Chippewa County birding

[Edwin Smith]

Over the New Year's Day holiday Patti and Jerry Calvert and I birded  
the Soo and surrounding areas.  Interesting sightings included:
Sharp-tailed Grouse - small flocks at 9 Mile and Nicolet, and at a  
house on 10 Mile just west of Riverside
Rough-legged Hawks - fairly common throughout
Snowy Owls - 2 along Centerline Rd in Rudyard flats
Northern Shrikes - various locations including Centerline and M48  
(north), 12 Mile just west of Scenic Drive, 13 Mile just east of  
Riverside and 22 Mile east of Riverside
Gray Jays - 3 on Basnau Rd in Hulbert Bog 1/2 mile from the west end  
(where we had hung a suet bag earlier)
Snow Buntings - flocks along Riverside at 22 Mile and on Ranger Rd  
(out of Raco) 1/4 mile south of Lakeshore Drive
Pine Grosbeaks - small groups several places along Riverside at or  
near the intersections of 14 Mile, 16 Mile and 18Mile (1/4 mile north  
at 17850 Riverside)
Purple Finches - at various feeders including those at Dunbar
Common Redpolls - numerous flocks throughout, often on the road
Siskens - at 324 Lake Shore in the Soo (Shallows)
Evening Grosbeaks - a flock just north of the Bear Butt Inn at  
Eckerman and several at feeders on Ranger Rd 1.4 miles south of  
Lakeshore Drive (along with Pine Grosbeaks and Purple Finches).

Ed Smith