[mou] Birding Today
Mike Hendrickson
smithville4@charter.net
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 18:22:39 -0600
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Last day with John Walker, Giles Foster and Peter (?) of Yorkshire, =
England. =20
Highlights: Lake Co.
-Spruce Grouse (female) on Hwy 1. at 9:22am (!) between miles marker =
301- 302 in Lake Co.
-Boreal Chickadees (5) on the Blue Spruce Rd in Lake Co.
-White-winged Crossbills several places in Lake Co.
-Rough-legged Hawks along West Knife River Rd. (2 birds)
Highlights: St. Louis Co.
-Rough-legged Hawk along the Korkki Rd. off the Homestead Rd.
-Bohemian Waxwings near the intersection of North Tischer Rd and West =
Tischer Rd (100+ birds)
-Northern Hawk Owl perched behind the buildings of Northstar Flooring.
*Blue Spruce Rd is not so quiet near the yellow gate! There is some =
drilling going on here for minerals, because of this there are now 2-3 =
news roads shooting off Blue Spruce Rd with trucks and machinery coming =
in and out. Not the same ol beautiful, quiet, jays feeding out of your =
hand type of road! Also Hwy 1 from Lake Co. Rd to Ely is going thru =
some big changes. As many of you might know or did not know but the =
state is eliminating a lot of the switch backs and plans for Hwy 1 is =
that its going to be a straighter piece of road, Currently about 50-60 =
feet of trees/shrubs on each side of the road has been cleared. If you =
are up there any time soon you'll see many spots of cleared road edges =
and parts they have not cleared yet. It seems lately the last two days =
I just see so many changes to the landscape I am so use to seeing all =
the time and its sad. =20
I am concern about Spruce Grouse population levels in Minnesota. I =
assume the populations are fine but I keep thinking back in the 1970's, =
80's how it was sort of common to go along Lake Co. Rd 2 and see =
anywhere from 1-2 to as many as 10-15 birds and today its a real treat =
to just see one bird! I believe when Lake Co. Rd 2 was paved and widen =
it made cars go faster and also traffic increased causing the birds to =
go to other sources for grit/salt and now Hwy 1 will be going thru some =
changes and I wonder if this will effect the grouse as well? Are there =
any decent spots north of Duluth that offer decent chances of viewing =
Spruce Grouse? AS I think back during this winter season I believe =
there were only 3-4 sightings of Spruce Grouse along Lake Co. Rd 2 and =
Hwy 1. I also believe the total individuals seen on both roads are 5-6 =
birds during this winter season. It would be a good idea if the Hwy =
Dept could erect some signs along the stretch of mile post 300-305 on =
Hwy 1 to watch out for Spruce Grouse and also along the stretch of Lake =
Co. Rd 2 from the Sand River pull off to Hwy 1 intersection. I doubt =
logging trucks will slow down for grouse but a sign will at least make =
people watch out for them. Just some thoughts.
=20
Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>Last day =
with John=20
Walker, Giles Foster and Peter (?) of Yorkshire, England. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>Highlights: Lake=20
Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>-Spruce =
Grouse=20
(female) on Hwy 1. at 9:22am (!) between miles marker 301- 302 in =
Lake=20
Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>-Boreal =
Chickadees (5)=20
on the Blue Spruce Rd in Lake Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>-White-winged=20
Crossbills several places in Lake Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>-Rough-legged Hawks=20
along West Knife River Rd. (2 birds)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>Highlights: St. Louis=20
Co.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2>-Rough-legged Hawk=20
along the Korkki Rd. off the Homestead Rd.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>-Bohemian =
Waxwings near=20
the intersection of North Tischer Rd and West Tischer Rd (100+=20
birds)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>-Northern =
Hawk Owl=20
perched behind the buildings of Northstar Flooring.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>*Blue =
Spruce Rd is not=20
so quiet near the yellow gate! There is some drilling going on here for=20
minerals, because of this there are now 2-3 news roads shooting off Blue =
Spruce=20
Rd with trucks and machinery coming in and out. Not the same ol =
beautiful,=20
quiet, jays feeding out of your hand type of road! Also Hwy 1 from =
Lake=20
Co. Rd to Ely is going thru some big changes. As many of you might know =
or did=20
not know but the state is eliminating a lot of the switch backs=20
and plans for Hwy 1 is that its going to be a straighter piece =
of=20
road, Currently about 50-60 feet of trees/shrubs on each side of =
the road=20
has been cleared. If you are up there any time soon you'll see many =
spots=20
of cleared road edges and parts they have not cleared yet. It =
seems=20
lately the last two days I just see so many changes to the =
landscape I am=20
so use to seeing all the time and its sad. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>I am =
concern=20
about Spruce Grouse population levels in Minnesota. I assume the=20
populations are fine but I keep thinking back in the 1970's, 80's how it =
was=20
sort of common to go along Lake Co. Rd 2 and see anywhere from 1-2 to as =
many as=20
10-15 birds and today its a real treat to just see one bird! =20
I believe when Lake Co. Rd 2 was paved and widen it made cars go =
faster and=20
also traffic increased causing the birds to go to other =
sources for=20
grit/salt and now Hwy 1 will be going thru some changes and I wonder if =
this=20
will effect the grouse as well? Are there any decent spots north =
of Duluth=20
that offer decent chances of viewing Spruce Grouse? AS I =
think back during this winter season I believe there were only 3-4=20
sightings of Spruce Grouse along Lake Co. Rd 2 and Hwy 1. I also =
believe=20
the total individuals seen on both roads are 5-6 birds during this =
winter=20
season. It would be a good idea if the Hwy Dept could =
erect some=20
signs along the stretch of mile post 300-305 on Hwy 1 to =
watch=20
out for Spruce Grouse and also along the stretch of Lake Co. Rd 2 from =
the Sand=20
River pull off to Hwy 1 intersection. I doubt logging trucks will =
slow=20
down for grouse but a sign will at least make people watch =
out for=20
them. Just some thoughts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 =
size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Bookman Old Style" color=3D#800000 size=3D2>Michael=20
Hendrickson<BR>Duluth, Minnesota<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart=
er.net/mmhendrickson/</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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