[mou] Stearns County crossbills
Wildchough@aol.com
Wildchough@aol.com
Fri, 10 Nov 2006 23:30:02 EST
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I found two small flcoks of red crossbills while hiking around Collegeville
today. The first consisted of approximateyl 14 birds foraging in small-coned
spruce near the orchard at St. John's which is located a few hundred yards
southwest of the campus on the backroad to St. Joseph, MN. The flock contained at
least two call types: most of the birds had a soft and high-pitched "jif,
jif, jif" and the males were generally dull brownish red and there was a larger,
stockier brick red bird that called lower, like "cleep, cleep." It too was in
the small-coned spruces (white, Englemann?). I called Phil Chu and 10
minutes later we were back at the orchard but the birds had moved on. About an hour
later I had a flock of 10 birds fly over the arboretum trail which circles
the lakes near the entrance road off the Interstate. The birds were over the
tallest hill south of the small lake where the boardwalk is. Also of interest
today was a nice flock of Lapland Longspurs and a few Snow Buntings at Pearl
Lake and 70 Snow Buntings at Albany. An American Golden-Plover at Albany may be
the latest Stearns County bird ever. Small numbers of Trumpeter and Tundra
Swans throughout the eastern half of the county. A swimming Bald Eagle near
South Haven was a serious hazard to driving although my truck did manage to stay
in an upright position during the 50 mph U-turn. Bob Russell
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">I found two small flcoks of red cro=
ssbills while hiking around Collegeville today. The first consisted of=
approximateyl 14 birds foraging in small-coned spruce near the orchard at S=
t. John's which is located a few hundred yards southwest of the campus on th=
e backroad to St. Joseph, MN. The flock contained at least two call ty=
pes: most of the birds had a soft and high-pitched "jif, jif, jif" and the m=
ales were generally dull brownish red and there was a larger, stockier brick=
red bird that called lower, like "cleep, cleep." It too was in the sm=
all-coned spruces (white, Englemann?). I called Phil Chu and 10 minute=
s later we were back at the orchard but the birds had moved on. About=20=
an hour later I had a flock of 10 birds fly over the arboretum trail which c=
ircles the lakes near the entrance road off the Interstate. The birds=20=
were over the tallest hill south of the small lake where the boardwalk is.&n=
bsp; Also of interest today was a nice flock of Lapland Longspurs and a few=20=
Snow Buntings at Pearl Lake and 70 Snow Buntings at Albany. An America=
n Golden-Plover at Albany may be the latest Stearns County bird ever. =20=
Small numbers of Trumpeter and Tundra Swans throughout the eastern half of t=
he county. A swimming Bald Eagle near South Haven was a serious hazard=
to driving although my truck did manage to stay in an upright position duri=
ng the 50 mph U-turn. Bob Russell</FONT></HTML>
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