[mou-net] Recent bird sightings/photos from up north- Harlan's & partial albino RT Hawk, and much more!

[Erik Bruhnke]

Over this past week, there has been a great assortment of fun bird
happenings occurring here in Duluth; starting off with some of the
hawkwatching sightings from this past week. I think that tomorrow could be a
very interesting (in a good way) type of day, with songbirds and raptors
alike moving through the Twin Ports area up here! Right now there is not a
cloud in the sky from my house in Duluth... so the songbirds have an
overhead map to follow as they make their way north. Clear nights during
migration often leads to songbird flights, especially when those clear
nights are located within days of crummier, cloudier weather. Tomorrow's
conditions up here are sustained winds from the southwest, which really
keeps the raptors hugging tight to the tip of Lake Superior (and providing
good views) as they make their way around the bend, and head north through
far northern MN. Cloudy conditions and steady winds will prevent strong
thermals from forming, so the flight of birds could be relatively low. Hawk
migration, as well as songbird migration... and observing/tallying-up these
birds is so exciting!


*HAWK COUNTING* this past week:
*Daily counts/season totals can be found here:
https://www.hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=543

Cooper's Hawk, doing the courtship display:
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661266
... The accipiters (Sharp-shinned, Coopers, and Goshawk) do a courtship
display this time of year, if you're lucky to see it. The females fly way up
high in the air, in a full soar; flapping intermittently here and there. The
big things about this display is that the undertail coverts are fanned out,
and they are visible even at a slightly distance, when seen through optics.
I observed this at Sax-Zim Bog about two weeks ago with two Northern Goshawk
circling just above the tree top, and the Cooper's Hawk in this photograph
is showing the fanned undertail coverts. The wingbeats are unique during
this display, as the bird flaps almost in the same fashion as a Short-eared
Owl or Northern Harrier (very smooth, and fluid downbeat to the wingbeat,
and almost no sense of being rushed/urgent with the flapping speed). It's
cool to see. Keep your eyes out!

Turkey Vulture (one of my favorite Vulture shots so far)
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661275

Bald Eagle:
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661269
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661263
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661259

Bald Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk:
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661264

Of course there's a gull in here... Ring-billed Gull flying past the hawk
counting site:
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133661268

Partial Albino Red-tailed Hawk
Here are some documenting shots of this bird. I was at Thompson Hill (the
western-most spring hawkwatching site in Duluth), looking at the lake, when
suddenly something caught my peripheral vision in the northeast direction. A
white (yet red-tailed) bird flew by. It was fun to see this bird zip by so
closely. It couldn't have been more than 150 feet out as it passed over the
road, just a little above eye-level. I didn't have my camera out in time,
but grabbed the camera, and quickly sprinted down the hill, to see if I
could get a few document-able photos. Here are some shots of that bird,
which were taken as it was circling a great distance away:
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133579551
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133579553
http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/133579555

*In addition to the partial albino Red-tailed Hawk sighting, another one of
my most exciting bird-moments of the year for me happened just a few days
ago while counting raptors here in Duluth. My hawkwatching buddy Dave Carman
pointed out a distant dark tail (dark morph Red-tailed Hawk). We gazed at
it, in awe at it's beauty. Dave told me to keep my eyes on this bird, as it
may be a HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK. We had our eyes glued to our scope
eyepieces, watching the bird soon soar by, make a few turns around in the
air to spiral up in traces of thermal and updraft activity. When it banked
around, it showed off a gorgeous silvery-gray tail (at a distance). What a
stunning bird! Up until then, I had never seen a Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk
before that day! Harlan's Red-tailed Hawks are very interesting... they are
a subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk, that breed in far NW Canada and into
Alaska, and overwinter in select areas throughout the lower 48 states,
primarily in the southeast. In addition to the unique range of this
Red-tailed Hawk, this species had an incredibly wide-variety of
colorations/patterns throughout the tail. Some are very gray-tailed, some
are red-tailed, and the coarse details throughout their tails is just
stunning. This past fall, I got to meet Bill Clark, a well known raptor
specialist. Here is one of his articles on Harlan's Red-tailed Hawks (if
you're interested in reading more about this unique variety of Red-tailed
Hawk) :-)
http://www.aba.org/birding/v41n1p30

[mou-net] the eagle nest in Decorah IA on camera ---site

[G Andersson]

There is a good chance that someone else sent out this website recently. It
was on the local news a couple times last wkend.

