Set a new personal record this morning - or perhaps an anti-record: One species identified during a birding hike (7:50 to 8:40 AM). Previous low was four, set on a few occasions (although a six spot in two hours along the Cleveland downtown lakeshore years ago also sticks in my memory).
Walked Mahnomen Trail, Sherburne Refuge - twice heard fly over A. Goldfinches - and nothing else. There was a possible Great Horned in the distance, but the audio sample was too small to exclude other "hooters". Imagine - no chickadees, no woodpeckers, no other finches, not a crow, winter sparrow, nuthatch - nada. Hopefully such "luck" is completely out of my system. And that it's not a sign of winter birding in the area. Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties
