Tag Archives: MN North: Cook Bog

Now is Hawk Hunting Time

Year 12

My family has taken over an entire resort on Lake Vermillion’s Black Bay. Special family times are the rule when you have the grand couple (Molly and me), our three kids (and their 3 spouses) and eight grandkids … plus three family dogs!

Whether it is the older grandchildren or the the younger they all like to sleep in till after 8 am, which gives your truly the opportunity to still go out birding at 6 am and be back for family breakfasts at 9 am. Life is good.

The Lake Vermillion / Cook area has some great Boreal Forests and Bogs, within minutes of our rented cabin. This morning I drove Johnson Road to the east of Cook, and then crossed over Hwy 53 to visit Plum Creek Road to the west of Cook. My route stayed very close to the Rice River. The birding was fun, and the dirt roads were basically reserved for my own use.

Right now Hawks are dealing with chicks that are demanding food, as evidenced by this Broad-Winged Hawk and Kestrel. The raptors need to hunt almost continuously which makes finding them much easier. I actually flushed this Broad-Winged by accident, but came back to the same exact spot 30 minutes later … the hawk had also returned!

 

Ice Fog, Bogs and Feeders

Year 11, ,

My goal this morning was to move the Greenwood Bird Feeders. Over the past month there had been very little bird action near the abandoned railroad tracks immediately south of the burn area. I moved the feeders about four miles south near the Greenwood Creek Boreal Bog. Learn more … see images of the new location … get the new GPS Coordinates and see a map.

My trip 60 miles north of Duluth was into the Ice Fog. I took these two pictures on the Langley River Forest Road (built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps)

Finally quite a few people have asked me where the Cook Bog is located. You will never find this “place name” on a map, but here is a description: The Cook Bog is Boreal Forest Bog Habitat east and west of Cook, Minnesota. Some key roads include Hwy #22 going west from US #53, Johnson Road (#48) going east from US #53 just south of Cook, and Mn #73 which is a north / south road a bit west of Cook. Just like in Sax-Zim Bog, these roads will not be 100% Boreal Forest Bog. A person will need to learn Bog forest habitat and focus on those regions. Please understand many other back roads are worth exploring. You will NOT find “Cook Bog” on any map. In general this area is 45 to 60 minutes north of Sax-Zim Bog.

Birding the Cook Bog

Year 11

What a difference a day makes! Yesterday and the day before I went birding in the Cook, Minnesota Bog. This Boreal Forest Bog has many things going for it that I like. Unlike Sax-Zim Bog which is much more popular, and may have more birds, the Cook Bog has zero people. I enjoy the private birding experiences, but means that birding requires using your own skills. Sometimes you see birds; sometimes you do not. Over the course of two days I never saw another birder, and only a few cars from locals.

Two days ago it was cloudy, dismal and dark as evidenced by this Northern Hawk Owl photograph.

However, yesterday the sun shone bright for the first time in over a week. Thankfully after searching for over an hour, I spied he Northern Hawk Owl, and eventually the bird came close to my access point.

It was also fun to watch a pair of Gray Jays / Canada Jays. These jays, like the owls nest before the winter is over. I was actually surprised the Gray Jays did not mind the owl being within two hundreds yards. I have seen instances of Northern Hawk Owls attacking these jays in the past.