Anybody else seeing these in the Northern MN area?

[wannafish2]

I'm just curious, but I have been seeing these Magpie more and more. In the hunting forums I seem to be the only one seeing them. How ofter do you bird watchers see them? Here's a link to a pic

http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/black_billed_magpie_1.htm

[finnbay]

They are seen occasionally. There are a few that hang around the Sax-Zim Bog. I'm sure other places as well.

[Jim Almquist]

The bog is the closest place that I have see them but when we went to the Northwest angle fishing we did see a few there as well but that was in Canada.

[mnfishingal]

I was just asking family and friends about these birds as I saw a few on my drive from Fargo to visit family in Crookston. My dad says when they hunt north east of Crookston, they see many on the edge of the woods. They're actually pretty cool to see.

[mixxedbagg]

Wannafish2,

Anecdotally, I think magpie numbers are up quite a bit this year. I have personally seen them in areas of Itasca and St. Louis counties this year where I have never seen them before and people in the area have mentioned seeing them far more than usual this year. I think your opportunities for seeing magpies are increasing, but I'm not sure why--I wonder if the increasing number of wolves (they are like crows and eat a wide vareity of foods including animal remains) is a factor. They also eat a berries and rodents, both of which were incredibly abundant this breeding season...perhaps magpies were just very, very successful nesters this year? Neat bird.

[tacklejunkie]

See quite a few of them as you drive along the Rainy River to LOTW

[JayinMN]

They are residents of the Sax-Zim bog, but this year I have been seeing them a lot of places outside of the bog that I haven't seen them before. It does seem they may be expanding their range. The magpies in this area are very skittish and I have yet to get a decent picture of one. I have talked to others while birding that say they are very bold in other areas and will steal camp food from you. If a person were looking for them I would recommend Sax Road in Zim. I often see them by the couple of farms there eating grain from manure and stealing dog food. The farms around Meadowlands are a good place too. They prefer more open scrub type places.

[Steve Foss]

They are considered complete pests out west in cow country, but I've always liked them. They'd hop around all over our yard and wiggle through a crack in the shed door to steal dry dog food when we lived high up in Colorado, and we saw them all over in N.D. when we lived there.

Seeing them in the Bog since moving to NE Minn always brings back fond memories for me. I've also been seeing more of them this year than previously in this part of the country. Always a bit of a mystery when a species begins expanding range/numbers for no apparent reason. I'm sure I'll never know the "why" of it, but am happy for the fact of it.

[fry em up 2 day]

Yes they are a cool looking bird ,I have seen them as far south as Squaw lake, I believe they are a member of the Crow Family, they do act alot like them

[mixxedbagg]

I see them somewhat frequently in the CR 32 area near Squaw Lake.