There appears to be a minor White-wing Crossbill irruption occurring at least in Southwest MN. Not sure if the birds have been present all winter or are in the process of returning to Northern MN. The species has been seen in seven Southwest MN Counties over the past week or so and with the exception of Brown and Nobles Counties not in large numbers. In every case the species have been found feeding on the cones of White Spruce trees.
Dates & locations the species have recently been seen are as follows: 1. Redwood County Tuesday, 2012-03-06 seen by Ron Erpelding in Wabasso, MN @ 2:50 p.m., 4 birds ( 2 male & 2 female) seen behind the 571A & 571B Bottle Duplex on South Street 2. Lyon County Tuesday, 2012-03-06 seen by Ron Erpelding in Lynd, MN @ 12:40 p.m., 3 females, left side of 112 (small red house) on the west side of Redwood Street North 3. Yellow Medicine County Tuesday, 2012-03-06 seen by Ron Erpelding, @ 7:15 a.m., single female, in the Yellow Medicine Lutheran Cemetery East, adjacent to the east side of MN Hwy 23 as it curves around Hanley Falls, MN on the east side 4. Nobles County Seen in 3 locations on 3 dates in the county - 15 birds Originally found by Brian Smith on 2012-02-19 at Bella Lake Dam & Recreation area on the Iowa border, 12 birds seen on 2012-02-22, @ 9:25 a.m., at 31270 Paul Avenue - ¼ mile north of the Peterson WMA by Ron Erpelding and 3 birds seen on 2012-03-03 by Herb Dingmann & Ron Erpelding at the dog exercise park off of CR 59 on the extreme southern tip of Okabena Lake in Worthington, MN 5. Pipestone County Saturday, 2012-03-03 Seen by Herb Dingmann & Ron Erpelding @10:30 a.m., 4 birds (3 females & 1 male) seen in the Hillside Cemetery located on the south side of MN Hwy 268 on the west side of Edgerton, MN 6. Murray County Saturday, 2012-03-03 Seen by Herb Dingmann & Ron Erpelding @2:20 p.m., 4 birds ( 2 females & 2 males)seen at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery @ 852 190th Avenue (From US Hwy 59 between Slayton & Avoca, MN turn north on 190th Avenue) 7. Brown County 20-40 bird flock first seen by Brad Bolduan on 2012-1-22 and refound along with 3 Red Crossbills by Brian Smith at the adjacent New Ulm, MN Lutheran & Catholic Cemeteries, seen by many birders since that date- most recently on 2012-03-01 Ron Erpelding Kandiyohi County Willmar, MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
