[mou] Red Crossbills - Carlton Cty

[hagsela at aol.com]

Today, February 24, we heard and saw two nice-sized groups of Red Crossbills near the U of M Forestry Center just south of Cloquet in Carlton Cty.? Thanks to Sparky for posting these locations and for the secret to getting these lovely to come out of the shadows.? At the second stand of Red Pines we encountered (1.0 mile south of the entrance to the Forestry Center on Cty. 5), I pished loudly into the silence and a pair of Red Crossbills came to the road and teed up for us.? They were joined? by at least 10-20 more, both seen and/or heard.? We repeated the scene at the visitors parking lot of the Forestry Center itself.

Alyssa and I continued on to Sax Zim where we saw most of what's been consistently seen:
Blue Spruce Rd. - Black-backed WPs, one male seen and two or three more heard
??? ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  - Boreal Chickadee at Derek's feeders
??? ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  - 1 Hoary Redpoll at Derek's feeders, not the 'classic' male, but the pure white undertail coverts were ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? clearly visible and in good light
??? ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  ??  - 4 Evening Grosbeaks
McDavitt Rd. - At the deer carcass at least two Boreal Chickadees and one 3-toed Woodpecker (female)

Snow Buntings - a flock of 40 just north of Arkola on Hwy 7.

We made a brief pass at the Northern Hawk Owl but did not see it.? We heard from another birder (they were scarce today!) that the hawk owl had been seen earlier in the day.

Linda Sparling

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