I spent the last half of last week in the Boundary Waters, pelted with = rain and pinned down by ferocious thunder storms, and yet great birds = were everywhere. My 17 year old nephew, Nick Barron, and I headed in at = Kawishiwi Lake. We made good time, covered 10 miles or so to Lake Polly = by 2 PM. Winter Wren, Hermit Thrush, Veery, Cedar Waxwings, Ravens, Bald = Eagles, Loons, and Red-breasted Mergansers (this is off the Sawbill = trail) kept us company as we paddled the big lakes and short portages. = There are long grassy meandering streams that connect Kawishiwi to = Square and Kawasachong Lakes. We had Lincoln's, LeConte's, and Song = Sparrows, with Least and Yellow Bellied Flycatchers and an occasional = Olive-sided Flycatcher. The Olive Sided Flycatcher didn't have his = phrasing down, no "Whip 3 beers", it was more of a Whip 3, 4, or 5 = beers" This was only one individual and I observed it calling 6 times = with this anomaly. Since according to Dr. Kroodsma, tyrant flycatchers = do not have an affinity for learned song, I wonder where this anomaly = comes from?=20 =20 Pickerel and Leopard frogs were commonly heard, yet only one green frog = heard. No tree frogs heard at all.
The 180 rod portage north into Townline Lake was the heart of song on = this trip. Canada Warblers, Mourning Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers = and Common Yellow Throats greeted us right away. White Throated = Sparrows, Nick's favorite bird, called to us the entire route. Yellow = bellied Sapsuckers mewed from tall mature poplar stands (Boreal Owl = Heaven?) and Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers were heard many times in the = distance. This is an area that appears to have been part of the blow = down of 1999, with foliage in the undergrowth very dense and lush.=20 I have seen Spruce Grouse and Three-toed Woodpeckers here in past years, = so I was on the lookout. I soon heard and saw Tennessee Warbler, more = Chestnut -sided Warblers, Yellow Warbler, and Ovenbird. The I heard it, = sounding like a Chestnut sided Warbler, but lower, softer, I pished for = a couple of minutes, Nick was getting bitten up and impatient, then it = popped out of the underbrush 20 feet away, a Male Wilson's Warbler. I = was tempted to search for a nest, they are ground nesters, but proceeded = with the portage at the behest of my insect riddled partner. As we = dropped our packs into small boggy Townline Lake, I heard another = Wilson's Warbler singing along the trail. I did not see this bird, = however, it was too dense. A Gray Jay was being harassed by a Merlin = along the edge of this pretty little bog lake. Boreal Chickadees were = paying attention to the fracas by being very vocal and retreating to the = other side of the lake, only about 300 yards. The other side of the lake = put us on the 90 rod portage into Lake Polly, where we had a fly over of = a beautiful Black-backed Woodpecker, A Black Throated Blue Warbler sang = from the underbrush near the center of the portage, where it flattens = out before descending to Lake Polly. I recently made note of the French = word for Wilson's Warbler, far superior to our name,=20 Paruline =E0 calotte noire Now that is what I am talking about! I wish Linnaeus had been French. Lake Polly has a Merlin Nest on it, and we were treated to the sight of = the fighter pilot sorties of the Merlin against Ravens, Bald Eagles, = Turkey Vultures, and Herring Gulls. None had a prayer to withstand the = attacks. Golden Crowned Kinglets called from the pines, and Loons echoed = their calls everywhere. No dippers were seen, but God's Grace was all = around us. If you do not mind the walk, the work, and the tiredness it = brings, and you want to go to where all you hear is nature at its = finest, Lake Polly is a fine destination. I have to pack in a mic next = time, it is dead quiet when the wind dies down. Good Birding. Mark Alt=20 Sr. Project Manager=20 Entertainment Software Supply Chain=20 Project Resources Group (PRG)=20 Best Buy Co., Inc.=20 [email protected]=20 (W) 612-291-6717=20 (Cell) 612-803-9085
