Ely II

My favorite tree on this trip were the tamarcks (see first photo). These evergreen shaped trees with their beautiful butterscotch gold foliage really stand out in the forest. You can spot them a mile away because they're so distinct and so beautiful. I took a zig zag (or should I say zim zag) path on the way home. This set of tamarack were on Owl Road in the Sax Zim bog near Eveleth. The Sax Zim bog is a famous birding spot especially in the winter because of the owls that hunt there during the day. I might go back to this bog in the winter.

Despite all my tramping in the woods, I didn't see any grouse.  I think it is strange how the black birds morph from crows into ravens and the jays change from blue to gray.  I saw a bluebird with a reddish breast and at first glance I thought it was a bluebird.  But the bird wasn't acting like a bluebird.  It was climbing headfirst down a tree trunk.  The bird turned out to be a red breasted nuthatch. 

I saw an old barn on the way out of the bog.

I stopped in Grand Rapids on the shore of the Mississippi. Guess what? No rapids, grand or otherwise. The rapids have been covered up for over one hundred years with the building of a dam. I did see three ducks - I think they're female common mergansers.

Also in Grand Rapids.

I can't remember exactly where this picture was shot but I think it was near Mille Lacs Lake.  I think the beauty of this shot symbolizes my whole trip.