I just went to the site and there were 91,500 people also visiting at one
point --- at night.   It is windy there.  Feathers are moving and the adult
is asleep.  

 

It has gotten good coverage on local TV stations.  Will someone have an
opportunity to talk about breeding BAEAs and all  the other breeding birds
in MN that are being systematically reported for the first time with the
endangered Breeding Bird Atlas program? 

 

GAndersson

St Paul 

  _  

Subject: eagle nest

 

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles#utm_campaigne=synclickback

&source=http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html&me
dium=3064708

This is an amazing view of an eagle nest in Decorah IA.  So fun.

 



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Re: [mou-net] Pig's Eye Lake, Ramsey Co

[Holly Peirson]

A Maybe that's why I saw about 7 B. Eagles today as I drove from
Columbus to White Bear Lk, and back again (may have seen same ones 2x). 

Only 2-3 of those are resident birds. They are on the move!!

Holly Peirson
Columbus, SE Anoka Co.


-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of John
Zakelj
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 7:37 PM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: [mou-net] Pig's Eye Lake, Ramsey Co

Bald eagle numbers on Pig's Eye are down considerably from yesterday 
morning's high of about 100.  Last evening and this morning, there were 
still over 50.  This evening, there were about 30 on the last remaining 
area of ice on the south end of the lake and about 10 soaring and 
swooping in the vicinity.  I expect most of these will leave as the rest 
of the ice melts.  Of course, our resident nesters will stay (at least 3 
active nests).  There are still hundreds of mergansers and gulls, but 
they have moved farther out and are harder to see.  Its fantastic to 
have a resource like Pigs Eye within view of downtown St. Paul.


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[mou-net] Bald Eagle at Westwood Hills, St. Louis Park

[Ben Kmetz]

Saw a Bald Eagle circling at Westwood Hills Nature Park this evening (around 
6pm).  Also saw a few robins.  Both sightings were my FOY.


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Re: [mou-net] Pig’s Eye Lake, Ramsey Co

[John Zakelj]

Bald eagle numbers on Pig's Eye are down considerably from yesterday 
morning's high of about 100.  Last evening and this morning, there were 
still over 50.  This evening, there were about 30 on the last remaining 
area of ice on the south end of the lake and about 10 soaring and 
swooping in the vicinity.  I expect most of these will leave as the rest 
of the ice melts.  Of course, our resident nesters will stay (at least 3 
active nests).  There are still hundreds of mergansers and gulls, but 
they have moved farther out and are harder to see.  It’s fantastic to 
have a resource like Pig’s Eye within view of downtown St. Paul.


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[mou-net] Sap(sucker)s rising

[linda whyte]

Spring has surely arrived in St. Paul, with 5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
sightings in one day--one on a dog-walk in Merriam Park (near the RR
tracks west of Snelling) and 4 others on the bluff-top in Cherokee
Heights Park. Yesterday's diversion from taxes was courtesy of a FOY
Broad-winged Hawk that flew high over our Randolph Heights backyard
while the feeders were getting filled; heard the calls before spotting
it. This morning, a pair of Red-winged blackbirds were hanging around
the yard, to feed on the unshelled peanuts. There are also many juncos
passing through.
If anyone is hiking the sidewalk along Shepard Road, you may want to
check on the eagle(s) in the nest that's on the south side of Crosby
Lake. It's not easy to see, but if you stand at the edge of the bluff
top, just slightly west of where the substation is, you might spot the
bird's white head across the lake. Further east toward downtown, along
the RR track right-of-way, there were at least two Red-tailed Hawks, a
Shrike, and a Kestrel on the look-out at the end of last week.The
hawks and kestrel have frequented the area before, but it was the
first time I'd seen shrike in there. It only caught my eye because it
was doing a repertoire of credible imitations of other species. While
the mimicry didn't lure any prey, it was certainly interesting to
witness.
Linda Whyte


