Crane Lake Nature Blog

We took a ride up the lake last weekend and one place that I wanted to visit was Swanson’s Bay. It is in my priority block for the Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas www.mnbba.org project. I had never been way back in the bay and I was surprised at how big and out of the way it was. Take a look at the map and see there’s a big swamp on the south side. Lately I’ve been attracted to swampy areas as they seem to be bird “magnets”.

Swanson's Bay in Voyageurs National Park

On the way there we found Herring Gulls sitting on nests. I’m going to keep my eye on those nests and I hope to get some baby Gull pictures in the near future.

Beaver

White-tail Deer

Mother Deer

Look close at this photo, this Deer is a mother! She must have had her fawn hidden back in the woods while she went to eat and drink water.

Right now is a really good time to find Woodpecker nests, especially Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Northern Flickers. When you’re walking in the woods, keep an ear out for baby Woodpecker chatter. Baby Woodpeckers, for some unknown reason, keep up a constant chatter when they are still in the nest. Once you hear it, just keep searching for a likely tree that has a few holes drilled in it. Then patiently wait for the parents to show - which shouldn’t be too long - as the parents know they have hungry chicks to feed.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker nest hole

Sapsucker entering nest

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, male

 Before they would leave the nest, the adult bird would check to see if the coast was clear. They would look left, right, and overhead before flying out of the hole.

Sapsucker with fecal sac

female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Remote pond

I hiked into this remote beaver pond last week. It was in about 1 mile down an old logging road. This pond was teaming with bird life.

The dead tree snags provide critical housing for cavity nesting birds like Tree Swallows, Eastern Kingbird, Wood Ducks, Hooded and Common Mergansers and others.

Ox-eye Daisy

Mallard Hen with ducklings

Under the watchful eye of…

Bald Eagle, immature

Maybe if I hide behind this tree, nobody will notice me…

Bald Eagle

Always the opportunist, the Bald Eagle doesn’t miss a chance at a possible meal.

Bald Eagle

The other day I kicked up a family of SPRUCE GROUSE!

Spruce Grouse fledgling

Surprisingly, the young birds could fly fairly well - albeit only for short distances.

Spruce Grouse female

The Spruce Hen was making the weirdest noises as she was kept  in contact with her youngin’s. At one point she vocalized a spooky scream.

Spruce Hen

O.K., O.K., I’ll leave you alone so you can gather up your family.

Heliport

Back on some of the remote logging roads, in the Superior National Forest, there are Heliports set aside. I suppose they use helicopters to drop firefighters when there’s a wildfire in the forest. Or perhaps they’re used in search and rescue missions or if someone has been injured in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

There must have been a wetland beyond the rock face as I could hear many birds that associate with that habitat: Common Yellowthroat, Alder Flycatcher, Chestnut-sided Warbler. This clearing, some of it natural and some encouraged, was thick with birdsong.

Remote Beaver Pond

My destination was a remote beaver pond that was about a mile in from the Echo Trail. It was a really cool spot, but there wasn’t much for bird activity. But then I was there in the afternoon when most birds are taking their siesta. 

However, on the way out I found a pair of Juncos that seemed to be defending a nest site. They got really upset when I walked by and they were causing such a commotion that some other birds came out to see what was going on. They were promptly chased away by the indignant Juncos. I took the hint and got out of there as well.

Blueberries

It looks like we might get a good crop of Blueberries this year. The rain came just in time to replenish the forest plants and the Blueberry bushes!

Finally the sun came out last evening and I just had to take advantage of it by taking a walk at the Vermilion River Gorge.

Blackburnian Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Canada Warbler

"Wilsonia canadensis"