March 03, 2013

I headed out last week to explore the boreal habitat north of Bloomingdale Bog. I had heard a black-backed woodpecker calling while I was cross country skiing north along the Bloomingdale Bog Trail earlier in the week and the encounter prompted me to return to look for boreal birds and whatever else I could find.

So I grabbed my gear and hiked out on a cloudy, snowy day. If you go there to look yourself, snowshoes aren't needed so long as you stay on the packed snowmobile routes. But if you venture off the trails like I did, they are very helpful. You should also be mindful that weekends can be busy (and therefore loud at times) with snowmobiles. When I was there, I had to wait briefly for the groomer which was getting the trails ready for the weekenders.

I hiked in along Bigelow Road, a dirt track turned snowmobile trail in the winter. Bigelow meets the bog trail about a half mile north of the Route 55 access to the bog trail, and runs through a great stretch of boreal habitat. The other end of Bigelow meets Oregon Plains Road out of the Village of Bloomingdale. I parked at that junction and walked in.

snowshoe hare tracks
Snowshoe hare tracks are everywhere around Bigelow Road and the north end of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail.

The woods were unfortunately quiet for the most part, and my initial goal of tracking down a few boreal birds was not realized. But I found a few groups of black-capped chickadees and red-breasted nuthatches which were chattering in the spruce and fir. I looked to see if a boreal chickadee was mixed in with the small flocks, but found none. Apart from a few flyover ravens, they were the only birds I encountered while I was out on the quiet, gray day, and I began to focus my attention on animal tracks instead.

This endeavor proved more successful, as strings of snowshoe hare tracks wove through the forest and along the road. Wren was soon wading in deep snow excitedly probing her nose in the snow and looking for their maker. I joined her (only without shoving my nose in the snow), and we followed a few sets of tracks off into the woods. There were also many red squirrel tracks and we startled a few chattering red squirrels which we ignored. The single line of mink tracks was more exciting to me, as the prints marked where the animal had bounded through the snow, and we followed them briefly.

beaver tracks
These beaver tracks were an exciting find near a hole in the ice of a small stream. There were also otter tracks there.

After turning back towards the car, I noticed that the open water at a stream crossing was dotted with both beaver and North American river otter tracks going to and from the hole in the ice. I had been focused on birds on the way out and hadn't even noticed them when we first set out. It was an exciting find to round out our hike, and both Wren and I clambered down along the stream to look at them more closely.

Wren was soon tempting fate by walking on the ice herself as she smelled the tracks. Thankfully it was thick enough and she did not appear in any danger of breaking through or falling in, but I called her back off the ice anyway. She promptly raced through the very tracks I was attempting to photograph. I guess that's how it goes with an exuberant dog. They're either out on the ice or messing up your attempts at taking photos. I gave up on more photos, but it was a fun way to end to our hike.

snowshoe hare tracks
Snowshoe hare tracks are everywhere around Bigelow Road and the north end of the Bloomingdale Bog Trail.
beaver tracks
These beaver tracks were an exciting find near a hole in the ice of a small stream. There were also otter tracks there.

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