[mou-net] Nice variety of waterfowl species on Lake Phalen (Ramsey County)
Went looking for Horned Grebes Friday, 4/24/21, evening. I found them mixed in with Shovelers, Red Breasted Mergansers Ruddy Ducks Unfortunately, almost all of them were all out in the middle of the north end of the lake during the 40 minutes I was there and walked from the NE shore to the city's marina/rental bldg on the west shore. One pair of mergansers came closer to shore. There were a few solitary Pied Billed Grebes and Mallards along the shoreline with some Canada Geese in the channel from Keller Lake Keith Carlson keitheca...@gmail.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 During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
[mou-net] Lake Byllesby shorebirds (Goodhue County)
A nice variety of shorebirds were present on the west end of Lake Byllesby, Goodhue/Dakota counties. Observed from the Goodhue boat access this evening: Semipalmated Plovers (2) American Avocets (11) Hudsonian Godwits (18) Willets (8) Long-billed Dowitchers (2) Many yellowlegs, pectorals, and peeps. Forster's Terns, Bonapartes and Ring-billed Gulls A nice variety of waterfowl. Pelicans, cormorants, and coots. Most of these were also observed earlier in the day from the Dakota side. Doug Kieser Hennepin 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 During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
[mou-net] Lake Harriet Mpls
(Posted by Chet Meyers via moumn.org) Nice selection of waterfowl on Lake Harriet this afternoon. Nothing surprising but a few lesser scaup. Chet Meyers Hennepin Cty. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
[mou-net] Long-tailed Duck at Duluth
(Posted by Janet C. Green via moumn.org) An observation on April 22 of about 30 Long-tailed Ducks diving as a group in Lake Superior in the pocket between the beach and the ship canal by Dave Zentner and Mark Kilen, Izaak Walton League members and accurate observers. They thought they were probably after spawning smelt. Reported to John Green April 23rd. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
Re: [mou-net] Cowbirds & bison
Question. How migratory were bison before 1850? In particular, did they migrate during the breeding season? Is this relevant? Paul Sitz -Original Message- From: Minnesota Birds On Behalf Of Laura Erickson Sent: Friday, April 23, 2021 10:46 AM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: ADV: Re: [mou-net] Cowbirds & bison The point is, I didn't say the parasitism habit EVOLVED for the bison. I just said it was darned beneficial to have it for one particular species that did hang around the bison. NOW we know female cowbirds can be sedentary as long as possible, but this article, not a scientific paper, offers no evidence that they did this pre-settlement. None of us see and understand the whole elephant. Best, Laura On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 11:06 PM Anthony Hertzel wrote: > For a different perspective, I recommend Dennis Paulson’s essay on the > topic. < > https://www.birdnote.org/explore/field-notes/2015/05/cowbird-story-rev > isited > > > > I can also recommend a few more scientific papers that say essentially > the same thing. > > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:49 P.M., Laura Erickson < > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Brood parasitism is indeed found in cowbirds from South America, > > where > the > > genus *Molothrus* probably originated, and so although it follows > > that brood parasitism almost certainly evolved in that genus in the > > first > place > > for reasons other than because they needed to follow a wandering > > mammal, the Brown-headed Cowbird's well-documented dependence on > > nomadic bison certainly made brood parasitism uniquely valuable for > > it, at least until > we > > decimated the bison while introducing cattle. > > > > It's virtually impossible to know the full story about any > > species--we're always finding out more. Learning new information > > doesn't mean we throw > out > > a whole body of old but accurate observations--it means we work out > > how > all > > the pieces of information, including both DNA/evolutionary biology > > and natural history fit together. Otherwise, we're just like the > > blindfolded people each describing one part of the elephant, with > > nobody getting the full picture. > > > > Best, Laura Erickson > > Duluth > > Anthony Hertzel > axhert...@gmail.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 > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice > social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > -- Laura Erickson Duluth, MN she/her/hers For the love, understanding, and protection of birds www.lauraerickson.com www.patreon.com/lauraerickson You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. —Annie Dillard Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
Re: [mou-net] Cowbirds & bison
