Minnesota Wildlife

One of the things we do to pass time at the cabin is admire the wildlife. Some of the birds, like the loons are expected to be seen in Minnesota. Their haunting calls were heard at least two different evenings at the cabin. Several times, the loons popped up close to the boats as we fished. Unfortunately, we were not ready with our cameras for those surprise appearances. However, the loons did please us with an appearance close to shore, so Dave was able to snap this pictures.





Then, there are birds that you just don't expect to see on a lake in northern Minnesota, like these pelicans. While they aren't the brown pelicans that fish along the US coasts, these pelicans fish the lakes for bullhead catfish and other species of fish.










It's also unexpected to see gulls on the docks in Minnesota.












This robin entertained us the entire week. At the beginning of the week, she was upset with us because her babies were in a nest she built in the crook of the gutter downspout. When she decided we weren't going away, she settled down a bit. One afternoon we watched as she took a splash in the bird bath--not once, but three times. And late in the week, we laughed as she took on the red squirrel and the chipmunk. The chipmunk hid in a diffrent gutter down spout when she attacked him. The red squirrel, however, went on the defensive; he played it sly while she pranced around the yard, but as she got close, he turned on her. She then hopped away. She didn't seem interested in the sunflower seeds the squirrel was eating, so we're unsure why she was sparring with the chipmunk and squirrel.


The chipmunks are always friendly, we kept three different chipmunks busy with the piles of sunflower seeds that we put off. Two short-tailed and one with his entire tail ran around the yard, gathering seeds at such a frantic pace you would think winter was just around the corner. Bob was able to pet this little guy while he filled his cheeks with the tasty seeds.






We also saw a skunk one evening and smelled it several others. Thankfully, none of us were the recipients of it's perfume.

A racoon made his presence known one evening. We watched him gobble up piles of sunflower seeds put out on the ground beneath the birdfeeder for the chipmunks, since the coon's belly wasn't quite full and everyone had gone to bed, he decided to swat at it to get some more. The birdfeeder had to be repaired by Bob the next morning. The following evening we neglected to take the feeder down, so it had to be repaired again after the coon's attack.