Noted local outdoor photographer David Johnson captured this barred owl closing in on a meal. Barred owls resemble great horned owls in appearance but are smaller. They are one of 10 different types of owls that live or visit northern Minnesota. Photo courtesy of David Johnson
Warm temperatures brought out the bird counters, but as for spotting a wide variety of birds, preliminary numbers show the Audubon Christmas bird count (CBC) was down this year when compared to most years.
All told 37 species were spotted on the count day, and with the count week not quite completed three more species were added.
“We’ve had over 1,600 individual birds, which is a decent amount,” said CBC organizer Jeremy Ridlbauer.
According to Ridlbauer the results released were preliminary.
For those who took part, “We had an okay day of birding, and the temperatures were mostly above freezing, so it made for a comfortable count,” said Ridlbauer, adding, “Not a huge number of birds around and seen, so count numbers are low.”
Saturday, December 15 was the big count day. The count week ran from December 14 to December 20. Nationally, this is Audubon’s 119th Christmas bird count and it is the nation’s longest-running community bird project.
And although the numbers were a bit low, Ridlbauer said some unusual species were recorded.
“We did have a black-billed magpie and a Carolina wren on the count this year for unusual species, so you never know what you’ll see!”
In Cook County, birders counted in a 7.5-mile radius circle from a point three miles south of the middle of Devil Track Lake. The count circle covered Highway 61 to Lindskog Road and north, some of County Road 60, Gunflint Trail to the landfill road, Pine Mountain Road to the backside of Elbow Lake, Devil Track Road to Bally Creek Road, Ball Club Road to the Grade, Pike Lake Road, and Highway 61 west to Cascade Lodge, and all of the lakeshore between Lindskog Road and Cascade Lodge.
There was still time for birders to add to the total when this information was gathered, so more species might have been found.
Ridlbauer thanked Voyageur Brewing for providing a place for the birders to meet at the end of the count day.
Birds
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Rock Pigeon
Pine Siskin
Downy Woodpecker
Bohemian Waxwing
Common Raven
Blue Jay
Common Redpoll
American Crow
Pine Grosbeak
White-breasted Nuthatch
Hairy Woodpecker
Herring Gull
Dark-eyed Junco
Pileated Woodpecker
Common Goldeneye
Ruffed Grouse
American Goldfinch
European Starling
Canada Goose
Northern Cardinal
Bald Eagle
Gray Jay
Long-tailed Duck
White-winged Crossbill
Song Sparrow
American Robin
Brown Creeper
Sharp-Shinned Hawk
Black-backed Woodpecker
Black-Billed Magpie
Fox Sparrow
Northern Shrike
Red-Necked Grebe
Red-Tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Carolina Wren *
Barred Owl *
Lesser Scaup *
* Seen only for count week
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