Tag Archives: MN North: Greenwood Creek Bog

The Lynx Roars and Makes Scent! (Northeastern Minnesota)

Year 13

Earlier this winter (2026) I discovered multiple Canada Lynx were using a specific “scent branch” to mark territory. In early March I placed five trail cams pointed at “the branch”. The Lynx came through! One Lynx even roars for the camera (40 seconds into video)! See near the end of this post the still image of “the roar” which was captured by one of my cameras.

The location is the Nature Conservancy Sand Lake / Seven Beavers Wilderness Preserve in the Superior National Forest, or what I like to call the Greenwood Creek Boreal Forest and Bog (Northeastern Minnesota). Stay tuned to my blog … in a few days I will post my images and videos of White Fang! Yup, I the same cameras even captured stills and videos of a white timber wolf! However, it takes me time to work through four weeks of trailcam content to prepare same for this blog. The wolf is coming!

Finally, this begs the question how I find locations for my trailcams? It is not “dumb luck”. A person needs to learn how to “read the forest”. Over the course of time I learn good habitat for wildlife and then early in the winter with the first snows I track both Snowshoe Hares and Canada Lynx. These rabbits are the primary prey for Lynx. I slowly move my cameras around to different locations in the forests based upon what I observe.

Superior National Forest Canada Lynx

Canada Lynx … the Movie! (the roar occurs at 40 seconds)(video link for blog subscribers)

More trailcam still images …

The Roar!

When I saw this traialcam image, I immediately knew “a roar” was in progress. Although my videos captured the roar with the Lynx “off camera”, its challenge is impressive. The settings for my trailcams is as follows: 1) If motion detected, with zero delay take one still image 2) After camera recharges (moments), start a second video with sound activated. 3) Repeat as long as motion is detected.

My cameras are still in place! Winter continues in the North Woods with a new winter storm expected tomorrow. If you have read this far, I hope you understood the reference to the classic Jack London novel and wolf, White Fang! The book is worth reading. It was originally published in 1906. As I noted … pics and a video of this timber wolf is coming soon.

Version 1.0.0

Canada Lynx Scent Branch!

Year 13

Remember this guy (or gal)? This Canada Lynx lives near my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders in the Superior National Forest / Sand Lake – 7 Beavers Nature Conservancy Preserve. I took these two photographs last April when the Lynx and I had a stare down on a remote trail.

Well, the big kitty likes my birdfeeders! I suspect it likes the fact that Snowshoe Hare and Grouse like my birdfeeders! The Lynx has been visiting my feeders throughout the winter, but NEVER actually walks through the parking area. Via the use of my trailcams I have now discovered the cat’s scent branch. Recently the Canada Lynx is visiting the branch at least once per day. Yesterday I moved five trailcams. They all now point at the scent branch from various angles. Learn more about “scent branches / scent marking.

Enjoy these five videos. If you would like to see some of the Canada Lynx’s friends which visit the “scent branch” including snowshoe hare, moose, timber wolves and more visit this YouTube Playlist I created which specifically focuses upon the scent branch (all videos taken within 20 yards). Interestingly enough, during the “Blue Jays” video I was actually standing about 125 yards distant from the Lynx. I knew the Jays were upset, but the 2.5+ feet of snow discouraged me from bushwhacking!

Video Links for Blog eMail Subscribers:

Winter 2025 / 2026 Lynx and Friends YouTube Playlist

Ice Planet Birding

Year 13, ,

As a dangerous blizzard rages outside, it seems like a great time to catch up on recent outings. Today I will be house bound due to dangerous weather, but over the past 7 days we had amazingly mild weather including light winds. I took the opportunity yesterday to drive up to the end of the GunFlint Trail. In short, I was “Ice Planet Birding”.

Prior to our mild stretch we experienced severe cold with temperatures reaching down to -30F to -40F. Lake Superior had some of its highest percentage of ice coverage in years. In fact the National Park’s Ice Caves opened, for one day only, for the first time in ten years (involves a trek over the Lake Superior ice). Today’s storm is breaking up the ice.

While the caves on the south shore were providing an amazing, beautiful experience, on the North Shore the combination of pre-dawn light and ice created a winter wonderland of color. Until I was north of Tofte, ice stretched out over Lake Superior as far as the eye could see. These photos were taken before sunrise, and then at the actual moment the orange disk popped up over the horizon.

Pre-Dawn at Split Rock Lighthouse

The Moment of Sunrise at Beaver Bay

Amazingly all of this ice was gone six hours later. HUGE winds came up out of the Northeast and did a combination of breaking and pushing ice sheets down towards Duluth.

Two days earlier from this trip up the shore, I visited my Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. Just 1/3 mile north of the feeders is Greenwood Lake. How many of you have ever seen, let alone driven on an ice road?

Greenwood Lake Ice Road (video link for blog email subscribers)

The Movie!

And of course … an Ice Planet winter bird. This Snowy Owl may look like it is waving, but actually it is letting everyone know to behave while birding … or else! Image taken two evenings ago in Superior, Wisconsin.