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[mou-net] Springbrook Nature Center Fridley

[Thomas P. Malone]

Big day: 2 Egrets, Brown creeper, GC kinglet, Fox sparrow, C Flicker, BW teal 
and Ring billed gulls chasing (!) A SS hawk (a lifetime first) 

[mou-net] Common Loons

[Cindy Krienke]

14 Common Loons on Lower Sakatah, Rice County


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[mou-net] purple martins and pelicans

[Frederickson Randy]

Saw pelicans Saturday and again yesterday.  Four purple martins showed up at 
Dick Doll's colony yesterday, just north of Willmar.  His first birds typically 
arriveApril 3.   Still lots of snow and no significant open water.  Don't 
know what either  will find to eat.

I don't remember  either species posted yet for Minnesota this year.Enjoy 
your spring!

Randy Frederickson
Willmar, Kandiyohi county


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Re: [mou-net] Best Approach to birding Carlos Avery?

[Paul Kammen]

Thanks so much for the replies. I did get a person on the phone up there who 
said it's quite a mess right now, and I drive a smaller car with front wheel 
drive, so will have to wait until it dries out hopefully by late April. Holly, 
your note was exactly what I needed - I'll print it out and keep it in the car 
for a great afternoon in a few weeks. Hope to see some Sandhills or Loons, and 
that the roads will be just fine on a dry day after things have dried out.

Father Paul

From: Holly Peirson [mailto:hpbirdscou...@msn.com]
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 12:31 PM
To: Paul Kammen; MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: RE: [mou-net] Best Approach to birding Carlos Avery?


Hi folks:



I live very near to Carlos, so I can speak to this.



If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you're good to go. If you don't, the roads 
are mostly all sand, and be very wet, pitted, and hard to drive on, please 
don't attempt it with just one vehicle or if you don't have a cell phone to 
call for back-up or a tow truck... Unfortunately, the local tow Co's know just 
where to find you if you call from Carlos...!



There is no phone for info because there is no one manning the phones for the 
public, due to budget constraints. The WMA is managed for hunting. Finding 
birds on it is just a bonus for Birders, but they don't have any staff whose 
job is to do tours or the like. There may be maps at the T with Zodiac. The 
"office" there is for the equipment and workers, not for the public. Better to 
download a map from the DNR site before you go...



The best short to mid-length tour is to begin at Hwy 18 west of Forest Lake and 
go north on Zodiac St., then turn Rt or east when you get to the T. Go slowly 
at all times or you will miss something great (and the speed limit is low, 
too...) On your left is the Sanctuary portion of Carlos, no entry permitted for 
walking, hunting, birding, morels. Look but don't enter. On the right as you go 
through the wooded section, there are trails that you can take more time on, or 
mark on the map for a later visit. This section is great for migrating 
songbirds like tanagers, thrushes, warblers, and owls at all times of the year.



At the first intersection, go L, and stay near pools 10 and 4 on your left and 
pools 9 and 5 on your right. Keep turning L at each intersection and you'll 
find yourself back at Zodiac at some point. The shortest you can do this trip 
in is about an hour but that would be w/o any lengthy stops. [Later in the 
year, or if you have more time, go right and follow the road around pool 9 to 
the left, then pool 8. This leads you north and east. There are more walks and 
pools this way. At the T, there is a way out to the east, to Viking Trail (22) 
and the town of Wyoming. Or, you could go west and then back down around the 
western pools, and out to Lexington Ave., or make the full circuit back to 
Zodiac.]



