Actually my update is on birds that love the habitat around the feeders, but never actually visit the feeders.
American Three-Toed Woodpeckers are often being seen first thing in the morning just a bit after sunrise. They like to use the dead trees right near the bird feeders for drumming. I saw one Three-Toed yesterday, and heard another drumming nearby to the south in response. It seems like the best chance to see this rare species is first thing in the morning on calm, sunny days. The woodpeckers are starting to drum.
Two Spruce Grouse were gritting up out on Lake Country 2 within 600 yards of the feeder’s parking area.
If you wish to visit the feeders arriving early at the feeders is a good idea, both because the birds are more active and the deep snow pack will be frozen solid. Yesterday it was 12F just 45 minutes after sunrise when I arrived, but the temperature rose to 37F within two hours. Hiking even on the snowmobile trail is easy while the everything is rock hard, but as the temperatures become warmer the trail gets mushy. No snowshoes are needed to walk the snowshoe trail.
Greenwood Creek Spruce Grouse
One final Snowy Owl (seen the evening before in Superior, Wisconsin)
Most of my loyal readers know I maintain bird feeders deep in the northeastern Minnesota wilderness 40 miles inland from Two Harbors. It’s been a while since I have given an update. My feeders and trailcams have been out all winter. There is a nice plowed parking lot right next to the feeders. Learn more about my feeders including their GPS location via my Minnesota Birding Locations web page.
First the birding update. This morning both Blackback Woodpeckers and American Three Toed Woodpeckers were seen near the feeders. Neither of these bird species would ever visit a bird feeder, but these birds love the habitat in the immediate area. Apparently the very tall dead tree within a few yards of the feeders is a preferred drumming tree. I have seen many species of woodpeckers using this tree to drum, including the male American Three Toed this morning. The other first spot to check for the Three-Toed and the Black-Backed is about 400 yards down the main snow mobile trail. Both species were seen in that area this morning. However, the habitat all the way down to the bog (8/10 of a mile distant via the trail)
The feeders themselves are very busy. In addition to the usual suspects, there were lots of Pine Siskins, Common Redpolls, and Purple Finches visiting the feeders. Here is one of the Redpolls.
The mammals are also visiting the feeders. I assume the Canada Lynx is hunting the numerous Snowshoe Hares. The Red Fox is hunting voles that love to ear bird seed spillage, and the Timber Wolves are hunting whatever they darned please!
I have chosen to only show a video of the Canada Lynx taken last fall. This is a protected/endangered species, and my trailcam shows dates and times of day. I prefer not to make this information public. However, the US Forest Service is being given my Canada Lynx videos. I even found some Canada Lynx scat. Tomorrow I plan to go back with a plastic bag to collect same for the forest service. I suspect they will be interested in the Lynx’s diet.
Two more updates … folks … the trail is a snowmobile trail! My trailcam captured a car trying to drive down the trail, Forest Road #813. Driving a snowmobile trail in the middle of the winter is EXTREMELY dumb. The folks who did this are lucky they somehow managed to turn about w/o getting stuck. I guarantee not a single towing company would have been willing to risk the trail at this time of year. The car owners are lucky they did not get stuck. They would have to wait till the snow melt in April … and the ground firmed up enough for a truck to risk the drive to retrieve they car. The other item is DO NOT block the snowmobile trail when you park. The Aurora Snowmobile Club are a fantastic group, and they are the ones that are maintaining / grooming Forest Road #813. Thank you.
Red Fox at the Feeders (video link for email subscribers)
Timber Wolves on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)
Note: Even in the middle of a snowstorm, the second wolf found my trailcam! Watch to the end.
Canada Lynx on Forest Road #813 (video link for email subscribers)
In closing here is an image I took a few days ago near my house of a sleeping Boreal Owl. Once again, I chose to wait before posting. The Owl Irruption is crazy, or I should say people are crazy … thus the delay.
Here is an update on my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. As I type this at 6:30 am my local owls are in the yard and serenading me with a hootfest duet, but on to the Greenwood update …
I know quite a few folks have been looking for Spruce Grouse north of Two Harbors. Thus, the first part of my report is I almost always see at least one Spruce Grouse on Lake County 2 with every visit to my feeders … from a mile south to a mile north of the parking pad.
A huge thanks is owed to the Ranger Snowmobile Club out of Hoyt Lakes. Saturday morning they not only plowed the parking pad, but cleared all the trees off Forest Road 813 and groomed the trail leading away from the bird feeders. Thus, one may easily walk, snowshoe or cross-county ski again to the bog. The trail (USFS #813) actually stretches all the way to Hoyt Lakes! Do not worry about snowmobile traffic. There are not that many sleds on the trail, and the snowmobiles can be heard a long ways off giving plenty of time to get out of their way. Regardless, the club members are very courteous and will often slow down and chat.
Two days ago I made on of my visits and hiked in to one of my trailcams. The cable lock had been frozen, but I was finally able to thaw the lock and collect the simm card. Enjoy watching Mr. Moose at -13F. He was not interested in moving much. (video link for email subscribers)
And some views from my route to the feeders … sometimes sunny, sometimes not.
Red Crossbills gritting up near the Feeders (very happy to see them … have been mainly white-winged crossbills this winter)
Spruce Grouse doing same, in tandem with Common Redpolls
