On this day in Ken’s Journal – August 2nd through August 16th, 1981
Ken and Molly Hoffman were surveyors and naturalists who lived on the Gunflint Trail in the early 1980s. In these journal entries from August 2nd through August 16th, 1981, Ken documents day-to-day life in the north woods. Journal entries are read by Yafa Napadensky, Chel Anderson, Ellen Hawkins, Bob Shannon, Leah Thomas and Barb LaVigne.
August 2, 1981, Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail (In Molly’s hand)
To Grecos’ again to complete survey. Spent a long, hot mosquito-day cutting line through some interesting woods. Ken got irritated with his “Irish.” Say he can now sympathize with Thoreau when he describes his Irish survey helper. Saw three, curious otters in Little Ollie Lake. They sniffed us and swam quite close. We also could smell all their fishy droppings along the shore of Little Ollie. Saw a Black-throated Blue Warbler and small flocks of birds. also heard a Rusty Blackbird. Saw Loons and heard what may have been a Greater Yellowlegs–don’t know for sure, however. We had lunch at Greco’s, so we spent a long day there, getting back at 5:30pm.
Gardens “drooping,” need water. Heard Nighthawk and saw it zoom over our garden area. Warm and humid without wind again tonight. Ken is working on survey paperwork this evening.
August 5, 1981, Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
On a nice canoe trip today to Gaskin Lake via Swamp–Horseshoe–Allen and returning via Henson–Swallow—Meeds Lake. Saw a variety of ducks including Black, Goldeneye, Loons, Common Merganzer. Also an Osprey and a Great Blue Heron at its nest on Gaskin, plus 15 gulls on Meeds, including 10 adults and 5 young. Stopped by Brandts’ old cabin site on Gaskin ( a very pretty lake), for a snack break. Nothing remains except a few old boards and a large cut log with spikes in it at the waters’ edge. Had lunch on an island at Meeds where we watched and listened to gulls. Nice blueberries on the island. Gone from 7 to 4:30. We came back very tired. We wanted to go to Moon Lake on our trip, but could not find a portage.
August 7, 1981, Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
More light rain and breezy. Black-billed Cuckoo was dead on roadside. Skies cleared some–saw the first big warbler flock of the season–Black-and-white, Tennessee, Nashville, Parula (very young), Magnolia, Blackburnian, Bay-Breasted, Canada, Solitary Vireo, Phila Vireo (feeding a begging young), both Kinglets and a Least Flycatcher. To dump and doing Greco survey drawing.
August 9, 1981 Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
Large warbler flock got me up early. Black-and-white, Nashville, Parula, Magnolia, Yellow-rump, Black-Throated Green, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay-breasted and Canada Warblers. Plus the three Vireos, two Kinglets, juvenile Junco, Purple Finch. Heavy shower about 11-o-clock. More showers for most of the day. Put about 1/2 of the floor in the bathhouse. Hummingbird at Jewelweed, Yellow-bellied Flycatchers catching a dragonfly. Solitary Sandpiper at our pit pond.
August 10, 1981 Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
Another cloudy, rainy morning–another large warbler flock–local residents: Black-and-white, Tennessee, Nashville, Parula, Magnolia, Cape May, Yellow Rump, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Bay Breast, Canada, plus three Vireos, Chipping Sparrows, Purple Finch. Went to town shopping. Many shorebirds made for a long trip–but interesting. Many Semipalmated Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs. At least one Stilt Sandpiper which we saw in two different locations. Least Sandpiper–quite a few. Also saw two “different birds,” which we concluded were Western Sandpipers. They stayed apart, same size as Semipalmated, but much browner. One had a droop on its bill, but the other did not. Why were they so much browner? Also, two Solitary Sandpipers–the first we have seen in town. Picked up our gutters for collecting rainwater. Home by 2:30. More warblers at home but nothing different. Put up some gutter support and painted collector shield. Long-Eared Owl at garden area “hooing.”
August 11, 1981 Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
Clear, cool morning. No birds early, two short hikes to east end of Hungry Jack Lake on bluff and bluff on west end of West Bearskin. Many gulls on Hungry Jack: 20, plus! Back home we finished plumbing on bathhouse and put gutters on the house. So now we are all set up and ready to “cook” water. Large flock of “chippies” by the garden. Also saw two deer–spike buck and doe by the new logging road past Squint Lake. Muki had a seizure on Leo Road but seems alright now. Black-throated Green family group spotted. Vince Ekroot asking about survey.
August 12, 1981 Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
Humid and warm again after a nice day yesterday. Hazy. Working on water collector as we had to lower the inlet pipe some. Getting water from Poplar Lake then canning one batch of peaches. Figuring Windigo survey on paper. Saw first Puffballs of the year (spiked), by the garden. A few milkweeds in bloom under the power line.
August 16, 1981 Leo Lake on the Gunflint Trail
38 degrees with clear sky. A few birds moving around–a “gray” Cape May Warbler with yellowish-green rump. Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Black and White Warbler, Kinglets, Red-eye and Solitary Vireos. Yellow-rumps, Tennessee Warbler, Parula, Blackburnian, Bay-breasted Warbler. Hiking and blueberry picking along Magnetic Rock trail, watching more gray Cape May Warblers. Two Solitary Sandpipers at old beaver pond nearby. Home at 3pm. Got ready and went to Gunflint smorgasboard–very good!
Reader’s note: Lydia is Lydia Miller, the Hoffman’s neighbor. Muki is one of the Hoffman’s dogs.
On this Day in Ken’s Journal is supported in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
