Around 4:00 this afternoon I found a flock of about 15 Red Crossbills feeding on cones among the spruce and pine trees on campus here at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. I first saw the flock fly, and immediately I heard the "jip jip" calls that I have heard up north. I followed the flock to its next stop, and had decent views of the birds feeding. I know there have been a few reports of this species south of Duluth already, but I don't know if any have been seen south of the Twins Cities yet. Pretty cool...can't recall a Red Crossbill invasion in southern MN in recent years.
Hmm. With a Bohemian Waxwing yesterday and Red Crossbills today, it's beginning to feel a bit like northern Minnesota down here... Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County
