[mou] Boat Trip Update / Park Pt.
Hello: The Lake Superior Boat trip that is scheduled for this Saturday is filling up fast.? I currently have 23 birders signed up?as of today and I only have 7 spots left.? So if you are on the fence about signing up, please try to make a decison by?Thursday night - Thanks. I?got a?message from Kim Risen who?left a message on my?cell phone that a Hooded Warbler was found in the vicinity of the play ground area at Park Pt..? The playground is located in the park?right?on the left hand side or across from the large parking lot. The warbler was seen by Kim and Cindy Risen. Some local news: For those birders live outside of the Duluth area there?might be some dramatic changes in the near or distant future?to Park Point.? The Duluth City Council have approve of rezoning nearly 400 feet of city land to residential zoning. Which means developers can now make offers to purchase 4 lots (?)? 2 lots on the north and 2 lots?to the south of the two homes that are currently in the park.? ? Some of the best birding during migration at Park Point has always been between the bus turn around and the bath house in Park Pt. and now nearly 400 feet of woods are now up for sale to potential buyers.? Hopefully the DNR or some environmental organization will purchase the lots and protect these lots from developers.? Duluth is in some serious financial issues and the sale of these lots are suppose to help with our 6 million deficit we are currently in. ? Also those that use to?visit & bird?the Lakewood pumping station ( along the northshore ) to watch fall migration can no longer roam this property!? The property is now surrounded by a 8 foot chain link security fence.? Back?in the good ole days birders could hike up the mound and watch birds by the thousand fly by.? This was place where the northshore count ( back in the 1980's) was located and where I counted 10,000 nighthawks fly by one evening with the help of Kim Eckert.?As I get the older, Duluth is ever changing.?Many birding locations in Duluth?are?either being developed or wrapped?in security fence or guards these days. Mike Hendrickson Duluth? Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/7ab929d8/attachment.html
[mou] Sleepy Eye Sabine's still present
The Sabine's Gull at the Sleepy Eye sewage ponds was still present at 3:45 this afternoon. It showed no signs of leaving any time soon, spending almost all of its time sitting on the grassy median between the two ponds. It flew only twice, both times briefly, and only when disturbed by crows. Also present: Red-necked Grebe Mallard Blue-winged Teal Redhead Ruddy Duck Black-bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs Distant Unidentified Peeps (two sizes distinguished, likely representing Semipalmated/Baird's and Least) Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope _ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn ?10 hidden secrets? from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/d7a41612/attachment.html
[mou] Coots/Douglas County
There is a truly impressive array of American Coots on Christina Lake (in the extreme northwest corner of Douglas County). Yesterday, as part of the MRV Birding Day, we (very roughly) estimated there were at least 20,000 coots there. That number is probably conservative. They were stretched all across the lake rather than in smaller, tighter rafts. Because the day was so calm, we could hear a constant undercurrent of sounds from them -- grunts, squeaks, tones. Most entertaining! Lake Christina is located about 5 miles northeast of the town of Ashby along Hwy 78. A Nature Conservancy pull-off at the base of the Seven Sisters Preserve is a perfect parking place just across the road from the lake. Another highlight was a sweeping fly-by of 50 Common Nighthawks while we ate lunch on Inspiration Peak in adjoining Otter Tail Co. --- Dan & Sandy Thimgan Battle Lake MN Otter Tail County -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/b6f81629/attachment.html
[mou] thanks for the advice to the visiting birder
I'm the one from CO that posted for advice last week. I was very pleased with the response and got some great help. I ended up with an hour at the Wilke Unit of the NWR. Though I did not find any northern midwest specialties that I was hoping for, still I had the best view of a Merlin that could be dreamed of! It stayed perched on a branch just of the trail only about 15' above ground while I gawked. It clearly was working up it's appetite and deciding if it wanted goldfinch or downy woodpecker for breakfast. Of course in general I was gawking at all the swampy areas your state has. If you're ever in CO, post to co-birds and I'm sure we will recipricate! -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/be6860e0/attachment.html
[mou] Sabine's Gull Lake Bemidji, Beltrami County
