Most of my loyal readers know I maintain bird feeders deep in the northeastern Minnesota wilderness 40 miles inland from Two Harbors. It’s been a while since I have given an update. My feeders and trailcams have been out all winter. There is a nice plowed parking lot right next to the feeders. Learn more about my feeders including their GPS location via my Minnesota Birding Locations web page.
First the birding update. This morning both Blackback Woodpeckers and American Three Toed Woodpeckers were seen near the feeders. Neither of these bird species would ever visit a bird feeder, but these birds love the habitat in the immediate area. Apparently the very tall dead tree within a few yards of the feeders is a preferred drumming tree. I have seen many species of woodpeckers using this tree to drum, including the male American Three Toed this morning. The other first spot to check for the Three-Toed and the Black-Backed is about 400 yards down the main snow mobile trail. Both species were seen in that area this morning. However, the habitat all the way down to the bog (8/10 of a mile distant via the trail)
The feeders themselves are very busy. In addition to the usual suspects, there were lots of Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, and Purple Finches visiting the feeders. Here is one of the Redpolls.
The mammals are also visiting the feeders. I assume the Canada Lynx is hunting the numerous Snowshoe Hares. The Red Fox is hunting voles that love to ear bird seed spillage, and the Timber Wolves are hunting whatever they darned please!
I have chosen to only show a video of the Canada Lynx taken last fall. This is a protected/endangered species, and my trailcam shows dates and times of day. I prefer not to make this information public. However, the US Forest Service is being given my Canada Lynx videos. I even found some Canada Lynx scat. Tomorrow I plan to go back with a plastic bag to collect same for the forest service. I suspect they will be interested in the Lynx’s diet.
Two more updates … folks … the trail is a snowmobile trail! My trailcam captured a car trying to drive down the trail, Forest Road #813. Driving a snowmobile trail in the middle of the winter is EXTREMELY dumb. The folks who did this are lucky they somehow managed to turn about w/o getting stuck. I guarantee not a single towing company would have been willing to risk the trail at this time of year. The car owners are lucky they did not get stuck. They would have to wait till the snow melt in April … and the ground firmed up enough for a truck to risk the drive to retrieve they car. The other item is DO NOT block the snowmobile trail when you park. The Aurora Snowmobile Club are a fantastic group, and they are the ones that are maintaining / grooming Forest Road #813. Thank you.
Red Fox at the Feeders (video link for email subscribers)
Timber Wolves on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)
Note: Even in the middle of a snowstorm, the second wolf found my trailcam! Watch to the end.
Canada Lynx on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)
In closing here is an image I took a few days ago near my house of a sleeping Boreal Owl. Once again, I chose to wait before posting. The Owl Irruption is crazy, or I should say people are crazy … thus the delay.
