Seagull Lake is still one of my favorite lakes in the BWCAW but it will take some time before it recovers from the last two fires. Last year the Cavity Lake fire burned 30,000 acres on the south end and most of Seagull's Islands. The year before the Alpine Lake fire burned 1,000 acres on the west end. Some of this area was just recovering from the Roy Lake fire that burned most of the northwest end. The Ham Lake Fire has burned the remaining east and north side. There were several businesses and homes in this area. Some of these people have lived there for most of their lives.

We walked around some of the campsites at Trail's End Campground. Some were left untouched but others were completely burned. The huge Norway Pine that held an eagle's nest since just after the blowdown of 1999 was mostly burned. I wondered how long the mother stayed with the chicks as the fire approached. I'm sure many wildlife lost their lives during the fire.

We took some photos of Jessie as she looked at the burned forest. I wondered what goes through her mind as she saw the destruction. All she wanted to do afterwards was hug her dog.

The area will recover. Already, people are planting trees and going through their belongings. The fire burned so hot in certain areas that an aluminum boat completely melted and only the trailer was left in the rubble. Sprinkler systems and well trained firefighters saved many of the homes.

As we were returning home, a beautiful rainbow appeared over Loon Lake. If not for the firefighting efforts and the much needed rain, the area around Loon would also have burned. For those thinking of heading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, go. There are hundreds of beautiful lakes to explore. If you canoe through the burned area you can see new life springing up all around you. Recovery has begun.

Paul & Karla

It is a challenge to photograph these drumming birds. They are very wary and watch for any movement around them. I usually use a blind that is set up in advance so that they get used to it before I sneak up for photos. Once in a while you can find a male that is more interested in finding a mate than fearful of humans. This week I found one of those and he let me sit within ten feet of him as he went through his spring ritual. I was there when the female showed up. He ran toward her without giving me a second glance.

Paul & Karla

Before leaving Fergus we stopped to see the Great Egrets that have a nesting rookery right in town. There must be over 50 nesting egrets on the little island in the middle of the city park. It is such a great site to see these majestic long legged birds landing in the trees. I believe it is the males that display their long lacy plumage during the breeding season. Several were doing their little dance from the tops of the trees. They would bow low and then bring their heads up straight towards the sky as they lifted up that lacy plumage. It was that beautiful plumage that almost caused their extermination around 1900. People killed them for their feathers. At that time it was a fad to use the feathers in ladies hats. Now the egrets are doing great.

Paul & Karla

The female stopped every now and than to inspect the work and give a punch list for improvements but I never did see her removing chips. They say that they both work in the construction of the nesting cavity so maybe they count supervision. It was so fun to watch the male casting chips from the hole. He would lean in and grab a mouth full and fling it over his shoulder. It would happen so fast that he took me many photos to capture the chips flying. Now the ground at the base of the tree is just covered in little wood chips. At times I would put my ear to the tree to listen to his pounding inside. Even though he was up at the top of the tree and I was at the bottom it sounded like he was right next to my ear.

Both help to incubate the eggs and in the feeding. I am anxious to see the little ones poking their heads from the hole. Stay tuned.

Paul & Karla