Take your camera and a scope. Stay IN your car (use it as a blind) as much as 
possible when you get out into the pools sections, and you will be rewarded 
with close looks at as many ducks, geese, swans, cranes, loons, and a bit later 
in spring - shorebirds, as are there when you are! As the songbirds come back, 
don't forget to look away from the pools now and then!!  And always, look UP 
for raptors. Pools 5, 3, and 2 are where you might find cranes feeding in the 
shallow wet marshy areas.



Look to the north from the first intersection you come to (between pools 10 and 
9). There's an Eagle nest (don't know if active this year yet) that might be 
able to be seen from there.



Later in the year, a trip to the south of Hwy 18 is always interesting. This is 
one of the areas that the cranes nest, on Carlos (and where the ravens that I 
see/hear do, also). If the gate is closed you can walk in, but the trail is 
lengthy so take water and a hat (and bug repellent if it's late spring to 
mid-fall.) The eastern section of Carlos, accessed near Stacy, is harder to see 
much of from a car, but the trip across the marsh and Sunrise River on Hwy 19, 
if it's not busy that day so you can stop and use your car as a blind, can be 
really great for shorebirds and of course all the ducks and other water birds.



Take water and a snack.  A full tank of gas. Your cell phone. Scope. Bird 
Guide. Frog sounds guide. Hat. Rain or wind gear. Shovel. Later in the season, 
bug repellent is a good idea.



Holly Peirson

Columbus, SE Anoka Co.









-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Paul Kammen
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 11:29 AM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [mou-net] Beat Approach to birding Carlos Avery?



I've heard a lot about Carlos Avery, but haven't seen too many reports this

season yet from there. I'd like to spend an afternoon up there though, but

because it's got a lot of roads I was wondering if anyone had any suggested

routes through there. I did a search online and the DNR site says simply

"

Re: [mou-net] Best Approach to birding Carlos Avery?

[Holly Peirson]

Hi folks:

 

I live very near to Carlos, so I can speak to this.

 

If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you're good to go. If you don't, the
roads are mostly all sand, and be very wet, pitted, and hard to drive on,
please don't attempt it with just one vehicle or if you don't have a cell
phone to call for back-up or a tow truck... Unfortunately, the local tow
Co's know just where to find you if you call from Carlos...! 

 

There is no phone for info because there is no one manning the phones for
the public, due to budget constraints. The WMA is managed for hunting.
Finding birds on it is just a bonus for Birders, but they don't have any
staff whose job is to do tours or the like. There may be maps at the T with
Zodiac. The "office" there is for the equipment and workers, not for the
public. Better to download a map from the DNR site before you go... 

 

The best short to mid-length tour is to begin at Hwy 18 west of Forest Lake
and go north on Zodiac St., then turn Rt or east when you get to the T. Go
slowly at all times or you will miss something great (and the speed limit is
low, too...) On your left is the Sanctuary portion of Carlos, no entry
permitted for walking, hunting, birding, morels. Look but don't enter. On
the right as you go through the wooded section, there are trails that you
can take more time on, or mark on the map for a later visit. This section is
great for migrating songbirds like tanagers, thrushes, warblers, and owls at
all times of the year.

 

At the first intersection, go L, and stay near pools 10 and 4 on your left
and pools 9 and 5 on your right. Keep turning L at each intersection and
you'll find yourself back at Zodiac at some point. The shortest you can do
this trip in is about an hour but that would be w/o any lengthy stops.
[Later in the year, or if you have more time, go right and follow the road
around pool 9 to the left, then pool 8. This leads you north and east. There
are more walks and pools this way. At the T, there is a way out to the east,
to Viking Trail (22) and the town of Wyoming. Or, you could go west and then
back down around the western pools, and out to Lexington Ave., or make the
full circuit back to Zodiac.] 

 

Take your camera and a scope. Stay IN your car (use it as a blind) as much
as possible when you get out into the pools sections, and you will be
rewarded with close looks at as many ducks, geese, swans, cranes, loons, and
a bit later in spring - shorebirds, as are there when you are! As the
songbirds come back, don't forget to look away from the pools now and then!!
And always, look UP for raptors. Pools 5, 3, and 2 are where you might find
cranes feeding in the shallow wet marshy areas.

