[mou-net] Birding Trail, Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds
Birding Trail will make history! An official agreement is underway between MN and Manitoba to dedicate North America’s first International Birding Trail. On Saturday, May 16 at 11:30 am, a presentation by Carrol Henderson, MN DNR and Glen Suggett, Manitoba Conservation, will highlight key species and sites along Minnesota and Manitoba’s Pine to Prairie International Birding Trail. You'll hear of key sites to see piping plovers, golden plovers, black-bellied plovers, long-billed Dowitchers, avocets and more. It takes place at the 12th annual Festival of Birds in Detroit Lakes, MN, held May 14-17. The festival will also feature a shorebird workshop by Doug Buri, shorebird conservation program and fieldtrips led by Bob Russell, hands on details of the MN Breeding Bird Atlas, a new fieldtrip to fresh wetland restorations lead by Richard Crossley, book signings by Richard Crossley and Carrol Henderson and more. We see nearly 200 species during the festival each year. More info and to register on-line go to http://www.visitdetroitlakes.com/things-to-do/events/festival-of-birds/ Early bird registration for the binocular drawing ends this Friday, April 24th. Kelly Blackledge Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge, USFWS PH 218/847-2641 x17 kelly_blackle...@fws.gov
[mou-net] Osprey 90th and Penn Hennepin county
This morning I saw an ospery with a fish vocalizing and at least 1, maybe 2 other osprey with it flying around the area. This was around 90th and Penn by the Bloomington High School stadium. If anyone notices osprey in this area (it is close to Penn Lake), please email me the location where the osprey was seen and what you saw. Thanks! dmgulbr...@earthlink.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] Phoebe in Normann Twp, St. Louis County
I say my first of the year Phoebe this morning in Normanna Twp, St. Louis County. The wood and chorus frogs are calling also. Molly Thompson Duluth, MN _ Windows Live™ Hotmail®:…more than just e-mail. http://windowslive.com/online/hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_more_042009 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] Good Thunder sewage ponds
Not a lot but I thought interesting. 1 Lesser Scaup with: 1 pair Bufflehead 1 pair and 6 drake Mallards 4 pair and 5 drake Shovellers 1 Lesser Yellowlegs FOY 4 Pied-Billed Grebes Yesterday visited Harlan Dobie who recently had heart bypass surgery to pass on my experience with same. He and his wife Cheryl have a beautiful home on the northeast bay of Lura Lake south of Mapleton. While there saw a mass of coots form out in the lake and he related often seeing that behavior if eagles appeared. We didn't see one, he said there s a nesting pair nearby and often sees them fishing near his dock and has had them come up and eat on his driveway. Also while there at least 50 pelicans and then a like number of Cormorants joined them. I am very envious. John Nelson Good Thunder 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 warbler? bird
Sitting at my office window looking at the many Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Yellow-Rumps, nuthatches and others - when a bird I first took as a kinglet landed on a branch not 10 feet from me. Several chickadees were at the feeder but this bird was not interested in seed. It was much calmer than a kinglet and with its back to me, it seemed less greenish as it was grayish and uniformly so - no chevrons or marks on the wing. It hop turned to face me and its belly and flanks were pale yellow - clearly yellow. It was yellow on the breast also and there was a faint necklace of broken vertical streaks. A comparison with a kinglet that landed nearby was distinctly different save for the eye- ring. I had it as a Nashville at first reaction before I could really look at it as it seemed that size and composure but the head, back and belly were just off and paler - and then there was the necklace. I only had about 5 seconds of close scrutiny before it fled. It was branch hopping - not on the ground. I ran about the house window to window trying to find it and even ran outside but could not relocate it. I am still vibrating at the excitement of it being an early warbler and not a Myrtle. Any ideas, conjecture or observations of hallucinations? Thomas Maiello Angel Environmental Management, Inc. Maple Grove, 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] Upcoming Field Trips
