We are coming up on my favorite time of the year to be out in the woods … September and October. The fall colors will be gorgeous with moderate to warm air temperatures and very few bugs. Who could ask for me?! Add migrating birds into the equation and the formula for an enjoyable outing is wunderbar!

Over the weekend I spent time on Toomey Williams Forest Road in Pine Island State Forest (west of Big Falls, Minnesota). This road is one of the most impressive drives through Boreal Forest Bog Habitat in Minnesota. Except during grouse hunting season I have never seen another car on this road … Bull Moose Yes … Cars No! Sax-Zim Bog pales by comparison.

All of my favorite drives / birding outings are documented on the Minnesota Birding Locations page of this blog. Tomorrow I plan to be up on Stony River Forest Road. Here is a map which shows my bog drives.

One of my favorite times this weekend was watching a Red-Tailed Hawk hunt for over 30 minutes shortly after sunrise on Toomey Williams. I am lucky that Pine Island State Forest and Toomey Williams is only an hour from my cabin.

Red-Tailed Hawk Take-Off

A few minutes earlier on a spruce