Canadian Jay with peanut butter on its beak.
The other day three Canadian Jays know to all a Whiskey Jacks or Camp Robbers returned to Poplar Creek. The birds have been gone all summer. My best guess is that during the summer the they spend their time at nearby BWCA campsites returning in the fall when there are not many canoes around.
Yesterday, April 6 marks the earliest day that the ice went out on Poplar Lake in our record history. Prior to this year the earliest the ice went out was on April 16 in 2005 and 2006. Between 1990 and 2000 the ice went out six times during May with the latest May 22. After the year 2000 the ice has gone out six times in April and three time in May.
Spring is arriving quite early this year- our first robin was spotted over the weekend of March 26 by guest at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B and we have seen many more since then. Trees buds are ready to burst open and the creeks are open and flowing.Labels
Lee Foster, Birding Guide-I was wandering around Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B property with my binoculars yesterday, the 30th of October, in the vicinity of ongoing beaver activity on poplar creek when I saw a woodpecker amongst the dead birches along the slope. I identified it as a Blackbacked Woodpecker. The head had a yellow top knot and the back was completely black with no white as would be seen on the three toed woodpecker. It was hammering away at the scaly bark of the dead birch and curiously, a downy woodpecker had arrived, and had perched itself about ten inches below the Blackbacked on the tree as if waiting for a morsel to fall, or maybe it was just out of curiosity. A moment later both were gone.
Normally the Blackbacked is seen in recently burned over areas. With a section of the May 2007 Ham Lake Fire burn only about five miles west of Poplar Creek this bird had apparently just ventured into our area and finding a dead tree here to its liking made itself at home.
The other day while driving the Gunflint Trail Lori Backlund, Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B's bookkeeper, spotted what she thought was an unusual bird scampering across the Trail. Lori was able to photograph the bird.
From the photo she identified the bird as an American Bittern According to Bird Web the Bittern, is a “solitary species, the American Bittern is more often heard than seen. It is a stout heron, with mottled buff-brown plumage. Its neck can be held in to appear short and sturdy, or extended to look long and slender. Its upperparts are solid brown, with darker outer wings. The adult has a dark streak on either side of its neck; the streak is absent on the juvenile.”
I certain have to agree that the Bittern is rarely seen. I can only recall seeing the bird one time before, many years ago- that time, in the fall, when working on the Banadad Ski Trail.
Bird watchers will find an astonishing variety of birds, both migratory and resident along the Gunflint Trail's Boreal Forest where Poplar Creek Guesthouse B& B and Cabins are located. Also you are sure to see many more birds at the feeding station located around the property. These bird-feeding stations are maintained year-around.
Further up the Gunflint Trail a few miles is the site of the Ham Lake fire of 2007. Venture into the burned over area and you are likely to catch a glimpse of the Black-backed and Three-toed Woodpeckers. They like to feast on the insects that multiply in burned trees.
New this year at the B&B- guided and self guided Birding Packages are now offered.
The tentative list of bird species sighted during Cook County's annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count held on December 15 is as follow: Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Bohemian Waxwing, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Pine Grosbeak, Herring Gull, Blue Jay, Downy Woodpecker, European Starling, American Crow, Common Goldeneye, Rock Pigeon, Hairy Woodpecker, Evening Grosbeak, House Sparrow, Mallard, Bald Eagle, Common Redpoll, Gray Jay, Long-tailed Duck, Northern Cardinal, Pileated Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Shrike, American Robin, White-winged Crossbill, American Goldfinch, Black-backed Woodpecker, Northern Three-Toed Woodpecker, Pine Siskin, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruffed Grouse, Townsend's Solitaire, Brown Creeper, Bufflehead, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Great Horned Owl, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow. A total of 41 bird species were counted.
Additional birds sighted during count week:Mountain Bluebird, Rough-legged Hawk, possible sighting,
The count was coordinated by Jeremy Ridlbauer of Grand Marais.
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