Minnesota tour was a thrilling experience. We explored many scenic places throughout this beautiful part of Minnesota, enjoying the area's unique charms as well as the birds and mammals. This year we were treated to many highlights and even a handful of unexpected write-ins on our daily checklists. And on top of the many wildlife moments each day, it was fun to savor the wonderful dining at nearby restaurants, all mere minutes from our hotel. Starting this year, VENT has added an extra day to this exciting annual tour, and on this year’s tour we had some memorable travels and finds on this additional day!
After gathering at our lakeside hotel on the opening afternoon, we made our way to some local fields and hotspots where we were delighted by not one, not two, but four Snowy Owls! When Snowy Owls come down for the winter, they are content living and hunting among tundra-like landscapes. We found ourselves looking up at a light post for one of the owls and at the end of an airplane wing for another; two others were just out in the open, as if they were in charge of the landscape. We even got to see one fly and hunt among the snow! It was wild and beautiful, with pink-orange colors filling the afternoon sky. On our way back shortly after seeing the owls, we came across two Mourning Doves and took a moment to appreciate them. Mourning Doves are very uncommon during the winter months here and are far from annual on this tour. A tasty dinner and cheerful camaraderie ended our welcoming evening on a special note.
A day at Sax-Zim Bog was in store for our first full day in the field. One of the first animals of the day was a porcupine resting up in a tree at sunrise. As the morning unfolded, we enjoyed wonderful experiences with both Canada Jays and Blue Jays, Pine Grosbeaks of both sexes, and dazzling treetops filled with gatherings of Evening Grosbeaks. While uncommon this winter (it varies every year), it was also a treat to find redpolls feeding among the birding thrills at hand. A bit more meandering throughout the roads had us focusing on old-growth spruce and bog habitat. On these Duluth tours, I describe these areas as sacred, as they have formed over many stunted growing seasons and are home to a wide variety of specialized flora and fauna. Additional views of Canada Jays continued; their chickadee-on-steroids-like shape was well appreciated, bringing smiles to our faces. A few dollops of freshly placed peanut butter and birdseed invited many birds to visit the area in front of us. Black-capped Chickadees are the predominant chickadee here, and we enjoyed their high-energy feeding antics. And after not much of a wait at all, not one but TWO Boreal Chickadees came into view. They are such beautiful little stars of the spruce forest, and it was great to study them, even while they sang at times. Both White-breasted and Red-breasted nuthatches were seen visiting the feeders, as were Downy and Hairy woodpeckers and even more Pine Grosbeaks. A rare American Marten sprinted quickly up the road. An obligatory visit to the Friends of Sax-Zim Bog welcome center ensued, where we were greeted by the wonderful naturalists there. It was great to take time to visit their entire setup, browse their little store, and make our annual donation on behalf of VENT’s tour.
After a Northwoods comfort-food-style lunch, we began our search for a Northern Hawk Owl back in the bog. Upon arriving, we could see the owl at a bit of a distance . . . and Kevin and I got the scopes set up ASAP. Within mere minutes, this sleek and legendary owl of the far north decided to fly to an evergreen very close to where we were standing outside our van. Minutes passed, and we relished our moments with this striking bird, a life bird for many in our group! After pulling ourselves away, we decided to check out some under-birded side roads nearby and came across a group of Wild Turkeys feeding in a field. Moments after seeing the turkeys, a flock of Snow Buntings came into view! Before leaving the bog for the day, we took a walk along one of the beautiful old-growth spruce boardwalks. The tall trees looked down at us, and solitude filled the air. We took some time to appreciate and learn about the highly specialized bog plants growing along the boardwalk. It was all so magical. We enjoyed a delicious meal that night, with many folks in the group opting for the wild rice and walleye that the area is known for.
