The 2013 Grand Marais Audubon Christmas Bird Count was completed on Saturday, December 14. Pine grosbeaks are among the most plentiful birds seen in this year’s count.
Another Grand Marais Audubon Christmas Bird Count is complete, thanks to some dogged birders who did not let frigid temperatures and heavy precipitation stop them. Bird Count Compiler Jeremy Ridlbauer said the weather hindered the volunteers’ efforts somewhat as many birds were hunkered down in the chilly weather on Saturday, December 14. “But we did count our circle area of birds and had a respectable list,” said Ridlbauer.
Ridlbauer said there were 35 species on the count day, and 42 species so far on the count week in the circle area. The circle area is a 7.5-mile radius circle from a point 3 miles south of the middle of Devil Track Lake. The count circle covers Hwy. 61 to Lindskog Road and north, some of County Rd. 60, Gunflint Trail to the landfill road, Pine Mountain Road to the back side 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 Rd. and Cascade Lodge.
There were a few birds normally seen on count day missing from the list this year, however as the week progressed, bird watchers spotted a few of them. Birds seen a few days before and a few days after the actual bird count day are tallied as species seen in the “count week,” which was December 11 – 17 this year. Added at the last minute were a northern hawk owl, American robin and a fox sparrow. Not seen this year were the horned lark, spruce grouse, blackbacked woodpecker, brown creeper, pine siskin, red crossbill, whitewinged crossbill, as well as many ducks, owls and raptors.
Ridlbauer thanked the many bird feeder watchers and hikers. He added thanks to Blue Water Café for providing a meeting place at the end of the count day.
The 2013 Grand Marais Audubon Christmas Bird Count
(in order of abundance from Saturday)
Cedar Waxwing
Black-capped Chickadee
American Goldfinch
Bohemian Waxwing
Common Raven
Blue Jay
American Crow
Downy Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Evening Grosbeak
European Starling
Bald Eagle
Herring Gull
Rock Pigeon
Common Goldeneye
Hairy Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
Mallard
Purple Finch
Ruffed Grouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
House Sparrow
Red-breasted Merganser
Dark-eyed Junco
Northern Cardinal
Pileated Woodpecker
Snow Bunting
White-crowned Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Canada Goose
Cooper’s Hawk
Gray Jay
Harris’ Sparrow
Lesser Scaup
Song Sparrow
American Tree Sparrow
(count week only)
Common Redpoll
(count week only)
Northern Shrike
(count week only)
Long-tailed Duck
(count week only)
American Robin
(count week only)
Fox Sparrow
(count week only)
Northern Hawk Owl
(count week only)
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