Yup … I’m off to explore The Big Bog and a small portion of the Great Plains! Most birders know of Sax-Zim Bog near Duluth, but did you know Sax-Zim pales by comparison to the Big Bog?! The DNR park linked is a miniscule portion of the Big Bog. This bog is the largest in the Lower 48 and is extremely remote. I will stay two nights with my brother on Deer Lake and one night up in Roseau. The advance forecast is for frigid weather, but moderate winds (hope the winds actually calm down as forecast). Four years ago when I last birded this area I actually found a Northern Hawk Owl couple, including their nest. I made repeated trips back to await the owlets, but their nest ultimately failed (bummer). However it was super cool to see Hawk Owls in May! Wish me luck! I have no eBird reports, Facebook posts or texting groups to use for advance information. My birding is based upon having learned about birding habitat over the years, and Google Maps satellite mode planning.
Tag Archives: MN North: Upper Red Lake – Big Bog
Visiting The Big Bog
Folks who follow my blog know that I enjoy birding Sax-Zim Bog, and serve as a volunteer naturalist at the Welcome Center in the winter. As much as I love Sax-Zim, I actually prefer the other bog, The Big Bog. Unfortunately this fantastic wilderness area, is four hours from Duluth (my home). However, The Big Bog is only 1 hours and 40 minutes from my cabin near Marcell, Minnesota.
From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site:
The Big Bog has been called Minnesota’s last true wilderness. This two-part recreation area includes a northern unit and a southern unit. The 500-square-mile peat bog, the largest in the lower 48 states, is located in the northern unit.
It is the northern unit which I love to visit. While roads and trails into this wilderness are rare, I like to drive Shoreline Drive NE which is just north of Upper Red Lake. For the first 7 miles of Shoreline Drive, one has bog to the north of the dirt road, and cultivated wild rice ponds to the south. Birds and other wildlife consider the Wild Rice ponds a food factory! Eventually Shoreline Drive ends and becomes Blanchard Trail. One should not drive Blanchard Trail unless you love wilderness, and have a four wheel drive or all wheel drive vehicle. Do not expect cell connectivity. Other than summer, unless it is hunting season, expect to have the area to yourself. This is both good, and a challenge. If you break down, you will be walking miles and miles to civilization. The wild rice farm is not only a good area to bird in the summer, but owls love the area in the winter (mice and voles feeding on wild rice).
Thursday I had the opportunity to visit the Big Bog. Here are a few photographs I took.
Trumpeter Swans Fighting
American Bittern
Northern Pintail
Red-Eyed Vireo
Working the Wetlands!
During the earlier stages of the migration here in northern Minnesota, it seems as if spending times in the wetlands yields more birds. Thus, over the past few days I have visited both the Roy Johnson Wetlands near Cloverland, Wisconsin … and the Big Bog north of Upper Red Lake, Minnesota. My final wetland visit was northwest of Floodwood while driving home last evening where I saw my first ever wolverine (on the forest edge near the wetlands).
I think I gave this White Pelican a few extra hours of life. Stumbling across this bird on the shores of Upper Red Lake, I scared up two bald eagles and this pelican … which I first thought was dead. I am rather certain it had just been taken down by the eagles. The pelican’s wings looked really messed up and it was collapsed on the shore when I first found it.
Over near Cloverland, I had fun watching some Greater Yellowlegs and Barn Swallows near a small pond. A few Barn Swallows seemed to actually do some “shore fishing” for bugs.
Finally, here is my first photograph (a bit fuzzy) of a Northern Harrier. I love watching them hunt, but they are extremely difficult to both get near and capture an image.
