[mou-net] present, E Screech Owl, Minnetonka, Hennepin Co., MN
Today, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, 7:30 a.m. a screech owl is in the box. It appears on the video camera to be sleeping. If the owl is not sitting at the entry hole, knock on our front door and I will let you come in and watch it on tv. I will be in most of today. Yesterday was a very good day to see the owl. After jays pushed it into the box several times in the early afternoon the owl spent most of the day sitting in the entry hole. It was nice to hear that so many people got to see it. The larger pole mounted duck box at the northwest corner of our house is the one in use. You can clearly see the entry hole from your car while parked in the street in front of the southwest corner of our house. Don't try to walk closer, as that will just drive the owl down into the box. If the owl is in the box I will post. I will also post the first day it is not present. Then I will hold off posting until it returns. Good luck, owl watchers! George Skinner 15330 Lynn Terrace Minnetonka, MN. 55345 952-936-0811 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] MRVAC Trumpeter Newsletter
The January/February issue of the MRVAC Trumpeter Newsletter is now available at: http://home.comcast.net/~mrvac/Jan2010.pdf I hope you are going to join us at the Christmas Bird Counts. 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] Harlequin Duck-Point Douglas
The male harlequin duck was still present off Point Douglas as of 10:45 a.m. this morning. It was diving near the west railroad bridge support along the edge of the ice among Canada geese, American coots, and common golden-eyes. Mike Majeski Hastings 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] Prescott area this morning, (Dec 17)
11:00am Just downstream of the RR bridge on MN side. Viewed from marina Dakota County - Harlequin Duck - adult male - Trumpeter Swan - 10 Washington County - Long-tailed Duck -adult female,(note: this is a different bird than the one I photographed at Hardman Ave. last Sunday) - Greater Scaup -adult female - Lesser Scaup -male and female - Ring-necked Duck -male and female 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] [mou-rba] MOU RBA 17 December 2009
-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *December 17, 2009 *MNST0912.17 -Birds mentioned Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Great Gray Owl Townsend's Solitaire Varied Thrush Savannah Sparrow -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: December 17, 2009 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (r...@moumn.org) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, December 17th 2009. A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was still at Point Douglas Park in Washington County on the 17th. This is across the Mississippi River from Prescott, WI. Another was found at the mouth of the French River east of Duluth on the 16th. On the 11th, a LONG-TAILED DUCK was seen from the pedestrian overpass at Grand and Hardman Avenues in South St. Paul, Ramsey County, and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER was there on the 13th. A couple of GREAT GRAY OWLS have been reported from Aitkin County since the 12th along county road 18 about half a mile west of Pietz's Road. A VARIED THRUSH has been seen at a feeder just west of Alexandria in Douglas County since December 1st. Please call park personnel at the Lake Carlos State Park headquarters for additional information. At least one TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was still at the Ann Lake campground in Sherburne NWR on the 17th. And on the 16th, a late SAVANNAH SPARROW was found along the bike path near the southwest corner of the Northbrook Shopping Center parking lot in Rochester, Olmsted County. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, December 24th 2009. 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 12/17/09
-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *December 17, 2009 *MNDU0912.17 -Birds mentioned Harlequin Duck Long-tailed Duck Sharp-tailed Grouse Horned Grebe Ring-billed Gull Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Slaty-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Northern Hawk Owl Great Gray Owl Bohemian Waxwing Evening Grosbeak -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: December 17, 2009 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind (jsl...