Myth. They DO recognize the eggs, but their only strategy is to build a new floor for the nest, burying their own eggs too. Warbler and most sparrow bills are too small to grasp the egg to toss it out. New research has also led to the discovery that when parent birds do throw out a cowbird egg, cowbirds return and wreck the nest a lot. Margaret Morse Nice found that with Song Sparrows, at least some young tend to survive with a cowbird "foster sibling." The main birds that actually suffer population losses tend to be Neotropic migrants that usually nest just once a season--cowbirds can represent serious issues for them. One of the really bad cases is the Black-capped Vireo, which has a longer incubation period than most vireos, so the baby cowbird is already a big bruiser when the vireo eggs hatch, IF they hatch--the cowbird can trample the eggs and babies into the nest material. They're not at all aggressive (unlike European cuckoos), but they're very big compared to the tiny vireos. Best, Laura Duluth On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 11:11 AM Halle O'Falvey wrote: > This discussion has be so enlightening and fun! As we feel some relief > from Covid-19 I appreciate all who have contributed. I learned a lot and > am a little bit less hostile as I see the brown heads > > Myth or truth? > > Yellow warblers have figured out the difference of the BHC eggs and don’t > have to rear them??? > > Halle > > On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 10:46 AM Laura Erickson < > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> The point is, I didn't say the parasitism habit EVOLVED for the bison. I >> just said it was darned beneficial to have it for one particular species >> that did hang around the bison. NOW we know female cowbirds can be >> sedentary as long as possible, but this article, not a scientific >> paper, offers no evidence that they did this pre-settlement. >> >> None of us see and understand the whole elephant. >> >> Best, Laura >> >> On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 11:06 PM Anthony Hertzel >> wrote: >> >> > For a different perspective, I recommend Dennis Paulson’s essay on the >> > topic. < >> > >> https://www.birdnote.org/explore/field-notes/2015/05/cowbird-story-revisited >> > > >> > >> > I can also recommend a few more scientific papers that say essentially >> the >> > same thing. >> > >> > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:49 P.M., Laura Erickson < >> > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > > >> > > Brood parasitism is indeed found in cowbirds from South America, where >> > the >> > > genus *Molothrus* probably originated, and so although it follows that >> > > brood parasitism almost certainly evolved in that genus in the first >> > place >> > > for reasons other than because they needed to follow a wandering >> mammal, >> > > the Brown-headed Cowbird's well-documented dependence on nomadic bison >> > > certainly made brood parasitism uniquely valuable for it, at least >> until >> > we >> > > decimated the bison while introducing cattle. >> > > >> > > It's virtually impossible to know the full story about any >> species--we're >> > > always finding out more. Learning new information doesn't mean we >> throw >> > out >> > > a whole body of old but accurate observations--it means we work out >> how >> > all >> > > the pieces of information, including both DNA/evolutionary biology and >> > > natural history fit together. Otherwise, we're just like the >> blindfolded >> > > people each describing one part of the elephant, with nobody getting >> the >> > > full picture. >> > > >> > > Best, Laura Erickson >> > > Duluth >> > >> > Anthony Hertzel >> > axhert...@gmail.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 >> > >> > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice >> social >> > distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. >> > >> >> >> -- >> Laura Erickson >> Duluth, MN >> she/her/hers >> >> For the love, understanding, and protection of birds >> www.lauraerickson.com >> www.patreon.com/lauraerickson >> >> You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. >>—Annie Dillard >> >> Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >> >> >> Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net >> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html >> >> During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social >> distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. >> > -- > Sent from Gmail Mobile > -- Laura Erickson Duluth, MN she/her/hers For the love, understanding, and protection of birds www.lauraerickson.com www.patreon.com/lauraerickson You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. —Annie Dillard Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. 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] Cowbirds & bison
