Wildlife Viewing and Bird Watching

Summer or winter, spring or fall, anytime is excellent for watching for the wildlife and the birds.  It isn't always easy to spot the larger animals,  but it's not impossible either.  Through the years, we have seen many moose, deer, timber wolves, and bears.  Smaller species include fox, pine marten, fisher, mink and of course, the squirrels and chipmunks.  Sometimes by the lakeshore, otter are swimming about.  The important thing is to be ever watchful, because you never know when the opportunity will arise.

Birds are easier to see, because they are all around  us.  At our feeder in winter, we regularly see chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, pine grosbeaks, purple finches, and red polls.  In the summer, the ruby-throated hummingbirds keep us entertained.  Summer is also a great season to be on the watch for warblers.  Several species make their summer homes in our northwoods.  For a list of birds seen on the Gunflint Trail, click here.

On a rare occasion, we might get to see a wildlife event such as the one in the video below.  A wolf had taken down a deer on our property, just another step in the food chain.  The video may be a bit graphic for some.  For others, it is a rare insight into animal behavior.