Here is a list of upcoming MOU Field Trips for this spring. Please note the May 3rd trip which has not previously been publicized. April 24-26 - Salt Lake Weekend led by Ken Larson, Steve Weston, et al. Details of this long-standing event can be found at www.moumn.org/saltlake or by contacting Ken Larson at prairiemarshf...@comcast.net. May 3 - Crane Meadows NWR in Morrison County with Milton Blomberg and his son Caleb. Birders will start at 8:00am at the kiosk at the entrance to the refuge and bird until noon. Lunch will be provided by the refuge and M.C. Birders. After lunch birders can continue to bird around the Little Falls area. A wide variety of species can be found at the refuge including Sandhill Cranes, waterfowl, shorebirds, rails, and woodland and prairie birds. Contact Frank Gosiak at fgos...@gmail.com or at 320-616-7001 or Milt Blomberg at 320-828-1171. May 9 - Stearns County This year we are again teaming up with the folks at Saint John's Abbey and University for an event on May 9th in Stearns County. Their portion of the day starts at 5:30am and goes until about 1:00pm with breaks for breakfast and lunch. They will be exploring the campus with different groups led by experienced birders. The cost is $16 and you can get more information at http://www.csbsju.edu/arboretum/arb_highlights/spring/spring_birding.htm . The MOU portion of the day will be in the afternoon with Milt Blomberg. He will start from the campus and head to the Avon Hills area to look for migrant passerines and shorebirds. Possibilities include Gray-cheeked and Wood Thrush, Cerulean and Mourning Warbler, Red-shouldered Hawk, Scarlet and Summer Tanager and a number of shorebirds. Contact Milt at mjbflw...@msn.com or at 320-656-5272. The afternoon trip is free and open to MOU members and is in collaboration with the Arboretum Avon Hills Initiative. May 15 - Sherburne NWR and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park led by Al Schirmacher. Meet at 7am at the Mahnomen Trail parking are at the north side of the refuge west of US 169. Birds will hike two trails and take the driving tour through the refuge. There will be an optional afternoon trip to the state park at the SW corner of Lake Mille Lacs. Contact Al Schirmacher at pasto...@princetonfreechurch.net. May 16 - Sibley and Le Sueur County led by Art and Barb Straub. Meet at 7:30am at The Ney Center on Hwy 19 at the top of the bluffs just east of the Minnesota River in Le Sueur County. Birders will explore the Ney Center property and then split up into groups and bird other locations in the area using detailed maps, descriptions and birdlists that will be provided to them. Contact Dolores Hagen at dha...@closingthegap.com. May 23 - Cedar Creek Ecological Science Reserve in Anoka and Isanti County led by Jim Howitz. Meet at 7am at the Cedar Creek facility on Co. Rd. 24 east of Hwy 65 in East Bethel. Birders will explore the 8 square miles of the reserve for migrants and breeding birds, including Lark Sparrow and Red-headed Woodpeckers. Contact Jim Howitz at jlh...@aol.com. May 24 - Wild River State Park in Chisago County led by Joe Sausen. Meet at 8 am at the boat ramp along the St. Croix River in the park. Birders will explore the park looking for migrants and breeding birds, including Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warblers. Bring your lunch and enjoy a pleasant view from the elevated deck at the park overlooking a beautiful prairie. Contact Joe Sausen at jcsau...@earthlink.net. May 30-31 - Blue Earth, Nicollet and Brown County with Bob Dunlap, Chad Heins and Brian Smith. This will be a two day event with three local birders who know these counties as well as anyone. Final plans will depend upon weather and habitat but expect to do some serious birding both days. Contact them at rdun...@gac.edu(Bob), che...@blc.edu(Chad) and brsm...@sleepyeyetel.net(Brian). June 5-7, Weekend in Hubbard County at the Neilson Spearhead Center and in Cass County at Deep Portage Learning Center. Birders will meet on Friday at 7am at the Neilson Spearhead Center, located about 9 miles southwest of Bemidji and managed by the Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society, and spend a relaxed day at the center. The morning will feature a guided birding tour of conifer forests, bogs and lakeshore with the possibility of migrant and resident passerines, including the chance for nesting Black-backed Woodpeckers and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. On the lake there should be Common Loons and Bald Eagles. There will be a picnic lunch after which birders will be free to explore the area on their own or just relax and enjoy Spearhead Lake. The cost for this portion of the trip is $15 which includes a box lunch. To register for Friday at Spearhead contact George-Ann Maxson at gamax...@paulbunyan.net or at 218-586-3414. This portion of the trip is being cosponsored by the Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society. For information about the center go to
[mou-net] odd warbler? solved?