 

Look to the north from the first intersection you come to (between pools 10
and 9). There's an Eagle nest (don't know if active this year yet) that
might be able to be seen from there.

 

Later in the year, a trip to the south of Hwy 18 is always interesting. This
is one of the areas that the cranes nest, on Carlos (and where the ravens
that I see/hear do, also). If the gate is closed you can walk in, but the
trail is lengthy so take water and a hat (and bug repellent if it's late
spring to mid-fall.) The eastern section of Carlos, accessed near Stacy, is
harder to see much of from a car, but the trip across the marsh and Sunrise
River on Hwy 19, if it's not busy that day so you can stop and use your car
as a blind, can be really great for shorebirds and of course all the ducks
and other water birds.

 

Take water and a snack.  A full tank of gas. Your cell phone. Scope. Bird
Guide. Frog sounds guide. Hat. Rain or wind gear. Shovel. Later in the
season, bug repellent is a good idea.

 

Holly Peirson

Columbus, SE Anoka Co.

 

 

 

 

-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Paul
Kammen
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 11:29 AM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [mou-net] Beat Approach to birding Carlos Avery?

 

I've heard a lot about Carlos Avery, but haven't seen too many reports this

season yet from there. I'd like to spend an afternoon up there though, but

because it's got a lot of roads I was wondering if anyone had any suggested

routes through there. I did a search online and the DNR site says simply

"very popular for birdwatching." That's great, but where can one make the

best use of their time once you are there? There also is no phone number

listed to the place itself. If anyone could enlighten me as to how you'd

spend 3 hours with a camera in this place I'd appreciate it. Many thanks! 

 

As a side note, I had a northern flicker in my tree in Chanhassen yesterday.

Also went to Lowry Nature Center in Victoria and the Osprey were there in

their nest.

 



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[mou-net] Beat Approach to birding Carlos Avery?

[Paul Kammen]

I've heard a lot about Carlos Avery, but haven't seen too many reports this
season yet from there. I'd like to spend an afternoon up there though, but
because it's got a lot of roads I was wondering if anyone had any suggested
routes through there. I did a search online and the DNR site says simply
"very popular for birdwatching." That's great, but where can one make the
best use of their time once you are there? There also is no phone number
listed to the place itself. If anyone could enlighten me as to how you'd
spend 3 hours with a camera in this place I'd appreciate it. Many thanks! 

As a side note, I had a northern flicker in my tree in Chanhassen yesterday.
Also went to Lowry Nature Center in Victoria and the Osprey were there in
their nest.


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[mou-net] Bluebirds

[john c. nelson]

We have been feeding a male Eastern Bluebird the past week and  
yesterday it was joined by a female. We have seen her on and in and  
out of the house. If she does nest it will be the eariest for us.
Darned cold and windy, but we will try to install the video camera in  
the house this afternoon. Numerous flickers along the road this morning.


John Nelson
Good Thunder MN


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[mou-net] Cleary Lake

[Sandy Herzan]

Hiking at Cleary Lake Regional Park yesterday (4/3) saw a pair of great blue
herons, a cooper's hawk, abundant gulls, geese and crows, lots of turkey
vultures soaring, a big osprey on her nest, and an eastern bluebird. The
osprey nest is on a platform along the paved trail around Cleary Lake.

Sandy Herzan


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[mou-net] signal of spring

[Janice Dunlap]

I've got a clearly yellow goldfinch at my feeder this morning, despite the 
snowflakes fluttering by.

Jan Dunlap
Chaska
http://www.jandunlap.com
"A great new series here!"...Amazon.com review of the Bob White Birder Murder 
Mystery series.


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[mou-net] yellow-rumped warbler at Sherburne NWR

[Betsy Beneke]

Saw a beautiful male this morning - first warbler of the year!

Betsy Beneke
Sherburne NWR,
Sherburne Co.


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