Re: [mou-net] Boreal Chickadee
To answer to the question posed below, I checked old issues of The Jack-Pine Warbler, and, no, there was no irruption of Boreal Chickadees in MI in winter 1966-67. That still leaves open the question of WI, and one might reasonably suggest that Boreal Chickadees are more likely to irrupt southward in WI than in MI (where they'd have to cross the Straits of Mackinac - a three-plus mile overwater flight - to get from the Upper Peninsula to the Lower Peninsula). The SJU collection *does* have two Boreal Chickadee specimens from Stearns Co., both dated 1 Nov. 1972 and both listed as "found dead" in St. Joseph by the same person. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 On 2/25/21, 10:20 AM, "Minnesota Birds on behalf of Anthony Hertzel" wrote: As noted by several people already, a Boreal Chickadee record that far south would certainly be unusual, but not unprecedented. There was a substantial irruption into southern and western Minnesota in the winter of 1966-67 with birds seen in the Twin Cities and as far southwest as Yellow medicine County. Here’s how they were reported in The Loon: Boreal Chickadee: Southwestward movement onto our "prairies" may be without precedent; 10-24 Morrison Co. (1); 10-30 (7), 11-13 (5) and 11-28 (2) Morris, Stevens Co.; 11-1 Donnelly, Stevens Co.; 11-23 to 11-27 Benson, Swift Co., 2 at feeders on opposite sides of town; 11-26 to 11- 28 Birchwood (St. Paul), at feeder; moved even further south later in winter. — Fall season 1966; The Loon 39:14 Boreal Chickadee: Invasion continues; 12-5 to 12-27 Brooklyn Center, Hennepin Co.; all winter at feeder, Granite Falls, Yellow Medicine Co.; all winter, Little Falls, Morrison Co., 2; 12-25 Benson, Swift Co., 2 at feeders; all winter, Morris, Stevens Co.; 1-6 to 2-20, Excelsior, Hennepin Co., 1 at feeder,; 2-26 Waite Park, Stearns Co. This unprecedented movement southward and westward resulted, almost in predictable fashion, in the first Iowa record for this species; it would be interesting to note if a parallel situation existed in Wisconsin or Michigan this winter. — Winter Season, 1966-67; The Loon 39:52 Boreal Chickadee: Usual records from northeast, with 2 westerly records: 3-2 Moorhead, Clay Co., 1; 3-9(5), 3-26(3), 5-29(3) Morris, Stevens Co., last remnants of the flock that wintered there. — Spring Season, 1967; The Loon 39:93 Anthony Hertzel axhert...@gmail.com Join or Leave mou-net: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.umn.edu_cgi-2Dbin_wa-3FSUBED1-3Dmou-2Dnet&d=DwIFaQ&c=Cvk6809QJWx44KVfpEaK-g&r=I9pZEb1qP1Tj7y49lHQhFw&m=YgfnwvM0dV9o4LxuYHNAFibWh1d_BbkxRR5q9wD42PU&s=ANyS7mgXG24Q14sknK4ybcdKnONe8bq8h-0T6nV6vU0&e= Archives: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.umn.edu_archives_mou-2Dnet.html&d=DwIFaQ&c=Cvk6809QJWx44KVfpEaK-g&r=I9pZEb1qP1Tj7y49lHQhFw&m=YgfnwvM0dV9o4LxuYHNAFibWh1d_BbkxRR5q9wD42PU&s=WiTQh1VOZPSdc0W2mAqJEL8IuGX-fTIRBTdaHfiBT4w&e= 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.
[mou] Barrow's Goldeneye update
Today, from about 10:00 to 11:30 AM, the adult male Barrow's Goldeneye = was visible from Freedom Park in Prescott, WI. The bird was in MN = waters for nearly the entire time. Also in the same area was the previously reported Long-tailed Duck. In a related matter, "old hands" may be unsurprised to know that there = is a *lot* less open water, relative to last Saturday. With colder = temperatures about to settle in, the open-water situation seems, if = anything, likely to get worse. In an unrelated matter, I was also at the "Mountain Bluebird spot" = (175th Ave. near Presley Circle) from about noon to 2:00, and saw no = bluebirds. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Surf Scoter, Stearns Co.
With apologies for the tardiness of this message, a few of you may be interested to know that yesterday - Sunday, 8 October - there was Surf Scoter at the Albany sewage ponds. The scoter was either a female or a first-fall male, and was in the largest pond (which is also the southwesternmost pond). Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Surf Scoter and Ross's Goose, Stearns Co.
