Birders visiting Sax-Zim this weekend should exercise extreme caution. We had an ice storm today, and all side roads are covered with a slick layer of ice. Travel is possible only at very slow speeds (it took me 15 minutes to drive the 2 miles between hwy 53 and my house in Melrude this evening), and other drivers will have a difficult time avoiding parked vehicles or birders standing in the roadway. I would advise against stopping on 52 (Arkola/Comstock Lake) road at all, and be advised that shoulders on other roads (Hwy 7...) may well be ice covered even if the roadway itself is clear. Owls will likely have a much more difficult time finding prey with the thick layer of ice now covering the snow, so any birder/photographer activity that interferes with hunting behavior should be avoided at all costs.
Thanks, and please be careful!
Ben

Ben Yokel