Sax Zim Bog – Birds, Mammals, And Northern Lights
Jan. 30th- Feb. 2nd, 2026
3 Spaces Available!
Jan. 30th- Feb. 2nd, 2026
Sax Zim Bog
Explore the Natural Wonders of Sax Zim Bog
Head to the woods and meadows of northern Minnesota to enjoy photographing a wide variety of birds that migrate to the vast bog, marsh, woodland and meadow habitats of this region each winter.
The timing correlates with the arrival of migrating birds from northern regions, including a wide variety of finches and owls.
This workshop is ideal for those interested in learning about and photographing the birds of northern Minnesota. Potential species may include great gray owls, hawk owls, snowy owls, barred owls, common redpolls, ruffed grouse, pine grosbeak, boreal chickadees, black-capped chickadees and many more. There are also potential opportunities for mammals, including moose, wolves, pine marten, bobcat and red fox.
The Bog incorporates an interesting mix of nearly 300 square miles of black spruce and tamarac bog, upland aspen and maple forests, floodplain forest, sandy upland pine stands, rivers, lakes, farms, meadows and towns.
The northern lights are also on a strong patten for the next couple of years so we will keep an eye on the forecast for potential evening outings to photograph this unique nighttime activity for photographers.
About Your Leader…..
Dawn Wilson is a professional and award-winning nature photographer specializing in images and stories about wildlife of high latitudes and high altitudes of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. With more than 600 bylined articles and photo credits, Dawn’s text and photography has appeared in numerous regional and national publications, including Colorado Life, Colorado Outdoors, Wyoming Wildlife, Outdoor Photographer, MotorHome magazine, Nature’s Best Photography, and many others. In addition to her editorial work, Dawn leads multiple workshops each year in North and South America to photograph wildlife, such as brown bears in Alaska and birds of Louisiana. She also leads photo tours in Rocky Mountain National Park. She served two terms as President of the North American Nature Photography Association and has been the co-host of The Nature Photographer Podcast. Learn more at dawnwilsonphotography.com.
5 Participants
$2,300
$300 single supplement
Check our others photography tours details: Musk Ox
Jan. 30th- Feb. 2nd, 2026
Day 1 (Jan. 30th)
- Dawn will meet the group at the airport (DLH) to pick up luggage and take everyone to our lodging in Duluth.
- We will start the workshop by meeting at noon on Friday to have lunch at Texas Roadhouse near our hotel.
- After lunch, we will head out to Sax-Zim Bog, about a one-hour drive north of Duluth, to look for the owls and songbirds of the area, including great gray owls, hawk owls, boreal owls, boreal chickadees, snowy owls and pine grosbeaks.
- We will return to Duluth for a group dinner at Olive Garden near our hotel.
- Dawn will be on point to watch the forecast and weather for Northern Lights that evening. If conditions are favorable, we will venture out north of the city to a lake.
Day 2 (January 31st)
- This morning will start with a sunrise shoot, if the weather is favorable and if we were not out too late for Northern Lights the prior evening, in Sax-Zim Bog near one of the farms. After sunrise, we will explore the Bog to look for birds and wildlife. Possibilities include bobcats, moose, marten, great gray owls, ruffed grouse, hawk owls, black-backed woodpeckers, and more. We will be out until midday when we will stop for lunch at Wilbert Café in Cotton.
- After lunch, we will head back into the Bog to continue looking for birds. During this afternoon, we will stop at the feeders at the visitor center for an hour or two before heading back out to the roads in search of owls perking up in the late hours of the afternoon.
- After shooting, we will head back to Duluth for dinner at Valentini’s Italian restaurant near our hotel.
- Dawn will be on point to watch the forecast and weather for Northern Lights that evening. If conditions are favorable, we will venture out north of the city to a lake.
Day 3 (February 1st)
- This morning will start with a sunrise shoot, if the weather is favorable and if we were not out too late for Northern Lights the prior evening, in Sax-Zim Bog near one of the farms. After sunrise, we will explore the Bog to look for birds and wildlife. Possibilities include bobcats, moose, marten, great gray owls, ruffed grouse, hawk owls, black-backed woodpeckers, and more. We will be out until midday when we will stop for lunch at Wilbert Café in Cotton.
- After lunch, we will head back into the Bog to continue looking for birds. During this afternoon, we will stop at another set of feeders for an hour or two before heading back out to the roads in search of owls perking up in the late hours of the afternoon.
- After shooting, we will head back to Duluth for dinner at Famous Dave’s BBQ near our hotel.
- Dawn will be on point to watch the forecast and weather for Northern Lights that evening. If conditions are favorable, we will venture out north of the city to a lake.
Day 4 (February 2nd)
- This morning will start with a sunrise shoot, if the weather is favorable and if we were not out too late for Northern Lights the prior evening, along the shore of Lake Superior.
- After the morning shoot, we will stop for lunch at Duluth Grill for a wrap-up discussion about the weekend before heading to the airport (DLH).
Jan. 30th- Feb. 2nd, 2026
Cancellations are only effective upon WIWP receiving a written cancellation notification, signed by the client. Deposits and payments are used to secure and pay for the client’s accommodations, transportation, guides, internal flights and all aspects of the client’s trip and are non-refundable.
We understand that conflicts arise, so if you need to cancel and if WIWP fills your spot at full price prior to the due date of the final payment, a refund, less a 20% administration fee and
less any non-refundable air tickets purchased, single supplement, etc. may be issued; however, there are no guarantees. We strongly recommend purchasing trip insurance, in most cases this will be your only opportunity to recoup non-refundable fees.
In the event a client fails to join a safari/tour/workshop, join it after departure or leave it prior to its completion, no tour fare refund will be made. Some airfare may be non-refundable and WIWP is not responsible for providing a refund for any penalties or non-refundable airfare. There will be no refunds from WIWP for any unused portions of the tour. The above policy applies to all travel arrangements made via WIWP.
CHANGE IN TOUR/WORKSHOP:
WIWP will make every attempt to operate a safari/tour/workshop once confirmed, but will reserve the right to cancel and/or change a trip at our sole, reasonable discretion at any time due to insufficient bookings, unsafe or undesirable travel conditions for the participants and/or reasons beyond its control, such as: strikes, wars, acts of God, acts of government, civil unrest or any other cause whatsoever, that may make operation of the tour impossible, illegal, or inadvisable.
In the event that WIWP changes or postpones the date(s) or itinerary of any safari/tour/workshop due to any reason set forth above, then no refund shall be due to the client.
In the event that WIWP cancels the tour, then all tour payments received from the client shall be refunded, and said refund will be the limit of WIWP’s liability. WIWP is not responsible for any expenses incurred by clients in preparing for the trip, including non-refundable or penalty-carrying airline tickets, special clothing, visa or passport fees, or other tour-related expenses.
- Accomodations
- All ground transportation
- Expert guiding service and photography mentoring
- Fellowship with women wildlife photographers
- Flights in and out of Duluth
- All meals (you will be eating together as a group)
- Trip insurance
Moderate. There is minimal hiking but abundant walking on flat surfaces on roadsides and boardwalks on this trip. Most photo locations on this trip will be roadside and near the vehicle. There is one boardwalk trail we will explore and some walking along the shore of Lake Superior. Elevation gain is minimal, with most of this trip happening from 700 to 1300 feet of elevation. The weather in northern Minnesota in February is cold and snowy, with average highs in the low 30s and average lows in the single digits. Storms pass through the area. Extremely warm winter gear is required — winter parka, hats, gloves, handwarmers, good boots, lined pants, etc.