Birding
at Timber W  lf
Lodge,Ely Minnesota and Northeastern Minnesota |
Northeastern
Minnesota is a nature lover's paradise, with an astounding array of birding opportunities.
The Superior National Forest, which surrounds Timber Wolf Lodge, and includes
the famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area,
has been named by the American Bird Conservancy one of 100 Globally Important
Bird Areas. With 155 nesting species, the Superior National Forest has the greatest
number of breeding birds of any national forest. Among the species we see are:
owls, hawks, eagles, loons, ravens, harriers, herons, chickadees, pileated woodpeckers,
osprey, grouse.
More than 2/3 of the summer resident birds
are often overlooked. These include about 100 small and inconspicuous song birds
that are often hidden by thick foliage. Their presence is more easily noted soon
after dawn during the early summer when they are the most active and in full song.
Warblers and vireos comprise about half of the songbirds nesting in the national
forest. They spend a remarkably short time on their northern breeding grounds,
3 months at the most, and actually nesting takes about 6 weeks - long enough to
produce one brood of young. Upon first arrival in late May, the birds rapidly
set up territories. Singing male activity is most conspicuous from June 1 to July
4. Most young are fledged by mid-July and the woods then are very quiet in contrast
to the territorial songs heard only a few weeks before. Wandering flocks of post-breeding
birds, usually family groups of warblers or chickadees, are encountered beginning
in mid-July.
Winter:
Most
birds migrate for the winter. Resident birdlife during the winter is augmented
by influxes of species include: predators - goshawk, great horned owl, hawk owl,
barred owl, great gray owl and boreal owl; berry eaters (mostly mountain ash)
- American robin, Bohemian waxwing, and cedar waxwing; seed eaters - evening grosbeak,
purple finch, pine grosbeak, hoary redpole, pine siskin, red crossbill, and white-singed
crossbill.
Click
here for a printable checklist.
Explore
the abundant wildlife here at Timber Wolf and the great birding areas and trails
close by or day-trip to some of our favorite locations. We have lots information
here at the lodge. And local guides are available. A favorite is 'Emily's
Birding Boat' Wednesday mornings, 6 am pontoon birding tours. See eagle and
osprey nests, and other northern wonders.
Sax-Zim
Bog, about an hour away, 47.17 N 92.62 W
Some say this is the place
to bird in Minnesota. Drive the back roads in this area to see Sharp-tailed Grouse,
Upland Sandpiper, Great Gray Owl and Connecticut Warblers. In winter this is a
good spot for raptors. Species difficult to find elsewhere are often much easier
in "the bog." Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee, Gray Jay,
LeConte's Sparrow all nest here. In winter look also for Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk
Owl, Northern Shrike, Snow Bunting, crossbills and redpolls.
We are proud
members of:
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TIMBER
WOLF LODGE |
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