[mou-net] Birding about the metro
On Thursday I swung by Purgatory Creek and easily found the two Snowy Egrets. Also there were a Bald Eagle, a fishing Osprey, Marsh Wren, and at least two Caspian Terns. But, the fish stole the show. The carp were running upstream to spawn. Lines of hugh carp, many about two feet long, were swimming under the bridge through water that was less than six inches deep. Under the bridge was a small pool where they congregated. Every few minutes I could hear a fish jump out of the water in an attempt to clear the two foot high dam, that in high water is completely submerged. I do not think that many were successful. Today (Sunday) I visited a small pond on private land south of Farmington and found that shorebird migration has already begun. Besides the resident Killdeer and Spotted Sandpiper, I found a Lesser Yellowlegs and several Least Sandpipers. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN swest...@comcast.net Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Hooded Merg - MVNWR
This morning an immature Hooded Merganser was at the bottom pond at the Bass Ponds. Northern Rough-winged Swallows were in numbers at the Hogback Pond overflow. I presume they were migrants. The underside of the Highway 77 bridge looks like a beehive with all the Cliff Swallow that are starting to fledge. The pipes and ledges are lined with the young sitting there ready to head south in a day or two. Bruce Baer Bloomington, MN Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Informatin requested
GREETINGS: WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE MOUCOMMITTEE? REV. FOREST STRNAD FARIBAULT, MN. Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] INFORMATIION REQUESTED
GREETINGS: WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE MOURCOMMITTEE? REV. FOREST V. STRNAD FARIBAULT, MN. Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Birds Maintain Forests by Inhibiting Seed Predators - Science article
I'd be interested in knowing of similar research in No. American forests: Article abstract: Of fundamental interest in conservation ecology are the regulatory mechanisms that maintain communities. We document a mechanism that maintains forests in the Serengeti ecosystem, Tanzania, and the destabilization when disturbance opens forest canopy. Forest birds, by consuming seeds, protected them from beetle attack. Consumption increased the germination rate and the density of seedlings and recruits, which was sufficient to maintain the forest. Opening of the canopy resulted in loss of birds, increased beetle attack, and loss of germination. Thus, frugivorous birds are necessary for the maintenance of forests. Their absence could have resulted in the observed forest decline since 1966. Gregory J. Sharam, A. R. E. Sinclair, Roy Turkington* Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada. Science 3 July 2009: Vol. 325. no. 5936, p. 51 http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/325/5936/51 -- Claudia Egelhoff Minneapolis, MN Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] odd chickadee photos
About 20 years ago in Aberdeen, SD, I banded a Black-capped Chickadee like you described. I recaptured it numerous times that fall, and it molted from an odd brown-color into a normal adult plumage. You can see two photos of this bird at: http://picasaweb.google.com/danerika/Titmice dan -- Dan or Erika Tallman Northfield, Minnesota http://danerika.googlepages.com/home http://picasaweb.google.com/danerika daner...@gmail.com the best shod travel with wet feet Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes --Thoreau Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Minn checklist changes
The 50th supplement to the AOU Check-list was recently published, and here's my understanding of the changes affecting the Minnesota field checklists and the new 2009 MOURC checklist: COMMON NAME - change Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow to Nelson's Sparrow CHECKLIST SEQUENCE - move Northern Bobwhite (and the Family Odontophoridae) before Gray Partridge (and the Family Phasianidae) - move the three tanagers before Northern Cardinal at beginning of the Family Cardinalidae; there are now no Minnesota species in the Family Thraupidae SCIENTIFIC NAME CHANGES - Boreal Chickadee becomes Poecile hudsonicus - Common Redpoll becomes Acanthis flammea - Hoary Redpoll becomes Acanthis hornemanni - Pine Siskin becomes Spinus pinus - American Goldfinch becomes Spinus tristis Please be sure to comment on mou-net if anyone has any corrections or additions to this summary. Kim Eckert Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] First juevnal Hummingbird