I am leaning toward Orange-Crowned Warbler at this point. I actually did my homework and checked the MOU occurrence maps and records of arrival and it helped eliminate by a long shot the Canadian Warbler (who I was leaning toward the most) and the Nashville due to other characteristics. The Yellow-rumped variant was too far off by looks and behavior. Since an Orange-Crowned Warbler would be a lifer for me, I would be guessing any way around it - so I will leave it as the best guess given my shared description and the dozen or more email responses. The Orange-Crowned Warbler makes the most sense but won't make my list until I can see and confirm myself. This gives me a lot to look for in an orange-crowned - so thank you everyone. I love this network! Thomas Maiello Angel Environmental Management, Inc. Maple Grove, 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] Still odd warbler open
OK, OK. I was offered a Pine Warbler and even that could be the beastie if the chevrons were very, very non-descript. I was only a whisper away from having a picture to share too. Thanks Al. Thomas Maiello Angel Environmental Management, Inc. 114 West Eagle Lake Drive Maple Grove, MN 763-208-3486 612-272-8415 (mobile) www.angelem.com blog.angelem.com 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] Field Trip Correction
An astute member of MOU caught this - the Sherburne Field Trip is Saturday the 16th at 7:00 AM, not the 15th as has appeared in a variety of places. It is also currently full. However, those currently on the waiting list should feel free to join us. Thanks! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs Sherburne Counties 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] Shorebirds, etc., Lake Byllesby, Dakota County
April 23 As expected with this south wind, a nice assortment of shorebirds was present at the west end of the lake this afternoon. American Avocet - 4 Pectoral Sp - 200+ Dunlin - 3 Semipalmated Sandpiper - 1 Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs - 100+ Wilson's Snipe - 7 I did not relocate the basic Black-bellied Plover (black axillaries) or 3 Semipalmated Plovers present yesterday. Also Greater White-fronted Goose - 10 Franklin's Gull - 40 Horned Grebe - 1 Pelicans - 50 Common Loon - 1 Good numbers of teal, pintail, gadwall present. Jim Mattsson Eagan 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] Avocets - Purgatory Creek - Hennepin county
Two Avocets were present today at 5:30pm on the western most island at the Purgatory Creek wetlands in Eden Prairie. Also present were about 25 Lesser Yellowlegs and one lone Greater Yellowlegs Regards. 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] Long-billed Dowitchers, Nicollet County
The WMA one mile north of the town of Nicollet on the east side of Hwy. 111 in Nicollet County is beginning to produce shorebirds. This spot was spectacular last year, and it looks like it will be just as good this year. This evening I found: -2 Long-billed Dowitchers in breeding plumage -3 Wilson's Snipe -3 Lesser Yellowlegs -several Killdeer Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County 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] [mou-rba] Duluth RBA 4/23/09
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *April 23, 2009 *MNDU0904.23 -Birds mentioned American White Pelican Broad-winged Hawk American Coot Sandhill Crane Lesser Yellowlegs Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Short-eared Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Loggerhead Shrike Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Savannah Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Brewer's Blackbird -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: April 23, 2009 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind (jsl...@frontiernet.net) This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen briefly in Two Harbors on the 20th at the ball field along CR 2, two blocks north of Highway 61. Single SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen on the 17th along Lake County Road 12, 0.8 mile west of CR 2, and along the Stanley Road (CR 9) three miles west of MN Highway 61. Another SHORT-EARED OWL was seen on the 19th along CR 14, about five miles west of CR 2 at the railroad crossing. Frank Nicoletti saw a SHORT-EARED OWL fly in off Lake Superior at Wisconsin Point on the 22nd. Peder Svingen saw a first-cycle ICELAND GULL on the 21st on the Wisconsin side of Interstate Island. He also saw a first-cycle GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, 11 GLAUCOUS GULLS, and four THAYER'S GULLS at Wisconsin Point. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was found by Mike Hendrickson on the 22nd near his yard in Smithville in west Duluth. Flocks of AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS and small numbers of SANDHILL CRANES have been seen almost daily at the West Skyline Hawk Count in Duluth. Bill Tefft saw a late-lingering flock of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Ely on the 17th along Sheridan Street near 4th Avenue. New arrivals this week include AMERICAN COOT, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, SAVANNAH SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, April 30th. The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message. The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum, e-mail us at m...@moumn.org, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. 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] [mou-rba] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Thursday, April 23, 2009
