After breakfast we packed our lunch, rain gear, and water quality testing equipment into our Frost River day pack and paddled South towards the portage between Clear Lake and the South Kawishiwi River. A pair of Tundra Swans looking out of place with a small flock of Canada Geese floated near the first of the 10 portage portages. We rarely see Tundra Swans in the Boundary Waters, this pair must be migrating South for the winter. We have only seen a couple loons and they have already lost their summer plumage. Every time we hear their haunting call I wonder when we will hear it for the last time this year. Soon the Geese, Swans, and Loons will all have migrated South. We will say farewell to them for the winter. Luckily some of the hardy birds like the Grouse, Ravens, and Bald Eagles will stick around for the winter. Most of the Eagles migrate South, but even in the dead of winter we occasionally catch a glimpse of an eagle soaring overhead. Today we saw 4 eagles scattered along the Kawishiwi River. This one circled over head several times before landing in a large, dead tree along the waters edge.
The wind has died and we are cooking dinner on a large rock overlooking Clear Lake. Two loons are calling to each other in the distance. I hope we continue to hear them for many more days. Its hard to imagine a Boundary Waters Canoe Trip without the sound of a loons haunting calls across the lakes still surface at dusk. #wildernessyear #savethebwca #eagle #boundarywaters #bird
The wind has died and we are cooking dinner on a large rock overlooking Clear Lake. Two loons are calling to each other in the distance. I hope we continue to hear them for many more days. Its hard to imagine a Boundary Waters Canoe Trip without the sound of a loons haunting calls across the lakes still surface at dusk. #wildernessyear #savethebwca #eagle #boundarywaters #bird
