Tag Archives: MN North: Sax-Zim Bog

Fall Colors Birding

There is still time to get out and enjoy the Boreal Forest & Bog’s second foliage season. As I have stated many times, while everyone loves the Maples with their vibrant reds and yellows, not long after these leaves fall the “Golden Tamarack Time” starts. These pine trees which love the boreal bog habitat lose their needles every year, and to the uninformed makes the late fall / winter landscape in these areas look like lots and lots of dead trees. The Tamarack Pine turn bright gold before falling. An early morning drive or hike in northern Minnesota’s bog country is a study in gold. This weekend may be your last opportunity to enjoy the gold.

I practice what I preach. Enjoy these images (and video) from Tamarack Time. I’ll lead off with a short clip from a drive along Toomey-Williams Forest deep in the Boreal forest wilderness somewhat near Big Falls, Minnesota. (video link for blog email subscribers).


Next are some images I took of a Red-Tailed Hawk that supervised my hike swapping out my trailcam SD cards near Greenwood Creek.


On my birding travels I did exit the forest for a farm area south of Sax-Zim Bog where I am often able to spy some Ring-Necked Pheasants … still more gold (and some lingering green)!

Grassland Birds

The highway department has been busy mowing the edges of roads. This includes dirt roads in Sax-Zim Bog and Two Harbors Highlands. In fact, Stoney River Forest Road has  now reopened. Given the Minnesota grouse hunting season does not open till September 19th, it is an excellent time to take a birding excursion into rural America. It is likely you will have dirt roads all to yourself for the next 30 days. The mowing means it is easier to find/spot these “grass foraging birds”.

Such was the case a bit south of Meadowlands. I spied the male Ring-Necked Pheasant well in advance, and patience was rewarded when after five minutes, his lady love came up to join him in a morning forage for breakfast. Right now it appears the wildflowers, black-eyed susans, are everywhere! Enjoy.

Gray / Canada Jay Fledglings!

In my 14 years as a volunteer naturalist at Sax-Zim Bog, I had never seen “fledgling” Canada / Gray Jays till this morning. I had always heard that for a very short time after the young birds leave the nests they are “gray fluff balls”. This morning was super special for me. I almost drove by the mature Canada Jay I saw foraging on the side of the road, but I decided to stop and oh my … how lucky. I spent almost one hour with the jay family.

Just to give some perspective, in the same 14 years I have seen Great Gray Owlets on three occasions (and multiple times per nesting season). Thus, at least for me this is a much rarer birding event!

Canada Jay / Gray Jay Fledglings (two youngsters in third image)


An adult from this morning …


Attacking an old bee hive ???


The Movie (video link for blog email subscribers)