Birds of the Gunflint Trail

March 30, 2019

Text and photos by John Silliman
Gunflint Lodge Head Naturalist

As we get to the end of March, the bird migration has been picking up. The pine grosbeaks have already departed. American crows, snow buntings, European starlings, trumpeter swans, and bald eagles have all returned. The migration will continue until about mid-June and start again around mid-August.

For the purposes of birding, I count the Gunflint Trail as anything beyond the lumber mill when coming in from Grand Marais.  Here is the list of birds for the month of March on the Gunflint Trail:

  1. American Crow
  1. Bald Eagle
  2. Black-capped Chickadee

  1. Blue Jay

  1. Canada Jay

  1. Common Raven

  1. Common Redpoll

  1. Downy Woodpecker

  1. European Starling

  1. Hairy Woodpecker

11. Hoary Redpoll

12. Northern Saw-whet Owl

13. Pileated Woodpecker

  1. Pine Grosbeak

  1. Pine Siskin

  1. Red-breasted Nuthatch

  1. Ruffed Grouse

  1. Snow Bunting
  2. Trumpeter Swan
  3. White-breasted Nuthatch

Happy Birding!