Category Archives: Year 9

Bald Eagles of the Northland

Year 9

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and has the opportunity to get some birding in after “eating the bird!”.  Two days ago my local bald eagles had a small convention … enjoying the morning sun while blocked from the strong NW wind. Remember, as the temperature falls and the winds rise in the winter, raptors in particular will almost always perch where they are both warmed by the sun, but protected from the cold NW winds.

The third Bald Eagle is an immature bird likely two years of age or younger. In the third year Bald Eagles start to get more white markings; normally by the fourth year an eagle has the classic white head and tail.

Wawina Bog / Floodwood Bog

Background, Year 9,

No bird photographs accompany this post … just very important birding information and maps. For those of you who have ever driven the stretch of US Hwy. 2 just West of Floodwood, you have undoubtedly noticed the HUGE area of beautiful Boreal Bog that stretches as far off the road as the eye can see, and is on both sides of the highway for miles. This bog’s formal name is the Wawina Peatland and Scientific Area. The region is remote, and almost impossible to access, but I finally found a road yesterday afternoon that provides extremely good access … the Hedbom State Forest Road (just west of Floodwood). The biggest section of the Wawina Bog is actually on the southern side of US Hwy. 2. My impression of the habitat seen from Hedbom State Forest Road is it is truly magical … with lots of Bog with open spaces interspaced into the forest yet also including a large number of deadheads for use as raptor hunting perches! Warning: Be very careful of logging trucks if the road is plowed in the winter. The forest road is single lane, and would require you to back up a loonnng ways!

Here are two screenshots I took via Google Maps and annotated. The satellite image shows the Bog area (my rectangle area), and the terrain version demonstrates it is not worth driving past my Google Maps GPS Point. Further west of my point on the Hedbom State Forest Road the land becomes rolling hills and deciduous forest … still beautiful, but not what this birder was looking to experience.

If you don’t have the time to drive the Hedbom State Forest Road (or later in the winter it will be snowbound … not plowed), then try the short four mile stretch of Cty. 429 that starts at Wawina Township on US Hwy. #2. This road will be plowed through the winter, but it does not get you anywhere as deep into the Bog. I found this Red-Tailed Hawk on Cty. 429 this past fall.

Once again, here are the GPS Points for the Wawina Bog / Floodwood Bog via the list I maintain on Google Maps.

Shades of Winter Red!

Year 9

I just spent the past two days near the Canadian border near Big Falls, Minnesota. I knew that many of the back roads I enjoy which are nearer our cabin, would soon be impossible in terms of access due to deep snow. Toomey Williams Forest Road in Pine Island State Forest was just barely drivable with my all-wheel drive. My timing was near perfect and I enjoyed two perfect days of sunny weather in the midst of snow flocked pines before last night’s and this morning’s high winds and extreme cold kicked in. Better yet, I found the sweet spot of migrating winter birds that will remain in our local Boreal Forest for the next few months. The most numerous bird were pine grosbeaks, but there were plenty of Common Redpolls and White-Winged Crossbills to keep this birder happy.

The one specie of bird which I saw nary an individual was the Great Gray Owl. Although I was in prime habitat at the right time of day, the Gray Ghost never appeared. Normally by late October I can count upon the fact that some juveniles are beginning to hunt well into the daylight hours (a bit after sunrise, and before sunset). Our Great Grays are native and year round residents, but an interesting fact is that Hawk Ridge’s raptor banding count for the entire month of October was only 500 birds (hawks and owls). This monthly number is way down compared to the historical average. In addition, none of my friends are seeing any of our northern owls with any kind of frequency … and definitely not at any time other than dawn and dusk. Bummer.

Regardless … shades of Red … Winter Birds!

Pine Grosbeaks

Take-Off

Gritting Up

White-Winged Crossbill

Common Redpoll

Big Fork River (upstream and downstream from one of the Mn Hwy #6 Bridges)