Red-headed Woodpeckers in January! and other good birds.  Above is the bird that was on our Christmas Bird Count and was still present January 20th. at the Jados feeder and woods.  A big surprise was after seeing this bird my brother-in-law and I found another (or 2?) at Suicide Bend along the Big Manistee River near the Tippy Dam.  Other good birds found lately are a lingering Merlin (also seen on the CBC) at both Bar Lake and at the Audubon Center by Shelly Green and Rich Kreiger.  Linda Scribner had a one day wonder Red Crossbill at her feeders and the Lesser Black-backed Gull has been making sporadic appearances at the boat ramp at First St.  Occasional small flocks of Pine Grosbeaks and Bohemian Waxwings are still being found at areas with viburnum fruits (all the other fruits are gone) most recently on Cedar Rd. and at the end of Merkey Rd.  The best bird of which I had the pleasure of missing again was the Short-eared Owl found by Carl Freeman at the conservancy grassland on Keilor Rd. north of Bear Lake on January 20th.  Good birding despite the weather!

Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull First St.