Both the Long Prairie and Philbrook CBCs were conducted on January 1st. Both of the circles are located within Todd County. The preliminary results are in, and Long Prairie ended up with 40 species on count day, which I believe is one behind the record for the count. Three other species were seen on count week(Sharp-shinned Hawk, Lapland Longspur, and American Kestrel) for a very good total of 43 for our area. Also, a possible Harris' Sparrow was reported, but not confirmed as of yet. Highlights included the possible Harris' Sparrow, also Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Flicker, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, American Robin, Mallard (only one stream for open water), and Belted Kingfisher.
The Philbrook CBC, now in only its third year set a record for number of species this year. There was a total of 31 species found, which exceeded our expectations. There were many firsts for the count, including Northern Cardinal, Northern Goshawk, Lapland Longspur, Great-horned Owl, and Great Blue Heron. The Heron was found by Herb Dingman flying along an open ditch of water. Also of note were Bohemian Waxwing, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Common Raven. All in all a great day to be out counting birds. Ben Fritchman Long Prairie, Minnesota