This discussion has be so enlightening and fun! As we feel some relief from Covid-19 I appreciate all who have contributed. I learned a lot and am a little bit less hostile as I see the brown heads Myth or truth? Yellow warblers have figured out the difference of the BHC eggs and don’t have to rear them??? Halle On Fri, Apr 23, 2021 at 10:46 AM Laura Erickson < chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > The point is, I didn't say the parasitism habit EVOLVED for the bison. I > just said it was darned beneficial to have it for one particular species > that did hang around the bison. NOW we know female cowbirds can be > sedentary as long as possible, but this article, not a scientific > paper, offers no evidence that they did this pre-settlement. > > None of us see and understand the whole elephant. > > Best, Laura > > On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 11:06 PM Anthony Hertzel > wrote: > > > For a different perspective, I recommend Dennis Paulson’s essay on the > > topic. < > > > https://www.birdnote.org/explore/field-notes/2015/05/cowbird-story-revisited > > > > > > > I can also recommend a few more scientific papers that say essentially > the > > same thing. > > > > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:49 P.M., Laura Erickson < > > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > Brood parasitism is indeed found in cowbirds from South America, where > > the > > > genus *Molothrus* probably originated, and so although it follows that > > > brood parasitism almost certainly evolved in that genus in the first > > place > > > for reasons other than because they needed to follow a wandering > mammal, > > > the Brown-headed Cowbird's well-documented dependence on nomadic bison > > > certainly made brood parasitism uniquely valuable for it, at least > until > > we > > > decimated the bison while introducing cattle. > > > > > > It's virtually impossible to know the full story about any > species--we're > > > always finding out more. Learning new information doesn't mean we throw > > out > > > a whole body of old but accurate observations--it means we work out how > > all > > > the pieces of information, including both DNA/evolutionary biology and > > > natural history fit together. Otherwise, we're just like the > blindfolded > > > people each describing one part of the elephant, with nobody getting > the > > > full picture. > > > > > > Best, Laura Erickson > > > Duluth > > > > Anthony Hertzel > > axhert...@gmail.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 > > > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social > > distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > > > > > -- > Laura Erickson > Duluth, MN > she/her/hers > > For the love, understanding, and protection of birds > www.lauraerickson.com > www.patreon.com/lauraerickson > > You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. >—Annie Dillard > > Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. > > > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social > distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > -- Sent from Gmail Mobile Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
[mou-net] Pelicans stopover St. Louis River
(Posted by Janet C. Green via moumn.org) The White Pelican traditional stopover site on the St. Louis River in Fond du Lac, Duluth, at Chambers Grove park this year was very productive. They arrived around April 19th and on Earth Day, April 22nd, John and I counted at least 280 birds, with more arriving to land on the resting site island in the middle of the river. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
Re: [mou-net] Cowbirds & bison
The point is, I didn't say the parasitism habit EVOLVED for the bison. I just said it was darned beneficial to have it for one particular species that did hang around the bison. NOW we know female cowbirds can be sedentary as long as possible, but this article, not a scientific paper, offers no evidence that they did this pre-settlement. None of us see and understand the whole elephant. Best, Laura On Thu, Apr 22, 2021 at 11:06 PM Anthony Hertzel wrote: > For a different perspective, I recommend Dennis Paulson’s essay on the > topic. < > https://www.birdnote.org/explore/field-notes/2015/05/cowbird-story-revisited > > > > I can also recommend a few more scientific papers that say essentially the > same thing. > > > On Apr 22, 2021, at 10:49 P.M., Laura Erickson < > chickadee.erick...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Brood parasitism is indeed found in cowbirds from South America, where > the > > genus *Molothrus* probably originated, and so although it follows that > > brood parasitism almost certainly evolved in that genus in the first > place > > for reasons other than because they needed to follow a wandering mammal, > > the Brown-headed Cowbird's well-documented dependence on nomadic bison > > certainly made brood parasitism uniquely valuable for it, at least until > we > > decimated the bison while introducing cattle. > > > > It's virtually impossible to know the full story about any species--we're > > always finding out more. Learning new information doesn't mean we throw > out > > a whole body of old but accurate observations--it means we work out how > all > > the pieces of information, including both DNA/evolutionary biology and > > natural history fit together. Otherwise, we're just like the blindfolded > > people each describing one part of the elephant, with nobody getting the > > full picture. > > > > Best, Laura Erickson > > Duluth > > Anthony Hertzel > axhert...@gmail.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 > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social > distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > -- Laura Erickson Duluth, MN she/her/hers For the love, understanding, and protection of birds www.lauraerickson.com www.patreon.com/lauraerickson You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment. —Annie Dillard Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
