[mou] Cook Co. blizzard birds

[Jim & Carol Tveekrem]

We had roughly 10 inches of snow by this morning, less than an inch 
additional before it stopped around noon.  Feeders were caked with snow, 
but chickadees had opened the way to seeds by the time we got outside to 
brush things off.  Junco numbers have been increasing since the first 
one showed up last Friday, April 4, but today brought the most we had 
seen so far, at least 25.

First of Year birds:
*Fox Sparrow
*Amer. Tree Sparrow

pair of *N. Cardinals, first seen April 9, singing in yard yesterday 
morning.  Cardinals reported last week by friends in Tofte - 3 miles 
away.  Possibly one male had been present all winter.  Numbers of these 
are slowly increasing.
*Mourning Dove - also seen yesterday

Still here, although not seen until late afternoon - *Harris' Sparrow.  
That species should be able to deal with blowing snow.

Seen yesterday for first time but gone today - *Amer. Robins
*White-breasted Nuthatch (usually nests in neighborhood, but hadn't been 
seen since early winter)

Also gone today, but probably not far:  Eur. Starling.

No waterfowl in the big lake today, just big breaking waves, and a few 
rugged *Herring Gulls, sometimes flying straight into the wind and 
making good headway. 

Carol Tveekrem,
Schroeder, Cook Co.