Find the Circles in the Arrowhead

White-Winged Crossbill Female

Do you know if your county is in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota? If you live on or near the North Shore, then you certainly know that Cook County is at the tip of the “Arrow.”

South from there is Lake, St. Louis, and Carlton Counties. Then west and north from those St. Louis County continues. What about the next tier of counties going west?

How large is the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota?

You are in the Arrowhead, if you include Koochiching, Itasca, and Aitkin Counties. Arrowhead counties are connected in a variety of ways – geographically, biologically, culturally, economically, etc. Depending on which direction you live or travel, you will visit and be familiar with some more than others.

You can know doubt list many cities located in this larger version of the Arrowhead Region. At this time of year, the end of 2025 edges closer and finishes with the arrival of 2026. The markers are Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years Day and other calendar pinpoints on the two calendars.

At towns and cities on specific days in December and January, many people will be conducting the Christmas Bird Count in a 15-mile circle. Thirteen of those Count Circles have set their dates on the calendar across the Arrowhead Region, and each has a Coordinator/Compiler.

Each is named and can be located on the Minnesota Ornithologists website at www.moumn.org. When there, click Christmas Bird Counts and on the next screen, click on MN CBC Locations. Each of the circles located on the MN map can be clicked on to explore its CBC information. You will find 13 in the Arrowhead Region: Grand Marais, Two Harbors, Duluth, Carlton/Cloquet, Fredenberg, Isabella, Ely, Aurora, Virginia, Cook Area, Hibbing, Grand Rapids and Sax-Zim.

Look at the information about a circle. There will be a map you can enlarge and look at as an aerial photo.

Maybe you want to zoom in and find your home, your property, a place you visit, somewhere you would like to visit.

Birds often come up in discussions. People have experiences they want to share. Yesterday while on a visit to the Northwoods Solid Waste Transfer Station, Archie shared sightings while we watched chickadees, nuthatches, a downy woodpecker, and red squirrels at the feeders he maintains. He reported seeing what he thought was a cross between Franklin’s ground squirrel and a chipmunk. He shared its photo on his phone, and it was a common mammal farther south, but the first I have heard of in this area – a 13-lined ground squirrel.

Later, Sherry called with information from her neighbor from his grouse hunting this season. While cleaning both ruffed grouse and spruce grouse something resembling large flies came out of the feathers and went up under his sleeve.

He removed it and found it hard to smash. Later, I found several articles and research about grouse louse flies with a very interesting relationship and life cycle specifically connect to grouse.

Since the bear, raccoon and chipmunk seasons are ending, interest has turned to birds, bird feeders, bird feeding alternatives, and first and last sightings for late 2025. If you would like to join and contribute what can be learned about Arrowhead Region birds, share your interests with others.

Contact a CBC coordinator, join the Ely Field Naturalists Google group, learn more about the CBC, Feeder Watch, Great Backyard Bird Count, upcoming field trips or other upcoming opportunities. In Ely and other areas, people are locating circles. The solid waste station between Ely and Babbitt is in the Ely CBC circle.

Residents and families are looking at their calendars and possible places in a circle to be joining in the Ely CBC on Saturday, Dec.

27.

Contact efnbill@gmail. com to add your ELY CBC location to others on our count.