Since my wife and I are both from the Angora area of the Iron Range (St. Louis Co.), we 
spend our holidays driving back and forth between both sets of parents' houses going 
through a black spruce bog.  Yesterday in doing so I stumbled upon a lone, male Spruce 
Grouse - the last time I saw one in this area was about 15 years ago.  A picture and 
exact location of the grouse can be seen on my eBird checklist: 

http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S21090431

Also of note is that about 2 miles south of this location, there are open, agricultural areas 
where I found two Black-billed Magpies this morning. I discovered my first one ever for 
that area last month when I was home for Thanksgiving. This trip, as well as the last, 
produced Rough-legged Hawk each time too in this area.

Another important note is that this past June, Sparky Stensaas discovered a Great Gray 
Owl in this location as well as another on nearby Heino Rd. (Heino and Samuelson 
intersection).  I am fairly certain that yesterday evening I saw the second GGOW flying 
from Heino Road and into this bog - the raptor was quite large, brownish/grayish, with 
slow wingbeats as it disappeared into darkness of the dense spruce trees. Sparky 
Stensaas had also found a Black-backed Woodpecker in this same location last summer.

On Monday in Bear River, MN I observed 10 Evening Grosbeaks coming to my wife's 
grandmother's bird feeders.  Unfortunately I can't give the exact location, but the 
intersection of Co. Rds 5 and 22 will put you in the vicinity.

Good birding!

Josh Wallestad - Kandiyohi Co. but home on 'da Range for Christmas

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