Stromboli's Rolling Log

Day 8- Wednesday June 15, 2022 At Bemidji MN

Finally we received some warmer days that made it feel very pleasant. After that cold Stretch in Superior, Wisconsin, it was good to get that warm air and not have to wear sweatshirts and coats.

Actually during the night the temperature never got below 60° which was a first for us so far. Our objective today was to get up to what's called the Big Bog North about 70 miles in some of the great fishing country of Minnesota. There are two large lakes there are in an Indian reservation (Red Lake) called Upper Red and the Lower Red. On the Upper Red there is a large 500 acre bog Called Big Bog. In this bog is the only caribou herd in the lower 48 states. We did not expect to see it, but it was there. Rumor has that some of the herd now have migrated to along the Canadian Border (30 miles north)

The drive up was uneventful taking US 2 to Minnesota 71 then Minnesota 72 up to the Lakes. We stopped at a fisherman by a river near where we thought the visitor center with located. We were right it was just a block away or so from where we were. We stopped in at the center to talk to the Rangers who directed us to where we were to go. Doug, the head ranger also gave us information on a very large refuge in northeast Minnesota called Sax Zim. We had been there once before but missed it this time going through.

We headed the 9 miles to the North unit where the Big Bog was located. At the entry is a small lake (Ludlow) with a gravel walk around the lake,. At the other side was the entry to a mile-long boardwalk that goes through the blog. (It was calm (no wind) and 72 degreesF). We took a few pictures and headed down the gravel path, but soon discovered that the mosquitoes we're going to drive us out of that walk. We lasted about 30 minutes and headed back for the truck... no birds, lots of mosquitoes and a few pictures.

Ludlow Pond looking across at the entry to Big Bog

Waskish is less than a mile away

Our first Ruby Throated hummer who visited us today.

We headed back to the visitor Center where there was a camping area and some cabins and found a place to eat our lunch. Then we headed back toward our camp ground.

As we always look for birds and ponds along the way or birds in the trees, we did spot some very white ones, which turned out to be tundra swans. Along with them were some mallards which we did not have on our list for the day.

Speaking of the day, i'll list a few of the birds we saw today. There are always the usuals you know the crows and the Blue Jays, Redwing blackbirds... but here are a few outstanding ones; Wood thrush, Veery, Redtailed Hawk, Black Billed Magpie, Chimney Swift, Rough Winged Swallow, Eastern Phoebe, Bald Eagle, Tree Swallow, Shoveler, Sharp Shinned Hawk, and at our very own feeder... a Ruby Throated female Hummingbird and a Black Capped Chickadee!!!

So it was a good day, in regards to birding, after all.

For supper Ruth grilled some marinated pork loin cuts and had them on the grill with roasted pineapple– –see the picture––it was for my part, the tastiest and tenderest piece of meat I've ever had except for reindeer. She prepared that with a marmalade sauce that topped it off. The maranade is a dry one in which three ingredients are added. It was excellent.