Yesterday, for the second weekend in a row, there was a Surf Scoter in Stearns Co. - this time at the Paynesville sewage ponds, and, specifically, at the north-most pond in the sewage-pond complex. The scoter was a first-fall bird. Also at the Paynesville sewage ponds were a first-fall Ross's Goose and 51 individuals of nine shorebird species. All of the shorebirds were in the basin on the south side of the south-most sewage pond. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] update on conditions at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
With apologies for the belated nature of this message (and, secondarily, = with the hope that this topic is not too unexceptional for mou-net), = some of you may be interested to know about the progression of the = drawdown at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Presently, conditions at the refuge's East Pool - the pool bounded by = the highway-75 dam - are excellent, with extensive mud/sand flats. The = East Pool held 174 shorebirds of 10 species last Saturday, 17 June - a = respectable tally given the date, which is too late for most spring = migrants but too early for most fall migrants; most notable among these = was a single Piping Plover. As for the refuge's West Pool - the pool along the Auto Tour - water = levels are down, but not yet down far enough for flats to be exposed. Also at the refuge, on 11 June there was a single Common Moorhen. From = refuge headquarters, on CR 15, head south. On the east (left) side of = the road, at the second gate south of the Yellow Bank River, park and = walk past the gate; the moorhen was in the open channel immediately to = your left, about 50 yards beyond the gate. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Piping and Snowy plovers, Lac qui Parle Co.
At 5 PM yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 16 July), on the little bit of Salt Lake that extends into South Dakota, there was a Piping Plover. Several hundred yards of running or flying would place the plover in MN. If you are in Lac qui Parle Co. to visit Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR), then you should consider visiting Salt Lake as well: on each of the last two weekends, counts there have yielded over 1000 individuals of 10+ shorebird species. Speaking of BSNWR, the Snowy Plovers have, at least temporarily, moved away from the tip of the highway-75-dam quarry peninsula. As the chicks cannot yet fly, they are unable to leave the peninsula; thus their father, who is attending them, is likely to be on the peninsula as well. However, the family is now ranging more widely, which means that they might, conceivably, be *anywhere* on the peninsula's shores. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Snowy Plover, Lac qui Parle Co., and Plegadis ibises, Big Stone Co.
Yesterday, Sunday, 6 August, Peder Svingen and I found one juvenile Snowy Plover along the west shore of Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge's East Pool, meaning that at least one of the two previously reported chicks has fledged successfully. To get to the area in question, take the so-called Banding Site Road - the road that continues east from the eastern terminus of Lac qui Parle CR 40 - until you reach the shore of East Pool. This is a walk of about one-and-a-third miles; you have to walk because the road is blocked by a locked gate. Having followed the Banding Site Road east until it reaches the shore of East Pool, walk left, i.e., northwest, along the shore for roughly two-thirds of a mile; at about two-thirds of a mile the shoreline turns north, and by looking up to the north you'll see the area in which the juvenile Snowy was observed. We saw the Snowy during our weekly census of East Pool, and that census tallied nearly 7100 individuals of 21 species. More than half of the individuals were in the same area as the juvenile Snowy. Also, during a shorebird survey in Big Stone Co. on Saturday, 5 August, I found 22 young Plegadis ibises in a pothole in Toqua Twp.; the pothole is located along CR 54 1.6 miles W of CR 61 (which is, I think, the same as saying that the pothole is 0.4 miles E of CR 7). Unfortunately, about 10 minutes after my arrival something "spooked" everything in the pothole, and, whereas the pothole's shorebirds returned, the ibises did not, flying off out of sight toward the SE. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Eurasian Wigeon is a hybrid: details
As previously posted by Tony Hertzel, the Eurasian Wigeon at Hyland Lake = in Bloomington is not "pure-blooded," but instead appears to have both = Eurasian Wigeon and American Wigeon genes. The above assertion is based primarily on three characteristics, which I = noted while I was Hyland Lake between 4:00 and 5:00 this afternoon. (1) On the head, although a broad postocular area is reddish brown, the = cheeks - the region below the postocular area - and the lores are much = duller, a pale brown-gray, with fine dark flecking. Thus, the face is = patterned similarly to that of a male American Wigeon, but with the = American's shiny green postocular stripe being replaced with red-brown, = and with the rest of the face having a weak brown tinge that the = American's face lacks. (In a "pure" Eurasian, the head, forehead = excepted, should be Redhead red.) (2) On the body, brown-pink color is not restricted to the breast, but = mixes extensively with the gray of the flanks, especially near the = waterline. (In a Eurasian, the flanks should be plain gray, without any = pinkish or brownish.) (3) As for the bill, there is a narrow black line along the sides of the = bill where the bill joins the head, with the black "petering out" = dorsally so that there is no black at the base of the culmen. This = condition is intermediate between an American Wigeon (which has a narrow = black line at the bill-base that runs continuously from one side of the = bill across the culmen to the other side of the bill) and a Eurasian = (which has no black line at the bill-base). Shucks! I thought that a trip to Hyland Lake might provide a sort of = consolation prize for my inability to chase the Black Vulture on Sunday = morning, but I guess that consolation will have to wait for another day. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Tricolored Heron still in Lyon Co. on 7 Jun.
