The White-winged Crossbill nest found during nest-building on February 15 in Two Harbors is still active. The three young are now about 14 days old and they look almost fully grown.
I found another nest this morning about 5 miles north of Two Harbors in an open stand of young white spruce and pines. The nest is about 12 feet up in a 25-foot tall white spruce, right against the trunk. The female was brooding three young that appeared to be 3-4 days old (small, with eyes still closed). Both adults made trips to the nest. I encourage anyone who is out birding in northeast Minnesota to spend some time following White-winged Crossbills. With the huge spruce cone crop and all the crossbills around, this a great time to add to the scant nesting data from Minnesota. Jim Lind Two Harbors