@frontiernet.net) This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 17th, 2009 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The third-cycle SLATY-BACKED GULL was relocated on the 13th at Canal Park in Duluth. Several observers saw three GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, three ICELAND GULLS, at least three GLAUCOUS GULLS, a THAYER'S GULL and a late-lingering RING-BILLED GULL on the 16th at Canal Park. A SNOWY OWL was seen earlier in the week at the Port Terminal, but I dont have the exact location or date. A male HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen on the 16th on Lake Superior at the mouth of the French River east of Duluth. In Lake County, four HORNED GREBES were seen on the 17th out from the mouth of the Stewart River and three more were seen at Burlington Bay in Two Harbors. Three LONG-TAILED DUCKS were also seen at Burlington Bay on the 17th. Two GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen by several observers in Aitkin County on the 12th along CR 18 between 0.25 and 0.6 mile west of the Pietz's Road (320th Place). Another GREAT GRAY OWL was seen on the 12th along the Hedbom Road 3.5 miles east of CR 36. Cindy Risen reported EVENING GROSBEAKS at her feeders in Tamarack on the 12th, as well as 15 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE and a GREAT GRAY OWL north of Tamarack. Bill Tefft reported a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 12th along the Stony River Forest Road, 1 mile north of the Whyte Road. Flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS continue to be reported from throughout the area including McGregor, Cromwell, Two Harbors, and Bovey. The Duluth Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2009. The Two Harbors Christmas Bird Count will be held on Sunday, December 20. Anyone interested in participating in either count should contact compiler Jim Lind at (218) 834-3199 or by e-mail at jsl...@frontiernet.net The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, December 24th. 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] AZ to Aitkin
We find ourselves on a sudden trip to Aitkin, MN. (We're attending the funeral my wife's 97 year old Aunt.) We hope to bird in the area Sunday am. We've been there many times, but not birding in the Winter. I've seen recent reports, but any tips would be appreciated. Will trade for expert birding assistance in Tucson where I hope my winter resident Broad-billed, Costa's and Anna's hummers aren't too stressed when my feeders go empty. Richard Carlson Still from Minnesota, just temporarily absent since 1960 Full-time Birder, Biker and Rotarian Part-time Economist Tucson, AZ, Lake Tahoe, CA, Kirkland, WA rcc...@pacbell.net Tucson 520-760-4935 Tahoe 530-581-0624 Kirkland 425-828-3819 Cell 650-280-2965 - 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, December 17, 2009
-RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *December 17, 2009 *MNDL0912.17 -Birds mentioned Sharp-shinned Hawk Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper American Robin Bohemian Waxwing Dark-eyed Junco Common Redpoll -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: December 17, 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, December 17, 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. Weather is moderating in the northwest, and finally we are out of the deep freeze for at least a few days. Birds and people are moving around, and Christmas bird counts are beginning. Please let me know if you find anything unusual on your favorite CBC, and I will let everyone know the good news. This week in Polk County, Sandy Aubol reported a NORTHERN FLICKER and a dozen DARK-EYED JUNCOS in her yard in East Grand Forks on December 11. On December 13, she observed a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and NORTHERN SHRIKE. Diana Morkassel reported 15 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Warren on December 17. Here in Pennington County, I had a BROWN CREEPER and a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS in the yard on December 12. From Kittson County on December 13, Larry Wilebski reported that RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are very common at his place near Lancaster this year, and a few COMMON REDPOLLS are showing up. Beth Siverhus in Warroad, Roseau County saw 30 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and an AMERICAN ROBIN in the Warroad Library courtyard on December 14. Thanks to Beth Siverhus, Diana Morkassel, Larry Wilebski, and Sandy Aubol for their reports. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjop...@q.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday, December 24, 2009. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County, 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] Christmas Bird Counts
In response to my comment ( hope you are going to join us at the Christmas Bird Counts.) in my recent post, I received a couple of inquiries about where to find more info on the Christmas Bird Counts. A listing of all Minnesota CBC's with a calandar with dates, a map with locations, count circles, contacts, etc. is on the MOU site at: http://moumn.org/CBC/ Steve Weston 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] Fw: Non-countable exotics on Christmas Bird Counts
