As noted with yesterday’s post about Surf City USA on Lake Superior, the weather up here in the Northland has been horrible. During these super poor birding conditions, I often go exploring. Sometimes I find my explorations have really bad potential (like yesterday NW of Sax-Zim Bog), but occasionally I find routes where the habitat looks grand even if I don’t see many birds. Two days ago I explored over toward Aitkin and a Boreal Forest Bog Area which Kim Eckert describes in his Birder’s Guide to Minnesota. Before Sax-Zim Bog became famous, this was where folks went in search of Great Gray Owls … County 18 and Pietz’s Road. Obviously I had to first get over to the area, and my mapped route travels along Boreal Forest Bog (County Rd #8) and the Mississippi River (Great River Road / Hwy 10). In better conditions, I suspect this could be a very good bird outing. One could shorten the drive from the Duluth area a bit by taking US #2, but I have never seen much along the stretch from Hwy 53 to Floodwood. Regardless, here is my map.
I have seen a few birds over the past week, but the pickings have been poor.
Wet Birds (Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Ruffed Grouse, Bald Eagle, Spruce Grouse)
Beautiful wet bird snaps. Feeling sympathy for those flying critters. Had been quite nice & mellow. Now, rather suddenly, has become quite miserable for moving to those winter homes.
Yup! Just wish it was closer to the road. The Snow Buntings were near the flycatcher
Hi Richard today I went to the location where the scissor tailed flycatcher has been spotted the past few days on west knife river rd and there it was flying between the big wooden cable spools and red steel fences. Very cool.
so beautiful. they look happier than i do in the rain. thanks for getting out there and sharing