The next day we explored many areas along the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior. Before we were even a few minutes from the hotel, we pulled over to enjoy layers of stacked plates of ice along the lake, with the many angles sharing shades of teal, electric blue, and almost silver-like qualities. The stacks of ice had accumulated from the recent mild temperatures. The views of the shore were dreamy. Seeing a kaleidoscope of ducks was icing on the birding cake. From our first few spots we enjoyed birds like both Common and Red-breasted mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, a Northern Pintail, and glimpses of an American Black Duck. Further up the shore we enjoyed views of two seasonally uncommon Horned Grebes. Throughout the afternoon in the far-reaching town of Grand Marais, with some persistence, we locked our optics onto some beautiful Bohemian Waxwings, a big target of the day! They trilled as they fed atop the trees and were a thrill to watch for several minutes!
Exploring various reaches of the Superior National Forest was on our agenda for the next morning. While we were loading up the vans at the hotel before sunrise, a White-throated Sparrow called and bounced across the hotel entrance near our vans—a rare and pretty unexpected sight for the tour! Way up in the forest, careful scanning along key northern roads unfortunately didn’t turn up any Spruce Grouse (they are tricky); however, while admiring one of the vast frozen nearby lakes, a very unexpected Trumpeter Swan flew over us. Later in the day we checked out a recently burned area where we scored views of two different Black-backed Woodpeckers, a special treat of the Northwoods! They were busy calling and feeding. On the way down the shore we spotted two White-winged Scoters and a Long-tailed Duck along some scenic vistas. Before calling it a day, we enjoyed a plethora of ducks on ice and ended the day with a Harlequin Duck alongside Common Goldeneyes and an unpleasantly far-away Peregrine Falcon perched on a building.
Our last day always comes too soon on this exciting tour. We made our way north and around Sax-Zim Bog. After birding the fields, a visit to my friend Mary Lou’s bird feeders was in order. A dozen Evening Grosbeaks charmed the maple trees with their voices and flashy appearance, while sassy Blue Jays called nearby. Later, with the sun at our backs among the spruce forest, the Canada Jays and Pine Grosbeaks left us beaming with joy, as did obliging views of Boreal Chickadee! Some additional fresh air on the mild day and a walk down the woodland road had us viewing a striking male Black-backed Woodpecker perched out in the open. It was fun to listen to him call as he fed. After lunch we made our way to a different boardwalk and participated in some Bog Zen. After some solitude and being charmed by chickadees, we ended the day exploring one more region of Sax-Zim Bog. It was fun to be the discoverers of a newly arrived adult male Northern Harrier, as well as a dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk (both on the leading edge of a northward movement). An all-too-brief Sharp-tailed Grouse flew by as the day came to a close. We ended the day at a special restaurant just minutes from our hotel. The dining ambiance was relaxing and pleasant, and we enjoyed our final meal while sharing many special memories from this Northwoods adventure.
A special thank you goes out to everyone who was on this tour, both new friends and friends from past VENT tours. We all had such a great time!
Day-by-Day Summary
February 12 - Arrival in Duluth, Minnesota. Afternoon orientation and first outing for Snowy Owls and wintering birds around the lakeshore and airport area.
February 13 - Full day exploring Sax-Zim Bog with highlights including Boreal Chickadee, Canada Jay, Pine Grosbeak, Evening Grosbeak, and Northern Hawk Owl.
February 14 - Additional birding in Sax-Zim Bog and surrounding habitats, including boardwalk walks, feeders, Snow Buntings, and possible American Marten sightings.
February 15 - Birding along the scenic North Shore of Lake Superior with winter waterfowl, Horned Grebe, Bohemian Waxwing, and stunning frozen lake vistas.
February 16 - Exploration of Superior National Forest and nearby burned habitats for Black-backed Woodpecker, Spruce Grouse, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, and other northern specialties.
February 17 - Final morning around Sax-Zim Bog with chances for Boreal Chickadee, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Harrier, and Rough-legged Hawk before departures from Duluth.
Wildlife Seen:
MAMMALS:
Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
American Marten (Martes americana)
Wolf tracks were seen in the snow!