Today, 7 Jun., the Tricolored Heron was still at Black Rush Lake WPA, Lyons Twp., Lyon Co., where Bob Janssen found it on June 5th. >From 11:50 to 11:55 this morning, the heron was in view from the >minimum-maintenance road that bisects the WPA - the same road from which Bob >saw it two days ago, and on which Dedrick Benz saw it yesterday. >Specifically, it was 80-100 yards to the west of the road, just north of a >broad east-to-west channel running through the marsh vegetation; that channel >is perhaps 750 yards south of CR 59. At 11:55 the heron took off, flew west, and landed again, still within the WPA but out of sight behind vegetation. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Lark Bunting still in Polk Co. on 1 Jul.
This morning from about 9-10 AM I watched the Lark Bunting at the Polk Co. site identified yesterday. Directions are as follows. From the intersection of US 2 and CR 44, take CR 44 south for two miles; then turn left, i.e., east, on 300th St. SW. Follow 300th St. SW to the east until the gravel road ends (about a mile, I think); from the east end of the gravel road a two-track continues eastward. Walk east along the two-track for 0.7 mile, to where a small cairn of stones in the south track marks "the spot;" from here, look to the south for the bunting. If you're like me and wonder how you'll know when you've walked 0.7 mile, and whether the "small cairn of stones" will be so small as to be unrecognizable, then walk to the yellow "DIP" sign - the only road sign on the two-track. From here it's about 130 yards further to a small white easement sign, and from the easement sign continue for another 65 yards to reach the cairn. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Little Gull, Stearns Co., 12 July
Today, 12 July, at about 2:45 PM, Bob Russell and I saw a Little Gull at the Paynesville sewage ponds in Stearns Co. The gull was in second- or adult-summer plumage. Regrettably, we didn't see the Little Gull until it, and about 12 accompanying Franklin's Gulls, flew across one of the sewage-pond dikes in front of us; more regrettably, that group of gulls turned to the NNW and gradually drifted out of sight. They didn't return, at least not in the next hour or so while we were still at the ponds. Whether that group of gulls, or a subset of that group, will return to the ponds in the evening is anyone's guess. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Arctic Tern, Lac qui Parle Co., 14 July: still more directions, and an update
Regarding the Arctic Tern, as mentioned previously the bird was seen from the end of Ruby Red Peninsula, so known because it's the site of the Ruby Red Quarry. To reach the Ruby Red Peninsula access road - which you cannot drive, but can walk - head south from the Big Stone NWR headquarters. The road you're heading south on will be Big Stone CR 19, which becomes Lac qui Parle CR 15 as soon as you cross the Minnesota River, i.e., as soon as you cross into Lac qui Parle Co. Heading south from the Big Stone NWR headquarters on Big Stone CR 19/Lac qui Parle CR 15, look for the second gated road on the left. This is the Ruby Red Peninsula access road. Walk down the gravel access road until you come to a fork. The left side of the fork is gravel and heads straight for the quarry, whereas the right side of the fork is a mowed two-track and leads to the tip of the peninsula. Take the right side of the fork to the tip of the peninsula. I'm not sure about the length of this walk, but suspect it to be close to a mile. Barb and Denny Martin walked out to the tip of the peninsula on the afternoon of the 14th, but did not see the tern. Incidentally, although Peder and I saw no white terns at Big Stone NWR except for the Arctic, the Martins saw something like eight Forster's, and Bill Unzen has seen roughly 30 Forster's at the refuge within the past week. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] NO Whimbrel, Hennepin Co., 9 Aug.
