Sax-Zim CBC The 31st Sax-Zim Christmas Bird Count was held on Monday December 19. Temps started at 1 degree with below zero windchills and warmed to 24 degrees by 1pm when we wrapped it up. Windy conditions prevailed during the day. Six to 10 inches of snow on the ground.
Highlights included a Great Gray Owl calling at dawn along McDavitt Road bog, 3 Sharp-tailed Grouse at the feeder along CR29 (first farmhouse south of Correction Line Road on east side), Barred Owl squeeked out of the woods near Cotton and watched for 10 minutes, Black-backed Woodpecker along the ditch going north from the Welcome Center, 3 Goshawks, 2 Boreal Chickadees at the Admiral Road feeders, 32 Purple Finches at Loretta’s feeders, and good numbers of Pine Grosbeaks and White-winged Crossbills. Misses included Evening Grosbeak (Mary Lou’s feeders are not in the circle :( ), Rough-legged Hawk (absent in the Bog but plentiful just to our south in Aitkin County), Snow Bunting, Northern Hawk Owl (only brief sightings this year…none sticking). Bald Eagle—10 (9 adults, 1 imm) Northern Goshawk—3 (2 adults, 1 imm) Ruffed Grouse—25 Wild Turkey—2 Sharp-tailed Grouse—3 Rock Pigeon—21 Barred Owl —1 Great Gray Owl —1 Downy Woodpecker —11 Hairy Woodpecker —14 Black-backed Woodpecker —1 Pileated Woodpecker —5 Gray Jay —10 Blue Jay —54 Black-billed Magpie —6 American Crow —49 Common Raven —81 Black-capped Chickadee —384 Boreal Chickadee —3 Red-breasted Nuthatch —46 White-breasted Nuthatch —5 Northern Shrike —7 European Starling —66 Pine Grosbeak —62 Red Crossbill —2 White-winged Crossbill —66 Common Redpoll —58 Pine Siskin —3 Purple Finch —39 American Goldfinch —32 House Sparow —20 Thanks to Sparky Stensaas, Sandy Roggenkamp, Sarah Beaster, Clinton Nienhaus, Kim Eckert, Frank Nicoletti, Bill Tefft, Susan Meisner, Dave and Pam Benson, Lars Benson, Lori Williams, Tony Hertzel. Sparky Stensaas 2515 Garthus Road Wrenshall MN 55797 218.341.3350 sparkystens...@hotmail.com www.ThePhotoNaturalist.com www.KollathStensaas.com www.SaxZim.org ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