-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *April 23, 2009 *MNDL0904.23 -Birds mentioned Greater White-fronted Goose Cackling Goose Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan Cinnamon Teal Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Sharp-tailed Grouse Greater Prairie-Chicken Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Double-crested Cormorant American Bittern Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Osprey Osprey Northern Harrier Cooper's Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon American Coot Sandhill Crane Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Marbled Godwit Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Bonaparte's Gull Franklin's Gull Belted Kingfisher Eastern Phoebe Tree Swallow Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler White-throated Sparrow Lapland Longspur Red-winged Blackbird Western Meadowlark Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Purple Finch -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: April 23, 2009 Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours) Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjop...@q.com) This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, April 23, 2009 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218)847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888. Spring has finally arrived in the northwest.The migrants are passing through in large numbers. All of the first wave species have been represented in the past week. Species reported from all areas include all the common ducks, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, PIED-BILLED GREBES, all the resident raptors, AMERICAN COOT, BELTED KINGFISHER, EASTERN PHOEBE, BROWN CREEPER, both kinglets, EASTERN BLUEBIRD,SONG SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, WESTERN MEADOWLARK, and PURPLE FINCH. The best sighting this week was a CINNAMON TEAL found by Nate Emery across from the Nature Conservancy office along MN 32 at Glacial Ridge late on April 17. Unfortunately, several people looked for it the next day to no avail. On April 20, Brad and Dee Ehlers in Otter Tail County reported an OSPREY nesting northeast of Fergus Falls along CR1. Dan and Sandy Thimgan reported that the colonial nesters in Fergus Falls are back at Lake Alice and Grotto Lake. At Lake Alice there are DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, and GREAT EGRETS, while at Grotto Lake there were BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, and some more GREAT EGRETS. Other species seen at the lakes were CACKLING GOOSE, COMMON LOON, and a SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann found BONAPARTE'S GULLS at the Park Rapids WWTP in Hubbard County on April 17, along with a small assortment of early shorebirds. Scott Kahan reported that GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS can be seen from blinds at Hamden Slough NWR in Becker County . To reserve a blind call the Detroit Lakes Wetland Management Office at 218-847-4431. A PRAIRIE FALCON was seen on the refuge on April 15. Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann found COMMON GOLDENEYE , HORNED GREBE, RED-NECKED GREBE among others at the Ada WWTP in Norman County on April 19. Shelley Steva and I observed a flock of about 2000 LAPLAND LONGSPURS along Norman CR3 on April 18. In Mahnomen County, Ron and Herb found a BONAPARTE'S GULL at the Mahnomen WWTP on April 19. Kelly Larson found GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, FRANKLIN'S GULLS, and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS in Polk County at Glacial Ridge on April 18. Both SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS were seen there, and blinds can also be reserved there to view the birds dancing on the leks. At least 5000 SANDHILL CRANES were feeding at the refuge and very visible from US 2, but numbers are decreasing rapidly. A GREAT EGRET and a COMMON LOON were seen at the refuge gravel pit pond. Nate Emery reported an AMERICAN BITTERN and BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS at Glacial Ridge also. Ron Erpelding and Herb Dingmann found a GREAT EGRET near Huot in Red Lake County on April 18. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was seen along the Red Lake / Pennington County line a quarter mile west of CR 3. At the Red Lake Falls WWTP, Shelley Steva and I found COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, and two beautiful FRANKLIN'S GULLS on April 18. A large flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS were in Thief River Falls, Pennington County, on the weekend cleaning up the last of the crabapples. Shelley Steva reported the first TREE SWALLOW on April 17, while Ron and Herb found an AMERICAN WOODCOCK a mile west of the intersection of CR 12 and the Red Lake County line. They saw a HERMIT THRUSH and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at St Hilaire Park on April 19. A pair of MERLINS is nesting in Thief River Falls again this year. Gary Tischer at Agassiz NWR reported RED-BREASTED MERGANSER at the Ditch 11 control structure on April 17, BLACK DUCK and YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD on April 21. Other species seen included DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, MARBLED GODWIT along CR 12, WILSON'S SNIPE, and large numbers
