The Pine County CBC was done on December 28th, 2005, on icy roads and = temps in the twenties. 33 species were seen. The top ten by quantity = were: 1. Common Redpoll - 383 2. Black-capped Chickadee - 284 3. European Starling - 218 4. Evening Grosbeak - 212 5. Blue Jay - 122 6. Rock Pigeon - 108 7. American Crow - 80 8. Pine Siskin - 71 9. House Sparrow - 68 10. American Goldfinch - 55
The mixed habitat in Pine County gives rise to great diversity, where = true boreal forest and bogs exist in the same areas as agricultural = farms and small towns. Redpolls were staged up in large flocks in = speckled alder and willow swampy brushy areas. Evening and Pine = grosbeaks were numerous at most feeder arrays, as were Pine Siskins and = Purple Finches. Downy Woodpeckers were very hard to find this year, as = were Snow Buntings. No Crossbills seen, but inspections of local = conifers showed no cones of any kind. A Boreal Chickadee was called in = by Kim Risen on Jean Duluth Road; =BD mile north of County Line Road = (County Hwy 10) that separates Carlton and Pine Counties. Jean Duluth is = the first road to the north as you head on County Line Road (County Hwy = 10) west from State Hwy 23 from the town of Nickerson. A Black-backed = Woodpecker was found foraging in a stand of Red Pine further west along = County Line Road, Between Pine County Rd 48 and Pine County Rd 49. The = orange glow of freshly gleaned Red Pines was called to our attention by = Cyndi Risen; these Pines are immediately adjacent to the roadway on the = Carlton County side. Another feeding area was found another mile west. = Why on the Carlton side and not the Pine County side? Perhaps one county = sprays and the other doesn't? I don't know, but it intrigues me to = think about it. Steve Johnson led a group to the Nickerson Bog and was = treated to clear views of a large Timber Wolf. This is some wild = country. No northern owls seen, but many hours logged and the locals = were as welcoming and as pleasant as ever. 33 birds seen, with a new = species added - Northern Cardinal, seen in Bruno at a feeder. Evening = Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, and Red-breasted Nuthatches all were counted in = record numbers. 5 Golden Crowned Kinglets were a good find as well. I = was concerned the early cold snap we had may have caused these = insectivorous northerners to move south. We have only had them in one = other winter, in 2003. Mark Alt Brooklyn Center Hennepin County