All: The two Whimbrels at Purgatory Creek Recreation Area last evening were *not* seen this morning. I was there from 0730 to 0900, and spoke with Steve Carlson who had been there since before 0600, and both of us "came up empty." Actually, "came up empty" isn't quite right, as I tallied just under 270 shorebirds of 10 species, with a single American Golden-plover being the most interesting of the lot. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] 25 August: Red Knot, Lac qui Parle Co., and Plegadis ibises, Big Stone Co.
I'm sorry for the tardiness of this message, but - with that old saying, "Better late than never," in mind - I thought a couple of birds seen yesterday (Saturday, 25 August) might be worth mentioning. First, at Salt Lake in Lac qui Parle Co. there was a juvenile Red Knot; the knot was seen on both the north and south shores of the lake. And second, a few miles west of Graceville in Big Stone Co., in the wetland in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of MN 28 and CR 61, there were six first-fall Plegadis ibises. The ibises were at the west end of the wetland, along with 165 shorebirds of 10 species. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Sabine's Gull, Yellow Medicine Co., 6 October
On Saturday, 6 October, while counting shorebirds at Lanners Lake in Yellow Medicine Co., a juvenile Sabine's Gull appeared in front of me and landed. After less than two minutes it took off, flew several hundred yards farther south, and landed again; I returned to counting shorebirds, and when (after several additional minutes) I looked for the gull again it was gone. Lanners Lake is on the south side of CR 32 2.0 miles E of CR 11. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Lesser Black-backed Gull, Stearns Co.
Today, 20 October, from about 2:30 to 5:30 (when I left), there was a Lesser Black-backed Gull at Pearl Lake in Maine Prairie Twp., Stearns Co. The bird appeared adultlike, except for outer primaries that had neither white mirrors nor white apices - a combination that suggests a bird molting into 4th basic plumage. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Pacific Loon and Lesser Black-backed Gull in Stearns Co.
Today at Pearl Lake in Maine Prairie Twp., Stearns Co., there was a Pacific Loon (wearing juvenal plumage, basic plumage, or a combination of the two). The loon was first seen at about 2:30, and was still present at 5:00 when I left; throughout it was along the north and/or northwest shore of the lake. Also, the fourth-fall Lesser Black-backed Gull found last weekend was still present today. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Pacific Loon in Stearns Co.: location correction
The Pacific Loon at Pearl Lake in Stearns Co. was along the north and/or northEAST shore of the lake, not the north/northwest shore as stated previously. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Ivory Gull
Peder Svingen just found an Ivory Gull at Canal Park in Duluth. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] NO Barrow's Goldeneye
Today, from about 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, I was *not* successful in = relocating the male Barrow's Goldeneye previously reported from the = WI/MN state line in the vicinity of Prescott, WI. All of the goldeneyes that I saw were in two groups - a larger group in = the mouth of the St. Croix River, viewed by looking more-or-less north = from Point Douglas County Park (on the north side of US 10 just before = it crosses the St. Croix), and a smaller group in the Mississippi River, = viewed by looking more-or-less south from Freedom Park in Prescott, WI; = unfortunately, the Barrow's was not in either group (or if it was then I = managed to miss it). Incidentally, at Point Douglas County Park there was a Mute Swan. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] early Snowy Egret, 9 April
Of some interest yesterday, 9 April, was a Snowy Egret in Big Stone = County's Otrey Township, along CR 67 1.0 mile south of CR 10. A few years ago Tom Tustison (2001) wrote that the state's earliest = Snowy Egret was 10 April 1981 in Anoka County, meaning, I guess, that = yesterday's Snowy represents a new early date (by all of one day). Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 Tustison, T. 2001. Influx of Snowy Egrets into Minnesota: spring 2000 = migratory movement. Loon 73:3-7.=20
[mou] Great-tailed Grackle, Lac qui Parle Co., 23 Apr.
For those interested in county listing, yesterday - Sunday, 23 April - I = encountered a male Great-tailed Grackle in Lac qui Parle Co. OK, it = didn't vocalize, so I can't rule out a Boat-tailed Anyway, I found the grackle along CR 24 about 0.2 mi E of CR 5. At that = point a northwest-to-southeast-oriented slough crosses CR 24, and that = slough appeared to be the locus of the grackle's activity; however, it = did once venture out to the corn-stubble fields in the northwest = quadrant of the CR-24/CR-5 intersection. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Plegadis ibis, Big Stone Co.
