Tag Archives: MN North: Pine Island State Forest

Terrific Toomey Time!

Year 11

Although I had a great Northern Lights distraction my first night up at my cabin, my goal for the three day stay was to bird and enjoy the wilderness west of Big Falls, Minnesota via Toomey Williams Forest Road. Tuesday and Wednesday saw me arrive at Toomey before dawn, and I was rewarded for my efforts. In addition I enjoyed peace and solitude … hours and hours including many hikes in the deep forest … never seeing another person or evidence of humanity (such as a cabin, shed, etc).

Mr. Moose! Apparently I do NOT know how to make a very good Cow Moose call. After watching Bullwinkle for five minutes after sunrise on Wednesday, I tried to make my best cow moose call. Apparently that effort was extremely poor! Rather than coming out of the thicket and walking towards me, the moose looked towards me and then hurried off! LOL. Regardless, I was only 35 yards from this huge creature!

After my time with Bullwinkle, the Spruce Grouse decided it was warm enough to come out and eat. The temperature when I arrive at Toomey each morning was in the mid 20’s. In the first few images you will see why these grouse have the word “spruce” as part of their name. This bird was eating spruce buds.

In this second sequence a pair of Spruce Grouse were eating seeds on the side of the road. They allowed me to walk within about 15 yards.

My other “hangout” is always a beaver pond that I found about one year ago. The beavers have dammed up a small creek and wildlife absolutely love the result.

White-Winged Crossbills (love to grit up on the dirt road next to the pond … have seen them four times in a row at the beaver pond)

My other treat was a Belted Kingfisher which was hanging around the Northwoods rather late this year. It also loves the beaver pond, and this bird allowed me to get within 15 yards and watch for 20 minutes during its search for breakfast. Please understand kingfishers spook so very easily; thus I was thrilled with my access.

I know many folks follow this blog because I often bird and report about Sax-Zim Bog. Toomey Williams makes Sax-Zim look like a big city, and Toomey’s habitat is wunderbar.

 

October Otters!

Year 11,

Molly and I are enjoying some beautiful weather up at our cabin a bit south of the Canadian border. Yesterday I spent some significant time starting at sunrise west of Big Falls in the Pine Island State Forest. Although the weather was gorgeous … crystal clear and 39F to start my expedition, the mammals and birds did not really cooperate. However, the strong southerly winds gusting to 25 mph had lowered my expectations. It is unusual on the first of October when the temperature climbs to the high 60’s. Only this Spruce Grouse strutted its stuff for me.

This morning one could really feel Autumn. I took a hike in the dreary early morning to a remote lake. Although birds were again not really present, I found a family of five River Otters which let me watch them catch breakfast. While I love to bird, watching this family of otters for over 15 minutes was a real treat, and trumped my birding efforts! (video link of one otter’s fishing efforts for email subscribers … if you listen closely towards the end of the video you will be able to hear the otter chirping and squeaking … communicating with the other four family members).

Finally, here is an image I took yesterday of a “bog stream”. Toomey Williams Forest Road reaches deep into some amazing Boreal Bog. All that water must eventually drain out of the bog, and quite often the “streams” are amazingly straight (and wildlife magnets).

Boreal Forest Birding Bliss

Year 11,

Sleep and Food at home are wonderfully rejuvenating! With a limited endorsement from my wife and medical team, I drove north starting at sunrise both yesterday and this morning to the Greenwood Creek Bird Feeders. My goal was to refill the feeders and take hikes into the bog, but my real goal was to rebuild confidence. While I’m still getting medical care, I had been released from the hospital w/o restrictions, but I suspect Essentia St. Mary’s have a limited number of patients where this means escape off the grid to the Superior National Forest.

Regardless, mission accomplished! I have had a fantastic time both hiking on Superior Nation Forest Road and cruising the first 10.5 miles of Stony River Forest Road (still in rough shape … not yet repaired).

Here are a sequence of cell phone pics from my walk followed by a Spruce Grouse that strutted its stuff for me this morning. The hiking pics are driving exactly 6/10 of a mile in from Lake County #2, and parking by the rock pile. This walk was 1.4 miles round trip and quite easy.

Spruce Grouse from this Morning

Now, if everyone will grant me some leeway. Just prior to entering the hospital I took a few bird outing including a trip to the Toomey-Williams Forest Road in the Pine Island State Forest Wilderness a bit west of Big Falls, Minnesota. The images are all about two weeks old just before entering the hospital for 8 days. I finally have the energy to process photographs.

These White-Winged Crossbills were mad at a two Broad-Winged Hawks that were “hanging in the area”

And a Red-Tailed Hawk hunting back by Big Falls

Finally a Bald Eagle preening at Stony Point.

Finally the real treat for this morning was having a super long conversation with the Fond-du-Lac Tribal Conservation Officer about wildlife. I think we talked for over 45 minutes, and he gave me two pieces of amazingly tasty Moose jerky which he had made himself.