Labor Day Weekend is gorgeous so far up near Minnesota’s border with Canada. Molly and I have owned our small northwoods cabin for 35 years. We lease the land from the Chippewa National Forest, but own the cabin. Our landlord, the forest service controls the land and rules that cabins may not be larger than 600 square feet, and NOT year round structures (we pump water our of the lake). We love these rules. Northstar Lake is the southernmost lake of the Hudson Bay Watershed. It’s 1,100 acres, and over 90 feet deep in places with 12+ miles of shoreline. The Forest Service owns most of the lakeshore. The end result is our lake is not very developed. I recharge my personal batteries up here!

Shortly after sunrise this morning I found these two juvenile Broad-Winged Hawks having a sibling disagreement. I actually saw quite a few other hawks right after dawn. The first year youngsters are increasingly having to do their own hunting. Thus sightings are easier. Within 2 to 3 weeks Broad-Wings will start their southern migration, with thousands kettling on warm afternoons at Hawk Ridge’s thermals. I actually live at the base of Hawk Ridge in Duluth (105 miles distant from my cabin).

Immediately following are the Broad-Winged Hawk photos from this morning, and after the raptor images you will find some drone pics I took over the past few days at my cabin on Northstar Lake.

Broad-Winged Hawk Disagreement!

Drone Photos of Northstar Lake Taken from my Cabin

1. My cabin’s dock … on the left
2. Looking up the point (access to multiple bays and the other main section)
3. Looking down the narrows (access to the lower lake bays)

Looking across the lake from my cabin

• United States Forest Service Campground
• My cabin’s roof in foreground