The first-fall Plegadis ibis that Peder Svingen found last week in Big = Stone Co. was still present as of Saturday, 15 October. The location is in Ortonville Twp., along CR 64 about 1.7 miles west of = CR 67, at Munnwyler Lake - specifically, the little bit of the lake on = the north side of CR 64. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Red-throated Loons
Yesterday evening, Herb Dingmann found two Red-throated Loons - one = wearing alternate plumage, and one wearing basic - at Little Rock Lake = in Benton Co. One of the two (the one in alternate plumage) was = associating with several Common Loons. The birds were viewed from Benton Beach County Park on the north end of = the lake. To get there, take US 10 north from St. Cloud to the town of = Rice. At the Rice stop light on US 10, turn right, and then immediately = turn right again onto CR 2. Go about 2.5 miles, and at the "Benton = Beach" sign turn right into the park. Once on the entrance road, drive = straight to the end of the road and park there, in a dirt parking lot on = a small point sticking out into the lake. As the lucky recipient of a call from Herb, I got to watch the two loons = from about 8:00 to 8:30 PM. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Snowy Egret
In the "better late than never" category, on Saturday, 27 September, I = bumped into a first-fall Snowy Egret in Big Stone Co. The egret was in = Odessa Twp., on CR 77 1.8 miles S of CR 10. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Surf Scoter - Big Stone Co.
In the realm of mildly interesting observations, on Saturday, 25 Oct., = there was a first-fall Surf Scoter at the Browns Valley sewage ponds in = Big Stone Co. The scoter was in the south pond. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Rock Wren still present
The Rock Wren was still present at Acacia Park Cemetary late yesterday = afternoon. When I arrived, at about 5:20, the bird was in the = previously mentioned brush-pile area northwest of the two buildings at = the cemetary entrance; at about 5:50 it moved up to those buildings, and = there it remained until at least 6:30. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] White-faced Ibises, Big Stone Co.
Today, in Big Stone County's Toqua Township, there were two White-faced = Ibises. The ibises were in a pothole on the north side of CR 54, 1.2 = miles west of CR 61. They were there when I arrived at 1115, and were = still there when I left an hour later. Also at this pothole were seven American Avocets, four adults and three = chicks, and (to my surprise) a single Hudsonian Godwit. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Northern Bobwhite status, again
Today I spoke with Todd Bogenschutz, the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Research = Biologist responsible for upland wildlife. Regarding the Northern = Bobwhite in Iowa, Todd told me that there no bobwhites in northwest and = northcentral Iowa, but that there may be some in northeastern Iowa. Todd also told me to call Bob Kurtt, the Iowa DNR's Wildlife Management = Biologist for northeastern Iowa. Bob is stationed in Decorah, Iowa, = about 20 miles SSW of Canton, MN.=20 Accordingly, I contacted Bob Kurtt; Bob agreed with Todd's statement = about the absence of bobwhites in northwest and northcentral Iowa, and = then went on to discuss bobwhites in northeastern Iowa. He said that he = has no quantitative data bearing on the matter. That said, (1) he = himself occasionally sees bobwhites, and the ones that he sees act wild; = (2) he sometimes hears about other people encountering bobwhites; and = (3) he knows of little bobwhite raising and/or releasing in northeastern = Iowa. Given these three things, he believes that there are, in his = words, "remnant populations" of the Northern Bobwhite in northeastern = Iowa. Of course, the foregoing doesn't prove anything about the status of = those bobwhites in Canton Twp., Fillmore Co., MN, but it does provide an = additional opinion that may have some bearing on the issue. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Neotropic Cormorants still present
This morning, 13 August, the two Neotropic Cormorants were still at Big = Stone National Wildlife Refuge. They were in the same impoundment in = which they were seen yesterday - the one bounded on the east by US 75. = I viewed them from the farthest-south parking area along the impoundment = dam (the dam is sandwiched between the impoundment and US 75). The two Neotropic Cormorants were with 240 Double-crested Cormorants, = and yesterday they were with a big bunch of Double-crests as well, so = here's my "doesn't take a genius to figure it out" advice: at the = impoundment in question, look for a big aggregation of cormorants, drive = along the dam to wherever viewing conditions are most favorable, and = then spend some time searching through the aggregation for the = Neotropics. If you've been looking through the aggregation for half an hour without = success, then don't give up! One of the Neotropics left the big bunch = of cormorants and flew out of sight to the north, only to return an hour = later. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Cinnamon Teal, Big Stone Co.
