[mou] Thanks to MN birders

[McLean, Patty (CDC/CCHP/NCCDPHP)]

A few of us from Georgia ventured up to MN last weekend to do some quick
birding. Thanks to those of you who sent me some "must bird"
recommendations ... which turned out to be excellent, especially since
we only had about 48 hours to bird. Here are the highlights:
 
EVERYWHERE BIRDS 
Black-capped chickadee
Canada goose
Rock pigeon
Red-tailed hawk
Blue jay
American crow
Common raven
American tree sparrow [lifer for me]
Dark-eyed junco
American robin
 
CREX MEADOWS -10/26 and 10/28 
Trumpeter swans (adults and signets) [lifer for me]
Sandhill cranes
Northern shrikes (6!) [lifer for me]
Short eared owls (3 - hunting near the pump station at dusk) [lifer for
me]
Snow buntings - several small flocks [lifer for me]
Bald eagles (2 adults, 1 imm)
Cardinal (one female)
Ruddy ducks (2 - but not absolutely certain due to lighting etc) 
American black ducks (2) [lifer for me]
Northern harrier
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (lifer for me)
Greater Yellowlegs
American tree sparrows (lifers for me)
either Rusty or Brewer's blackbirds (large flock - hard to tell for sure
since they were in the shadows of the woods - awaiting to review the
photos)
American coots
HEARD: Great horned owl 
NOTE: Some folks recorded in the record book at the Visitor's Center
that they saw a Snowy Owl hunting at dawn on 10/28 and WHOOPING CRANES a
few days earlier.
 
DULUTH AREA - INCLUDING HAWK RIDGE AND TWO HARBORS - 10/27
Brown creeper
Northern goshawk (an imm banded/new release)
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Black-backed woodpecker (only in flight)
Pileated woodpecker
Pine grosbeaks (small flock) [lifer for me]
Red crossbills (small flock)
Winter wren
Fox sparrows (4)
Red-winged blackbirds (flock flying over Hawk Ridge)
Red-breasted nuthatch (near Stony Point)
Ring-billed gull
European starling
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (small flock - feeding on Mtn Ash berries - in Two
Harbors) [lifer for me]
Snow buntings (small flock)
 
MINNEAPOLIS AREA    
White-breasted nuthatches
Hairy woodpeckers    
Downy woodpeckers
House finches
House sparrows
Northern cardinal (female)
 
BETTY'S PIES
Strawberry Rhubard - yum
 
You folks are very lucky to have such a lovely state and SO MANY COOL
BIRDS! Thanks for the great ideas!!  I look forward to my next trip up
north. 
 
Patty McLean
Atlanta GA
 
 
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