[mou] Hedbom revisited (literally!)

Cindy Risen cbutler@lcp2.net
Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:10:25 -0600


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Hello All,

After completing our necessary errands this morning Cindy and I decided to 
run up to the Hedbom Forest Road to see if we could refind any of the birds 
we encountered there last Saturday.

The weather this AM was a bit cold. A heavy frost stayed on the all the 
vegetation until noon and, although the forest was quiet compared to 
Saturday, the birding was still very good. The Hedbom Forest road is in 
extreme NE Aitkin County, putting it squarely in our backyard. How lucky 
are we?

Our complete trip list for the morning:

Northern Shrike -2
Great Gray Owl - 1, one of the pair that we watched on Saturday, it has a 
distinctive facial pattern--the white area below the bill and the distal 
portions of the white 'bow tie' are a dark gray leaving only a very thin 
section of white. Neat bird to see. It was hunting along the roadside and 
bog edges in the same area we located the pair on Saturday when we arrived 
at about 10:00 AM, it was still hunting the same areas when we left about 
12:30 PM.
Black-backed Woodpecker - 4 along the Hedbom Forest Road, three males.
American Three-toed Woodpecker - 1 male along the Hedbom Forest Road
White-winged Crossbill - one flock of 30 birds. There are a great many 
cones on the Tamaracks & Black Spruces here. The redpolls, siskins and 
crossbills were all feeding on Tamarack cones.
Red Crossbill - one flock of 6 birds
Pine Grosbeak - 1 male
Common Redpoll - 109 - flocks weren't as numerous as Saturday, but I didn't 
spend as much time out of the car pishing. Stopping at every opening in the 
forest with alder shrubs and pishing, as I did on Saturday, will result in 
many more redpolls. They are REALLY heavy in the alder and Tamarack areas 
as they are feeding on alder catkins and Tamarack cones.
Hoary Redpoll - 1 in a flock of Common Redpolls
Boreal Chickadee - 1 heard along the Hedbom Forest Road
Pine Siskin - 28 (plus 100's at a feeder closer to our house)
Gray Jay - 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 6
Ruffed Grouse - 1
Rough-legged Hawk - 2
Bald Eagle -3
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Black-capped Chickadee - stopped keeping an actual count as there were 
LOADS of them coming in to pishing.
American Goldfinch - 2
Crow - no #'s
Raven - no #'s

Have a great day!

Kim & Cindy Risen
Tamarack, Aitkin County
www.naturescapenews.com


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Hello All,<br><br>
After completing our necessary errands this morning Cindy and I decided
to run up to the Hedbom Forest Road to see if we could refind any of the
birds we encountered there last Saturday.<br><br>
The weather this AM was a bit cold. A heavy frost stayed on the all the
vegetation until noon and, although the forest was quiet compared to
Saturday, the birding was still very good. The Hedbom Forest road is in
extreme NE Aitkin County, putting it squarely in our backyard. How lucky
are we? <br><br>
Our complete trip list for the morning:<br><br>
<b>Northern Shrike</b> -2<br>
<b>Great Gray Owl</b> - 1, one of the pair that we watched on Saturday,
it has a distinctive facial pattern--the white area below the bill and
the distal portions of the white 'bow tie' are a dark gray leaving only a
very thin section of white. Neat bird to see. It was hunting along the
roadside and bog edges in the same area we located the pair on Saturday
when we arrived at about 10:00 AM, it was still hunting the same areas
when we left about 12:30 PM.<br>
<b>Black-backed Woodpecker </b>- 4 along the Hedbom Forest Road, three
males.<br>
<b>American Three-toed Woodpecker</b> - 1 male along the Hedbom Forest
Road<br>
<b>White-winged Crossbill </b>- one flock of 30 birds. There are a great
many cones on the Tamaracks &amp; Black Spruces here. The redpolls,
siskins and crossbills were all feeding on Tamarack cones.<br>
<b>Red Crossbill</b> - one flock of 6 birds<br>
<b>Pine Grosbeak</b> - 1 male<br>
<b>Common Redpoll</b> - 109 - flocks weren't as numerous as Saturday, but
I didn't spend as much time out of the car pishing. Stopping at every
opening in the forest with alder shrubs and pishing, as I did on
Saturday, will result in many more redpolls. They are REALLY heavy in the
alder and Tamarack areas as they are feeding on alder catkins and
Tamarack cones.<br>
<b>Hoary Redpoll</b> - 1 in a flock of Common Redpolls<br>
<b>Boreal Chickadee</b> - 1 heard along the Hedbom Forest Road<br>
Pine Siskin - 28 (plus 100's at a feeder closer to our house)<br>
Gray Jay - 2<br>
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 6<br>
Ruffed Grouse - 1<br>
Rough-legged Hawk - 2<br>
Bald Eagle -3<br>
Pileated Woodpecker - 1<br>
Black-capped Chickadee - stopped keeping an actual count as there were
LOADS of them coming in to pishing.<br>
American Goldfinch - 2<br>
Crow - no #'s<br>
Raven - no #'s<br><br>
Have a great day!<br><br>
Kim &amp; Cindy Risen<br>
Tamarack, Aitkin County<br>
<a href="http://www.naturescapenews.com/" eudora="autourl">
www.naturescapenews.com<br><br>
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