Tag Archives: MN North: Greenwood Creek Bog

Of Comets, Moose and Large Kitties …

Year 11,

This morning I went comet hunting … arriving at 5:50 am with fantastic views of Lake Superior’s eastern skies. Sunrise was at 7:06 am; thus I was in position during the prime viewing hour (about one hour before sunrise). Although I scanned the eastern skies for 20 minutes with both my naked eyes, and binoculars, I saw zippo. The skies were super clear without humidity, and I was at a non light pollution location.

Four years ago from my cabin I had a great time with Comet Neowise at my northern Minnesota cabin near the Canadian border. That time I scored fantastic views of both the comet and the Northern Lights at the same time!

After striking out with the comet I drove inland to the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area. Something has been damaging my bird feeders, but I don’t think it is a bear. Thus I wanted to pull my trail cam’s simm card and move the camera to watch over my feeders.

When I pulled the images off my trail cam this morning I was excited to find pictures of a Bull Moose and a Canada Lynx. I know Poppa Moose is interested in the Cow Moose which has been hanging around the Greenwood Creek Bog all summer. Notice how Poppa Moose has branches stuck to one antler! He also has his nose to the ground. Moose have poor eye sight but great sense of hearing and smell. Perhaps he smells his lady love?!

Trailcam Pictures – Greenwood Creek Bog

The only bird that was willing to pose for my camera this morning was this Bald Eagle near McQuade Harbor. Molly and I are now up at our cabin and tomorrow means a pre-dawn trip to Toomey- Williams Forest Road west of Big Falls for me.

Fall Colors! Spruce Grouse

Year 11

Thankfully sunrise is now rather late, 7:05 am. This allowed me to head up to the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area before sunrise and still get back in time for church at 10:00 am. It was a fun morning with lots of fall colors, one Great Gray Owl and a number of Spruce Grouse.

Look carefully at this first image. I took this photograph last week smack dab in the middle of the burn area. While there are hundreds of acres which burned right down to the topsoil, there are also regions in the Greenwood Fire Burn Area where the fire shot through the region … burning the small trees and undergrowth but leaving the tall white pines undamaged and alive. In fact, the extreme heat causes the pines to drop their cones and start the next generation of forest. Wildlife loves these burn areas. Earlier last week I saw a huge Bull Moose right at the edge of the burn area. It was obviously munching on new growth trees (and perhaps looking for a female … it’s rutt season for moose)

This morning while the Great Gray Owl I found at sunup was ready to hide immediately from the bright sun coming up over the pines, I did find some cooperative female Spruce Grouse. Notice the fall colors in the background of the photographs.

Finally, I seem to never photograph Black-Capped Chickadees. I changed that trend this morning! The chickadee is perched on a tree killed by the fire.

Boreal Forest Birding Bliss

Year 11,

Sleep and Food at home are wonderfully rejuvenating! With a limited endorsement from my wife and medical team, I drove north starting at sunrise both yesterday and this morning to the Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. My goal was to refill the feeders and take hikes into the bog, but my real goal was to rebuild confidence. While I’m still getting medical care, I had been released from the hospital w/o restrictions, but I suspect Essentia St. Mary’s have a limited number of patients where this means escape off the grid to the Superior National Forest.

Regardless, mission accomplished! I have had a fantastic time both hiking on Superior Nation Forest Road and cruising the first 10.5 miles of Stony River Forest Road (still in rough shape … not yet repaired).

Here are a sequence of cell phone pics from my walk followed by a Spruce Grouse that strutted its stuff for me this morning. The hiking pics are driving exactly 6/10 of a mile in from Lake County #2, and parking by the rock pile. This walk was 1.4 miles round trip and quite easy.

Spruce Grouse from this Morning

Now, if everyone will grant me some leeway. Just prior to entering the hospital I took a few bird outing including a trip to the Toomey-Williams Forest Road in the Pine Island State Forest Wilderness a bit west of Big Falls, Minnesota. The images are all about two weeks old just before entering the hospital for 8 days. I finally have the energy to process photographs.

These White-Winged Crossbills were mad at a two Broad-Winged Hawks that were “hanging in the area”

And a Red-Tailed Hawk hunting back by Big Falls

Finally a Bald Eagle preening at Stony Point.

Finally the real treat for this morning was having a super long conversation with the Fond-du-Lac Tribal Conservation Officer about wildlife. I think we talked for over 45 minutes, and he gave me two pieces of amazingly tasty Moose jerky which he had made himself.