Yesterday, in Otrey Twp., Big Stone Co., there was not only the Ruff = posted on the MOU rare-bird alert but also a male Cinnamon Teal. From = about 9:00 to 9:30 AM the Ruff was at the pothole on the northwest side = of the intersection of CR 67 and CR 21; it then departed, flying away = high in a northwest or west-northwest direction. From about 11:40 AM to = 12:00 noon the Cinnamon Teal was at a pothole on the east side of CR 12, = 1.0 mile south of where CR 12 intersects with CR 62; the teal, too, = departed, but flew a short distance to the south-southwest and then = descended out of sight, as if to land. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] shorebird sites, Big Stone Co.
Yesterday in Big Stone Co., Peder Svingen and I conducted a shorebird = survey and found almost 6000 shorebirds. Yesterday's best shorebird sites included the following. (1) Otrey Twp., CR 21 0.7 mile south of where it meets CR 10; look at = the pothole on the west side of the road, not the lake on the east. (2) Otrey Twp., on the south side of the intersection of CR 10 and the = north arm of CR 21. (3) Otrey Twp., Karl Slough (located on the southwest side of CR 62 = where CR 62 approaches the Big Stone Twp. line). (4) Prior Twp., CR 61 about 0.4 mile south of CR 4. Check the potholes = on both sides of the road. (5) West Toqua Lake along MN 28. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] giving credit where credit is due
Credit for finding last weekend's Snowy Plover goes to Karl Bardon, a = fact that I failed to emphasize when trying to "get the word out." Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Say's Phoebes missed
Today, from about 8:30 to 11:30 AM, I did *not* find a Say's Phoebe in = the gravel-pit area just north of the east end of CR 108 in Clay Co. = Hopefully this is a result of my own ineptitude! I spent most of the = time walking back and forth along the embankment that forms the northern = boundary of the pit, though I looped out to cover most other areas of = the pit as well. If nothing else, then I can say that I learned the Rock Wren's song - = the wren was singing almost constantly from the tops of various = rockpiles and gravel piles. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Say's Phoebe, Tuesday, 7 June
Following the old saying, "If at first you don't succeed, ...", I tried = again for the Say's Phoebe in the gravel-pit area just north of the east = end of CR 108 in Clay Co., and this time saw it - for about 10 mins. = starting at 9:55 AM, and then again for a minute or two each at 10:50, = 11:40, 12:30, 1:00, and 1:30. All of these observations occurred along = the rim of embankments that form the northern and eastern boundaries of = the pit (specifically, the easternmost 150 yds. of the north bank, and = the northernmost 100 yds. of the east bank). In my opinion, a good way to get a look at a phoebe is to go to the the = northeastern corner of the pit, and to there climb up to the rim of the = embankment; looking from the rim of the pit provides a much better view, = particularly of perches that are "set back" from the rim a bit, and that = are therefore not visible when you're standing down on the pit's floor. By the way, I never saw two phoebes at once, and my views were never = good enough to hope to recognize different individuals by plumage. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321=20
[mou] Black-headed Grosbeak, Marshall Co., 12-13 June
The male Black-headed Grosbeak is still present at the home of Mary and = Steve Broten in Marshall Co.=20 Last night, 12 June, during the period from 6:30 to 9:45 PM, the = grosbeak paid a single visit to the bank of feeders in the back yard of = the house. The visit lasted for about two minutes, prompting Steve = Broten to observe, "That's the longest I've seen him stay at the = feeders."=20 This morning, the grosbeak visited the feeders twice between 5:15 and = 7:15 AM, staying just 10-15 seconds each time. Then it began singing = from the woods abutting the back yard; by using trails in the woods to = follow the song, good views were eventually obtained as the bird sang = from various exposed perches. Thanks are owed to Ben Fritchman and John = Hockema, who initially located the grosbeak in the woods by "chasing = down" a not-quite-the-same grosbeak song. To repeat the directions to the Broten's home that Jeannie Joppru posted = last Thursday, "go nearly 12 miles north on US 59 from the intersection = of MN 1 and US 59 in Thief River Falls, then 1/8 mile west on 280th St = NW, then south down their driveway. Please call before you visit. = Their home number is 218-874-2080." Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321=20
[mou] Yellow-crowned Night-Herons
The two juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Herons reported on 31 July in Lac = Qui Parle Co. were still present on the afternoon of Saturday, 6 August. The two herons are in Madison Twp., at a small pothole bracketing either = side of US 75, just SE of the intersection of US 75 and CR 59. Two = weekends ago, they were in the part of the pothole on the NE side of US = 75; Saturday, they were in the part of the pothole on the SW side of US = 75. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 =20
[mou] Yellow-crowned Night-Herons
The two juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were still in Madison Twp., = Lac Qui Parle Co., on Saturday, 13 August. On Saturday, the two night-herons had moved a short distance down US 75 = to the Madison Wildlife Management Area, located on the southwest side = of US 75 0.8 miles southeast of its intersection with CR 59. The centerpiece, I guess, of the Madison Wildlife Management Area is a = fairly large pothole, and the night-herons were on the US-75 side of the = pothole. There they were often hidden by the emergent vegetation at the = water's edge, so that they could be quite difficult to see. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321=20
[mou-net] White-winged Scoter, Stearns Co.
