Elevation: 1420 ft. Paul State Forest serves as an island of forest in a sea of farmland. The trees host a variety of common woodland species. Area regulars include red-bellied, downy, and hairy woodpeckers, and the occasional pileated and red-headed woodpeckers drop in sporadically. Forest diversity is at its highest during migration when, depending on the weather, numerous species of warblers, vireos, tanagers and thrushes can be spotted. Fast flying tawny emperors and the less energetic red-spotted purples and eastern tiger swallowtails frequent the broad trails between the towering yellow poplars of the state forest. The surrounding fields attract a variety of raptors that perch along the edges of the forest. Keep a look out for Cooper’s, sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks, as well as the occasional American kestrel.