The New Year

2010 is off to a cold start, but the birding has been decent all the same. The Pillager CBC turned up some interesting species, including Cackling Goose, Rusty Blackbird, White-throated Sparrow, Northern Flicker, and Red-headed Woodpecker. The Walker CBC was a bit less productive, but we did find Bohemian Waxwings and a record high number of Brown Creepers. Thanks to everyone who participated and organized the Cass County CBCs this year. Of note in the past week is a cooperative Northern Hawk Owl along County Road 46, near the intersection with 20th ave. A photo of the bird, taken on 1/3, is posted below. Above is a photo of an Evening Grosbeak from 1/5. This bird is one of a small flock coming to feeders near Man Lake. Evening Grosbeaks can be devilishly hard to find in any given year, so we were particularly happy to see them. Good birding!

Winter Birding Begins

Open water is disappearing quickly in the county, with only a handful of the larger, deeper, lakes not iced over. Thousands of Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneyes have been present on Walker Bay (Leech Lake) and Gull Lake. Lingering birds such as Bonaparte's Gull, Canvasback, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Belted Kingfisher, American Kestrel, and Mourning Dove, are likely to leave as the water freezes and snow depth increases. A Bohemian Waxwing at Deep Portage was the first of this species seen in Cass since Nov. of 2008. Pictured below are a Rough-legged Hawk (seen near Swamp Lake on 12/6), and a Canvasback (near Walker on 12/5). Good birding!

September in Cass County

Water levels on Leech Lake are relatively low, making for decent shorebird habitat. Longville, Walker, and Cass Lake sewer ponds have been slow, as has the southern tier of the county. Most interesting was a Red Knot (pictured above left, with a Stilt Sandpiper) near Pelican Island on 9/6. This sighting may prove to be a first fall record for this species in Cass. Below are photos taken on 9/19 at Little Pelican Island. Good birding!

Sanderling

Ruddy Turnstone

Lapland Longspur

July in Cass County

Early migrants and baby birds are a good sign that July is well underway. It has been a cool and dry month so far, although 2 inches of rain on the 15th caught us up on the precip side of things. The youngster pictured above is a Spotted Sandpiper, seen at the Longville Sewer Ponds on the 6th. The photos below are of a LeConte's Sparrow from Walden Twp (7/3), and a Baird's Sandpiper (a common early migrant) at Sugar Point on Leech Lake (7/16). Good birding!

June in Cass County

Hot weather has finally arrived, and the mosquitoes are roaming free across the landscape. The birding in Cass has been typical of the summer season, with only a few unexpected finds. The Blue-winged Warbler pictured above was seen in Pine River on the 13th, and is apparently a second county record. Also, a Northern Mockingbird was seen briefly in Kego Twp on the 20th. The photos below, of Sedge Wren and Blue-headed Vireo, were both taken on the 25th along County Road 129. Also present along the same road were LeConte's Sparrow, Canada, Blackburnian, Mourning, Golden-winged, Nashville, Chestnut-sided, and Black-thoated Green Warblers, Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, and Winter Wren. Yellow Rails and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows have been present at Swamp Lake along MN 371. Good birding!

Mid-May in Cass County

This year's version of spring migration continues to roll along. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher seen on 5/18 was new for the Deep Portage reserve, and a bit unusual this far north. The photo above is of a gnatcatcher seen on 5/16 in Sylvan Township near Pillager, where they are more common. The American Redstart pictured below was also in Sylvan on 5/16. The black feathers near the eye let us know that it's a male bird in its first spring. Other birds seen around the county recently include Bay-breasted, Cape May, and Blackburnian Warblers, Hudsonion Godwit, Dunlin, Black-bellied Plover, and Scarlet Tanager. Good birding!

Early May in Cass County

Spring migration is progressing along nicely, although we're still waiting for the bulk of the songbird movement. Yellow-rumped, Pine, Orange-crowned, and Palm Warblers are becoming common, and Ovenbird, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white, and Nashville have been spotted as well. The Willet pictured below was present at Cat Lake on May 2nd. Purple Martins, also pictured below, have set up shop in Walker, and the Blue-winged Teal pictured above was in McKinley Twp, also on May 2nd. Good birding!