Tonight I noticed my first juvenal Ruby-throated Hummingbird at the feeder. I was actually checking out my peanut feeder also that has NO red or other bright color on it.. Andrew.. I'm in need of a job!! Please see http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewlongtin Thank you.. -- Andrew Longtin Corcoran (Hennepin Co.) Minnesota See my WEB pages at: www.birderguy.com Email: birder...@comcast.net Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Supporter http://www.hawkridge.org Minnesota Ornithologists' Union Member http://www.moumn.org Hawk Migration Association of North America (HMANA) Member http://www.hmana.org Cornell Lab Member (PFW) http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Afton Summer Tanager Refound
I found the Summer Tanager singing this morning at the same time and place described by Joel Claus below. I recorded the song, and loaded an excerpt into the Audio Gallery on the MOU web site. In more than an hour of searching for the bird, which was singing almost constantly in the nearby tree tops, I was only able to get a brief glimpse of it as it flew out of a tree. For much of that time, Larry and Yoli Sirvio joined me in the futile attempt to see the bird. It moved frequently over a pretty wide area. At 10:00, it went silent, and I didn't hear it again before I left at 10:30. I have to say that if I had just been walking along that trail without prior knowledge of the Summer Tanager's occurrence there, I might well have assumed that the song was that of an American Robin. The voices and song patterns of those two species are very, very similar (but different). And there's not a lot of difference between Summer and Scarlet Tanager songs. A tip of the birding cap to Liz Harper for discovering this bird. Julian St. Paul -- From: Joel Claus jclau...@msn.com Date: Sunday, July 12, 2009 9:30 PM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: [mou-net] Afton Summer Tanager Refound I was able to relocate the first year male Summer Tanager reported by Liz Harper about 7:15 this morning. I found the bird singing along the west side of the Africa Loop of Trailrun race course well north of the junction with the Back40 Loop and was able to watch it for about five minutes before it moved west. It was maybe 75 yards south of where the ski trail goes north from the race course at the north west corner of the Africa Loop in the link below. Cool looking bird with a rose red head and upper breast and yellowish belly. I also counted three singing Henslow's sparrows on the walk in from the horse trail gate at the north end of the park (take 50th street east of CR21 and watch for the gate on the right). http://www.aftontrailrun.com/PDF_Files/course_map/2008_Afton_Map_Web.pdf Thanks for posting this bird Liz! Joel Claus Eden Prairie Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:22:03 -0500 From: harp0...@tc.umn.edu Subject: [mou-net] Possible 1st spring Summer Tanager at Afton State Park To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU I was out at Afton State Park today and heard and saw what I believe to be a 1st spring Summer Tanager. Unfortunately, I was out running, not birding. Is there anyone that frequently birds Afton that can check on this?? I was following the Afton trail race course (see link below) and the bird was singing away just off of the trail west of where the course rejoins the Africa loop after the Back 40 loop. http://www.aftontrailrun.com/PDF_Files/course_map/2008_Afton_Map_Web.pdf Thanks. While you are out there, stop by and see (well, listen to) the Henslow's Sparrows along the top of the Africa loop (usually hear 2-3 calling). Liz Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] public thanks
On the off-chance that certain Good Samaritans are also birders on these list-serves, I need to offer public thanks to the cyclists and pedestrian (I think) who helped me rescue a young peregrine falcon beneath the High Bridge in St. Paul last evening. The bird having stranded herself on that piling in the river made it nerve-wracking to ponder the possible outcomes, and I'm grateful you stuck with me on strategy. It could not have been done without your assistance. Mark Duchowski (please forgive me the butchering of your last name), I hope you received the phone message that tells you how to inquire about the bird's status. If you are not one of these good folk, please excuse this post. Just be grateful there are wonderful citizens out there who may not be birders per se, but care about their fellow creatures, regardless. Linda Whyte Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
