Tag Archives: MN North: Greenwood Creek Bog

Birding & Hiking the Golden Time!

Year 11,

The last two days have been sunny, and warm. While most people understand that this time of year means get outside and enjoy Indian Summer with its beautiful foliage, here in northern Minnesota there is a second season of color. After the leaves fall, needles of Tamarack Pines turn brilliantly golden. Unlike most pines and evergreens, Tamarack needles will fall to the ground within a few weeks leaving the tree bare till next Spring.

During the first week or two of the “golden time”, the early morning or late afternoon sun increases the gold to an intensity which needs to be seen to be believe. Better yet, up here in the Northland the sun now does rise super high in the sky. Thus, light tends to not get washed out like midday in the summer. In fact, I consider November 1st to the end of January … 3 months … to be the eternal Golden Hour!

To get an idea of the Golden Time, watch these two videos. The first was taken during a walk in the Greenwood Creek Boreal Forest. The drive was a sample of Stoney River Forest Road … both late in the day yesterday afternoon.

  • Video link #1 for eMail subscribers (the hike)
  • Video link #2 for eMail subscribers (the drive)
  • Video’s embedded immediately below for readers of the blog

The Hike

The Drive

Now this is a blog about birds. Thus, here are a few samples (a lot of samples from my hikes and drives over the past two days). Yesterday I was in the Greenwood Boreal Forest. This morning I birded Sax-Zim Bog. The two areas are about 70 miles distance from each other, but my home is located at a central point to the two wilderness areas.

Bald Eagle Time!

Canada Jay (Gray Jay … Whiskey Jack … etc.)

Grouse Time (was always at sunrise but during ground fog)

Ruffed Grouse Courting his Lady Friend (in October??!)

And the mating dance video (video link for email subscribers)

And the other grouse … the Spruce Grouse. Believe it or not yesterday morning I saw 14 spruce grouse. There are images of males, females … and even up in a Tamarack Pine.

And to end this post and put icing on the cake, I found a somewhat rare … definitely hard to find Black-Backed Woodpecker near the Greenwood Bog during my hike yesterday afternoon. I first heard the woodpecker drilling, and I thought the rhythm of its tapping just did not sound like a Hairy, Downey or Pileated. Thus, I left the trail and bushwhacked. Better yet when I found this woodpecker, it was a male … which means the “golden spot of its head” How very appropriate for this post. I already knew I would do a golden theme blog post, and this bird really fit the billing!

It is worth noting these are all “local birds”. Our crazy warm weather w/o and North or Northwest winds has keep most of the migrating arctic birds still to our north.

Langley River Moonset

Year 11,

Folks should know by now I love to spend time north of Two Harbors, which includes the Greenwood Boreal Bog and Bird Feeders. There are many reasons I love this region about 40 miles north of Two Harbors, but one HUGE reason is within minutes of leaving my home the drive has little traffic, and I get to enjoy scenery which starts with the pre-dawn light over Lake Superior. As I turn inland at Two Harbors traffic drops to almost zero as I drive north through the Boreal Forest.

Yesterday to my west I realized the full moon was both beautiful and setting into the wilderness. I quickly realize the moon would be perfectly situated low in the sky at a favorite vantage point of mine, the Langley River. Thirty minutes before sunrise I pulled over and enjoyed moonset!

Langley River Moonset

Langley River during other seasons! (Winter – Summer – Late Fall)

After enjoying the full moon I continued north where during the 15-20 minutes around sunrise, the Spruce Grouse came out onto Stoney River Forest Road to grit up. I saw six but this individual really let me get close!

Can you tell I am happy to be back out in the woods with a clean bill of health!

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.