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John Latimer's Phenology Report for Solstice of 2021: December 21st

Grand  Rapids Christmas Bird Count

In this 12/21/21 edition of the Phenology Report John Latimer talks weird weather, Christmas Bird Countsand more!

Here's the results of the bird count by John Latimer, Henry and Aaron Brown and Heidi Holtan

Here are the CBC tallies from our count in Sector 4 on Sunday, Dec. 19.

Counters: John Latimer, Henry Brown, Aaron Brown, Heidi Holtan

Start time 8 a.m. End time 11 a.m. (3 hours)

Walk miles: 1.25 (1.25 hours)

Drive miles 42 (1.75 hours) Mileage is combined. We spent about 1 hour in two cars to cover more ground )

We saw 16 species, 15 of which we properly identified.

Trumpeter Swan - 43

Mallard - 3

Unidentified Ducks (dark with white feathers on wings as they flew away) - 2
After checking my bird books and thinking about the ducks I believe that they were common Goldeneye. They would be the most likely species, and there backs as depicted in the Crossley ID guide seem to be a good fit as I recalled them - John Latimer

Ruffed Grouse - 1

Bald Eagle - 2

Red-bellied woodpecker - 1

Downy woodpecker - 1

Hairy woodpecker - 2

Blue Jay - 7

American Crow - 3

Common Raven - 15

Black-capped chickadees - 44

Red-breasted nuthatch - 2

White-breasted nuthatch - 3

Pine grosbeak - 32

Common redpoll - 26

As a mail carrier in rural Grand Rapids, Minn., for 35 years, John Latimer put his own stamp on a career that delivered more than letters. Indeed, while driving the hundred-mile round-trip daily route, he passed the time by observing and recording seasonal changes in nature, learning everything he could about the area’s weather, plants and animals, and becoming the go-to guy who could answer customers’ questions about what they were seeing in the environment.