Category Archives: Year 10

Boreal Forest Bog Tour

Year 10, ,

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)

Surf City USA on Lake Superior

Year 10

How many of you knew there are a dedicated cadre of folks who surf on Lake Superior?! This image was taken about lunch time today off the mouth of the Lester River in Duluth (1/2 mile from my house) … 35 mph winds, drizzle and 48F (snow tomorrow). Till ice up, there are folks who are notified whenever the Lake Superior surf is up and travel hundreds of miles for “inland surfing”!

Bad Birding … Great Colors!

Year 10, ,

The last week has been horrible for birding. Almost all our locals have departed south, and the Arctic and Tundra arrivals are staying north (think southerly headwinds). Add almost nonstop dreary skies and frequent rain showers and a person could almost decide to move to the desert southwest (almost … but not quite). When the sun did pop out on a few occasions and I was poised with my camera. It was beautiful.

Last Monday Molly suggested at the last moment we enjoy some unexpected sun and eat out at the top of Mont du Lac. This is the hill where we both learned to ski back in our youth, and over the past few years a new owner has invested lots of money in what was a tired ski resort. This image was taken at sunset from the restaurant at the top of the hill overlooking the St. Louis River.

Tuesday afternoon found me escaping the “blah” conditions next to Lake Superior and driving over to Sax-Zim Bog. The Tamaracks are golden, and the late afternoon sun made for brilliant birding, but someone forgot to tell the birds! I walked for three miles and saw only three of our feathered friends … a chickadee, crow and blue jay.

Here is a photo of Admiral Road from that afternoon.

Finally yesterday afternoon I heard there were some local Arctic celebrities at the Forest Hill ponds. I enjoyed the four Ross’s Geese and the one Blue Morph Snow Goose.

This Monday morning … more rain … I am NOT out birding.