On Saturday morning September 13, 2008 about 9:45 a.m. I observed a Sabine's Gull out over the north basin of Lake Bemidji from Cameron Park just north of Bemidji State University which park is located at 25th Ave. No. off Birchmont Dr. NE. The bird had the classic three colored wing pattern with inky black primaries, white on the center trailing edge, and gray on the inner wing in seemingly roughly equal proportions. The bird was soaring over the central part of the lake and not associating with the many Bonaparte's and Ring-billed Gulls. Viewing conditions are excellent with little wind and gray skies making the light conditions for excellent observation. The Sabine's Gull was doing far more active and graceful than the other gulls. I did not get much of a direct size comparison and the distance made it hard to judge the size relative to the many other gulls out over the lake. Doug Johnson 7300 Vireo Ct. NE Bemidji, MN 56601 -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/d6a57246/attachment-0001.html
[mou] Brown Co. Sabine's Gull Update
One final update on the Sabine's Gull at the Sleepy Eye sewage ponds. I went back to check on it at 9:00 a.m. & was unable to see it on either of the two ponds from the front entrance. I began walking down the road that runs due east from the entrance and found the Sabine's hunkered down in the grass about 200 yards down the road. Thought birders would want to know if they should stop by looking for it & didn't see it on the water. Brian Smith -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/f327da17/attachment.html
[mou] 23 warbler species at Duluth, 9/12/2008
Hello: ?Thought it would be of interest that yesterday, September 12th, we had so many warblers in our backyard here in Austin, Mn, we couldn't begin to count them all. ?There were around 20 in our pond stream bathing at once. ?They flew all over the wooded backyard, almost like in a frenzy. ?Were able to identify Nashville, Tennessee, Blackburnian, Am Redstart and a beautiful male Golden-Winged. ?Also several Red-Eyed Vireos. ?This was our third warbler wave this fall, one in August and the second one for September. This one was the largest. ?Its interesting that while Duluth is full of warblers, 240 miles to the south we are too. ? ?Robert and Valerie Jessen, ?Austin, MN -Original Message- From: Peder Svingen To: MOU List Sent: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:47 pm Subject: [mou] 23 warbler species at Duluth, 9/12/2008 Friday (12 September) was my best warbler day so far this fall in Duluth. A total of 253 individuals of 23 species was counted (did not see Golden-winged, Black-throated Blue, or Connecticut warblers). Except for an Orange-crowned Warbler at Indian Point, and a Northern Waterthrush and Mourning Warbler at 40th Ave West, all of the warbler species were found on Park Point between the bus turnaround and the Beach House at the Recreation Area. Also seen were 5 species of vireo and dozens of Chipping and White-throated sparrows. 33 Tennessee Warbler 1 Orange-crown ed Warbler 22 Nashville Warbler 2 Northern Parula 1 Yellow Warbler 12 Chestnut-sided Warbler 20 Magnolia Warbler 2 Cape May Warbler 14 Yellow-rumped Warbler 3 Black-throated Green Warbler 1 Blackburnian Warbler 1 Pine Warbler 44 Palm Warbler 6 Bay-breasted Warbler 11 Blackpoll Warbler 15 Black-and-white Warbler 45 American Redstart 5 Ovenbird 1 Northern Waterthrush 1 Mourning Warbler 8 Common Yellowthroat 4 Wilson's Warbler 1 Canada Warbler -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. Mailing list membership available on-line at http://moumn.org/subscribe.html. - To unsubscribe send a blank email to mou-net-request at moumn.org with a subject of unsubscribe. -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/6bb0ed72/attachment.html
[mou] Brown County Sabine's Gull
Hello: The juvenile Sabine's Gull was still present at the Sleepy Eye sewage ponds this morning at 7:00 a.m. It was loafing ~ 100 yards out on the NW pond. It was raining moderately heavy at the time, but the forecast says that the rain should let up by 1:00 p.m. I'm participating in an MBW group in Redwood County this afternoon, if anyone looks for it later today it would be nice to post about it's status. Brian Smith -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://moumn.org/pipermail/mou-net_moumn.org/attachments/20080913/f51503e0/attachment.html
[mou] Grand Marais: 2 BB Plovers, Palm warblers
On a quick walk around the Grand Marais harbor this evening, my husband Steve and I found two Black-Bellied Plovers alongside the harbor, across from the Hanson Inn on Wisconsin St. (near the column with the bear on top.) They were very skittish but did not fly off. We also saw a half -dozen Palm Warblers in the shrubs near eastern side of the Coast Guard Station. I am still dizzy from watching those bobbing tails! Also seen, one Red-Necked Grebe off Artist's Point. Jeanne Tanamachi Lauderdale MN
