Last Thursday I looked ahead at the weather forecast, and realized that yesterday, Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, would finally have strong NW winds with clear skies and cool temperatures. In my mind, this meant the fall southward bird migration would kick in with a vengeance. I was pleased when the BirdCast tool from Cornell University also predicted heavy bird movement. Here is the screenshot I took off Birdcast for Koochiching the day prior to my bird outing.

With this information, yesterday morning I arrived at Toomey-Williams Forest Road 20 minutes after sunrise. Note the 38F temperature reading. My location is just south Minnesota’s border with Canada.

Now the best part … man alive had the birds been busy migration the previous night. The forests were full of our feathered friends. However, the best sighting for me were 250+ White-Winged Crossbills. I had already noticed as I approached the forest road that the local pine trees were loaded with cones. Crossbills are constantly on the move around the northern Boreal forest in search of pine cones. These birds have a unique hooked beak that allows them to pry open cones. White-Winged Crossbills will even mate and nest in the middle of the winter if the local pine cone/seed supply is abundant.

I found my huge flock of crossbills right where Hendrickson Road splits off from Toomey-Williams Forest Road (GPS Link). For over 45 minutes I walked and visited with these unique birds!

White-Winged Crossbills in Minnesota’s Pine Island State Forest (video link of crossbills “gritting up” for email subscribers)

And a few pics … the males are red … the females drab greenish yellow. Most people never see Crossbills in their life. These are a bird of the northern boreal forest which implies wilderness far from any population centers. Please understand spending a long time with white-winged crossbills is much more rare for me than all my visits with Great Gray Owls. I was excited! In fact, I also ran over a Spruce Grouse. Given all the pine cones, I was constantly scanning the tree tops for crossbills, and even though I was only driving 4 to 5 mph, I almost ran over a Spruce Grouse (dumb birds!).

I took my favorite birding excursion this morning, west of Big Falls, Minnesota. In the middle of the Pine Island State Forest near the Canadian border there is amazing Borest forest habitat including lots of bogs (also bugs!). This route once you turn on Toomey-Williams Forest Road does not pass a single structure, let alone a cabin or home. It is true wilderness. It is not a bad idea to have a “bow saw” in the trunk of your car should you encounter a downed tree. During the two hours I spent on this bird outing, I never saw another vehicle or human. My two hours also included a one mile hike directly oppositive the intersection of Pine Island Road and Fiero Truck Trail. When I state this is my favorite spot to bird in the Minnesota Boreal Forest, that is not an overstatement.

Today’s prize find was an American Woodcock, a rarely seen bird except during after sundown mating flights in the late spring!

Here is a map along with GPS points for my birding outing

• Toomey-Williams Forest Forest Road: Start
• Toomey-Williams Forest Forest Road: End (at Pine Island Forest Road … turn right)
• Intersection of Pine Island Forest Road and Fiero Truck Trail
• Trapper Jim’s Corner on Fiero Truck Trail (3.5 miles north of  intersection)

I turn around at Trapper Jim’s Corner. The habitat is not as good past this point, and I prefer to drive back to Big Falls … either once again via Toomey-Williams or via taking Pine Island all the way to where County 30 starts (Gates Corner). Do NOT drive past Gates Corner where the paved road, County 30 starts. The road goes nowhere and deteriorates fast.

Here are some photos I took with my cell phone back in June when I also made this drive. It will show you all the snags, forest, water next to road, etc. I not only love this route because of its habitat, but also what I have seen over the years. Expect this birding drive to take two hours … round trip from Big Falls. Toomey-Williams is not plowed in the winter, and if Pine Island and Fiero Roads are plowed during winter, expect logging trucks.

• eBird Toomey-Williams Checklists

Yesterday morning I scored a Trifecta, or I should say the fruits trees of Big Falls, Minnesota in the Pine Island State Forest hit the Trifecta. I always pay attention when birding any time of the year to where there are large concentrations of mountain ash and pygmy crabapple trees because I know the “birds of winter” will eventually visit.

Such was the case yesterday when I found not one species, or two but all three species of birds which have been scarce this winter … often in the same exact tree at the same time, which led to some disagreements over who was allowed the choicest berries. Thus I bring you the birds of the northern winter … Bohemian Waxwings, Evening Grosbeaks, and Pine Grosbeaks. I spent over an hour watching the pig-out. Better yet, I also saw some birds which needed to be thrown into the Hoosegow! Yup, eating a lot of berries eventually means drunk birds as the fermentation process starts in their gizzards. Everyone was happy, including me but I would have to wait for dinner before I joined with a glass of Chardonnay.

A Disagreement between an Evening Grosbeak and Bohemian Waxwing

Evening Grosbeaks

Bohemian Waxwings

Pine Grosbeaks

Team Photo in one Tree