Some different birds were in the Duluth area last Wednesday! Our neighbors to the north sent the Canadian Airforce Snowbirds down to Duluth and gave a great show. Hats off to our northern neighbors! A thunder storm rolled into the area and the show had to be shortened for everyone’s safety … from the pilots to the spectators.
Birding Trapper Jim’s Corner via Fiero Truck Trail and Toomey Williams Forest Road
I took my favorite birding excursion this morning, west of Big Falls, Minnesota. In the middle of the Pine Island State Forest near the Canadian border there is amazing Borest forest habitat including lots of bogs (also bugs!). This route once you turn on Toomey-Williams Forest Road does not pass a single structure, let alone a cabin or home. It is true wilderness. It is not a bad idea to have a “bow saw” in the trunk of your car should you encounter a downed tree. During the two hours I spent on this bird outing, I never saw another vehicle or human. My two hours also included a one mile hike directly oppositive the intersection of Pine Island Road and Fiero Truck Trail. When I state this is my favorite spot to bird in the Minnesota Boreal Forest, that is not an overstatement.
Today’s prize find was an American Woodcock, a rarely seen bird except during after sundown mating flights in the late spring!
Here is a map along with GPS points for my birding outing
- Toomey-Williams Forest Forest Road: Start
- Toomey-Williams Forest Forest Road: End (at Pine Island Forest Road … turn right)
- Intersection of Pine Island Forest Road and Fiero Truck Trail
- Trapper Jim’s Corner on Fiero Truck Trail (3.5 miles north of intersection)
I turn around at Trapper Jim’s Corner. The habitat is not as good past this point, and I prefer to drive back to Big Falls … either once again via Toomey-Williams or via taking Pine Island all the way to where County 30 starts (Gates Corner). Do NOT drive past Gates Corner where the paved road, County 30 starts. The road goes nowhere and deteriorates fast.
Here are some photos I took with my cell phone back in June when I also made this drive. It will show you all the snags, forest, water next to road, etc. I not only love this route because of its habitat, but also what I have seen over the years. Expect this birding drive to take two hours … round trip from Big Falls. Toomey-Williams is not plowed in the winter, and if Pine Island and Fiero Roads are plowed during winter, expect logging trucks.
Olympic Boreal Forest Bog Hurdles
Yesterday I hiked into the Greenwood Creek Boreal Forest Bog to retrieve and replace my trailcam’s simm card. I had mounted the camera two weeks ago near a huge downed white pine. My thought process was the large tree would create a barrier for anything living, and thus potentially provide some interesting photographs. In addition I learn what is visiting the bog, and the time of day.
The Judges’ scores … straight from Paris. In the first ever holding of the Boreal Forest Greenwood Creek Boreal Bog Championship Hurdles … the gold medal goes to … Momma Moose and her Calf!!!. The moose family took on the Boreal hurdles w/o breaking stride.
The US Forest Work Crew is only awarded a silver medal. They stopped, discussed and cut a section away from the white pine allowing everyone to avoid the jump! Make certain to watch all the videos! The forest service was already deep in the woods by 7 am, while the moose on their day of competition were also active very early in the morning.
Please note how well protected the work crew is both from the bugs and the elements.
Video links for email subscribers … (videos embedded in blog post below images)
- Moose Calf Video: Full Speed
- Moose Calf Video: Slow Motion x4
- US Forest Work Crew
A small portion of the work crew when they first approached the hurdle
