[mou] BWCAW - Gunflint Trail birding

[Andy P]

Hi Folks,

Just returned from a week in the Clearwater/Caribou
Lakes Area of the BWCAW.  As always great birds,
moose, and lots of fish.  I ended the trip with 69
spp. and enjoyed using Jan Green's annotated checklist
along the way.  Birds of note included: Northern
Saw-whet Owl singing in camp, Red Crossbills flying
overhead along with one Siskin and one Evening
Grosbeak.  16 spp. of warblers, including 4-5
Black-throated Blue warblers.  

Growing up in MN, I always assumed that you had to go
to the "traditional" spots for this bird in MN, but
the last five years or so in the Clearwater area I've
always been able to find a few here and there.  There
were two BTBW singing on Clearwater road 1/2 mile from
Clearwater Lodge, one on the portage to Caribou, one
on the trail up to the Palisades, and one in camp on
Moon Lake.  

Notable in their absence were Hermit Thrushes. 
Somehow I managed to spend a week without hearing or
seeing one!!  It was very windy, cold, and often
raining, but I was surprised how vocal most of the
birds were even right up until dark.  It's always fun
to fish for walleyes while listening to a chorus of
Waterthrushes, Parulas, Winter Wrens, and Swainson's
Thrushes.

Andy Paulios
Janesville, WI


		
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