-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *February 12, 2009 *MNST0902.12 -Birds mentioned Spruce Grouse Townsend's Solitaire Varied Thrush White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll Pine Siskin American Goldfinch -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: February 12, 2009 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel ([log in to unmask]) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, February 12th 2009. In Pine County, a male VARIED THRUSH has been at the feeders of Ron and Cheryl Lachelt since February 1st. Their cabin is located between Sturgeon Lake and Willow River, along on Minimum Maintenance Forest Service Road 340-E, seven-tenths of a mile south of Dago Lake Road. Another VARIED THRUSH has been in St. Paul since the 6th at the northwest corner of the intersection of Merrill and Ramsey County Road C2. On the 8th, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was found in Brown County in a stand of junipers at the Bashaw WMA, which is a few miles northwest of Comfrey. On the 7th, several SPRUCE GROUSE were along Lake County Road 2 at various spots between the School of Log Building and state highway 1. It has been a good year for winter finches throughout the state with many reports of an abundance of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, PINE SISKINS, COMMON REDPOLLS, and a few HOARY REDPOLLS. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, February 19th 2009.