Tag Archives: MN North: Greenwood Forest Fire Area

Fall Colors Birding

Year 13, , ,

There is still time to get out and enjoy the Boreal Forest & Bog’s second foliage season. As I have stated many times, while everyone loves the Maples with their vibrant reds and yellows, not long after these leaves fall the “Golden Tamarack Time” starts. These pine trees which love the boreal bog habitat lose their needles every year, and to the uninformed makes the late fall / winter landscape in these areas look like lots and lots of dead trees. The Tamarack Pine turn bright gold before falling. An early morning drive or hike in northern Minnesota’s bog country is a study in gold. This weekend may be your last opportunity to enjoy the gold.

I practice what I preach. Enjoy these images (and video) from Tamarack Time. I’ll lead off with a short clip from a drive along Toomey-Williams Forest deep in the Boreal forest wilderness somewhat near Big Falls, Minnesota. (video link for blog email subscribers).

Next are some images I took of a Red-Tailed Hawk that supervised my hike swapping out my trailcam SD cards near Greenwood Creek.

On my birding travels I did exit the forest for a farm area south of Sax-Zim Bog where I am often able to spy some Ring-Necked Pheasants … still more gold (and some lingering green)!

Sand River in NE Minnesota (Nature Conservancy Preserve)

Year 13

Folks who read my blog know I love the Sand Lake / 7 Beavers Nature Conservancy Preserve just a few miles distant from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). This special wilderness area is deep in the Superior National Forest. While almost 27,000 acres burned in the Greenwood Forest Fire, the wildlife including birds are charging back. I like to “hang out” in the Greenwood Creek region which is only 8 miles distant from the focus of today’s post, Sand River. To reach this area one drives inland from Two Harbors, Minnesota first via Lake County Highway #2 and then US Forest Road #15.

These images and video were taken shortly after sunrise on October 2, 2026.

Sand River Stretching South from the Highway

Sand River Stretching North from the Highway

The Highway Stretches North

In total I was at the Sand River Wayside (this location) for almost 30 minutes. Nary a car drove by me while I used my drone. As a reminder I do NOT use my drone for wildlife photography.

A Drone Tour of Sand River (video link for blog subscribers)

Repeated from this spring … Greenwood Creek. (video link for subscribers)

You should have noticed a lot more “green” in this video. The Greenwood Creek area never burned and of course … it was Spring!

Spruce Grouse Courting (video)

Year 13

I have mentioned in prior posts that as strange as it may seem, male grouse often strut their stuff every Autumn as they try to attract the ladies! Who needs to wait till spring? Such was the case two mornings ago up in the Greenwood region of NE Minnesota (Sand Lake / 7 Beavers Nature Conservancy Wilderness Area) . I was out well before sunrise in hopes if seeing “moose in love”, but happily settled for these grouse. (spruce grouse courting video link for blog email subscribers).