the following was posted to the national birdchat listserv by the venerable editor of Birding Magazine: Hello, BirdChatters. We all know the rule. You can't put a non-countable exotic on your life list. A Ringed Teal in Reno, a Chukar in Scranton, a Sacred Ibis in Miami--those birds aren't countable, so you can't put them on your list. Except on Christmas Bird Counts! This matter of non-countable exotics came up in discussion a few days ago when I was a participant in the Fountain Creek, Colorado, Christmas Bird Count. Somebody had found 6 California Quail, a species not on the official Colorado list, and somebody else promptly declared that they wouldn't count. However, the count compiler, to his credit, did, in fact, enter the 6 California Quail on the list. [Present for many months, photo-documented, even bred and raised young earlier in the year; but that's not really relevant here.] Well, we did the right thing on the Fountain Creek CBC, but I will note that, over the years, I've been on many CBCs which did it the wrong way. A Mute Swan was excluded because it might--just might--have been an escape; a Ring-necked Pheasant was scratched off the list because of rumors there'd been a release at the local hunt club; or dozens of Nutmeg Mannikins were declared uncountable for the simple reason that they're not yet on some official state or continental list. The Christmas Bird Count isn't a fully scientific enterprise, I accept, but neither is it supposed to conform entirely to the rules of the listing game. On a CBC, it's okay to count a bird by the method of remote detection from a real-time owl-camera or falcon-camera; on a CBC, there's certainly no need to apply the 95% rule which stipulates that all members of a party must see or hear at least 95% of the birds reported; and on a CBC, it's okay--it's more than okay, it's a very good idea--to count exotic birds that aren't yet on some official list. To see what I'm talking about, check out recent CBCs from Florida. Along with all the Yellow-rumped Warblers and Laughing Gulls (native species, obviously), and along with all the Rock Pigeons and European Starlings (exotics with long-established populations in the state), you'll also get tallies like 29 Chestnut-fronted Macaws, 53 Red-masked Parakeets, and 1 Cockatiel. Those birds are out there, in the environment, interacting with their environment, and it is appropriate to make note of them. It is right to count them. On CBCs, it is especially important to count non-countable exotics for the critical reason that they might well become permanently established--sooner, quite possibly, than most folks would have anticipated. Thanks in large part to CBC data, we have a clear picture of patterns of expansion for recently established species like Eurasian Collared-Dove and Common Myna. Both species are currently considered to be countable (i.e., for personal lists), but I note that they were counted on CBCs prior to their being declared officially countable. We got a head start on understanding those species by counting them even before they were officially countable. And that same reasoning ought to apply to lots of other species that are either well-established or apparently on their way to being well-established--even though they're not yet countable. Some fairly well-known examples in Florida--where there's a good, strong tradition of CBC monitoring of exotics--include Purple Swamphen and Black-hooded Parakeet. Those birds are there, they're established, they're part of the avifauna, they're potentially interacting with other organisms and their environment, and it's frankly irresponsible for us not to count them. In California, which doesn't, perhaps, have quite as strong a tradition of CBC monitoring of exotics, there are all sorts of possibilities. Common Peafowl, Mandarin Ducks, Rose-ringed Parakeets, Black-throated Magpie-Jays, Nutmeg Mannikins, Orange Bishops--all those species are apparently established, but with very little data. We need to know what's going on with their populations. We need to count them on CBCs. Go ahead! Go on! Do it! Count them. Even a Demoiselle Crane in Lodi. It's a real bird, for crying out loud. It's THERE, actually THERE, in the wild, interacting with other organisms, exchanging energy and matter with the environment. It oughtta be counted. The problem of well-established or potentially established (or establishing) populations of non-countable exotics is best known in South Florida and Southern California, but it affects all of us, really. Mute Swans, Muscovy Ducks, Eurasian Collared-Doves, Monk Parakeets--all those birds are on the move, and they oughtta be noted even in areas in which they're not yet considered to be established. Even Peach-faced Lovebirds in Phoenix, even a whole slew of Old World passerines in the Upper Midwest--they're here, and the CBC provides us with a great