This afternoon at about 4 PM there was an immature White-winged Scoter at Pearl Lake in Maine Prairie Twp., Stearns Co. As best as I could tell - it can be kind of hard to judge these things - the bird was in the NE quadrant of the lake. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Lesser Black-backed Gull, Wright Co.
This morning between 10:45 and 11:00 AM there was a first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull at Smith Lake in Middleville Twp., Wright Co. The gull, and the 120-plus Ring-billeds with it, were on the peninsula about 250 yards west of the public-access site on the east side of the lake. For whatever it's worth, at 10:30 there were no gulls on the sandbar, and at 11:00 all of the gulls left, so there's clearly a lot of shuttling in and out. By the way, although Smith Lake continues to look *great* for shorebirds, the only shorebirds present today were Killdeers and Spotted Sandpipers. I guess that the last northbound stragglers have moved on, and the first southbound birds haven't quite arrived yet. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] update: Glaucous-winged Gull in Duluth
I received a first-hand report of the Duluth Glaucous-winged Gull on 31 December. Yesterday I spoke with Duluth folks, and if memory serves then none of them knew about 1 January, but they told me that the gull was NOT seen on 2 January – and I can say from personal experience that it was NOT seen on 3 January, either. What this means about the bird’s presence in the area is hard to say. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Snowy Owl, Stearns Co.
This afternoon from about 1:00 to at least 3:30 PM there was a Snowy Owl in Stearns Co. - specifically, along 390th St., 0.7 miles E of CR 26. This location is in Ashley Twp., the northwesternmost township in the county. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] 53 Plegadis ibises in Lac qui Parle Co.
Today I was in Lac qui Parle County, and saw lots of Plegadis ibises. Specifically, at drawn-down Cory Lake in the Hamlin WMA, there were 50(!) ibises. Thirty of these I saw well enough to identify as White-faceds, i.e., I could see red irises, reddish facial skin, and, in almost all cases, a band of whitish feathering surrounding the bare facial skin. For 17 more I couldn't quite clinch the identification - I could see reddish facial skin and, usually, the aforementioned band of whitish feathering, but couldn't be confident about the color of the eyes. And for the last three ibises, one was seen reasonably well but appeared to have the anomalous combination of dark irises and purple-pink facial skin, whereas, for the last two, I didn't see anything more than dark plumage. I also saw one White-faced Ibis in Walter Twp. (on the east side of CR 7 about 0.3 miles south of CR 38) and two more in Yellow Bank Twp. (SE of the intersection of 366th St. and 141st Ave.). By the way, Cory Lake is fantastic, as advertised, with over 2500 shorebirds of 13 species and over 1300 ducks of seven species. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] A little more Sprague's Pipit information from 12 June
As Dave Cahlander reported, the Sprague’s Pipit was heard and seen again this morning. The previously posted directions (“first fence north of the windmills, walk east along the fenceline to metal pipeline post”) are excellent, though, as Dave noted, when the bird was first heard it was farther from the road than the metal post is – perhaps 150 yards NE, or ENE, of the post. The pipit began singing at about 9:20, and sang from the air over and over again until about 10:50. All the while, the center of its song flight gradually shifted a short distance to the WNW. During this period, I’m not sure if the bird ever came down – though I can’t be sure, given that there were several one-or-two-minute periods when I couldn’t hear it. (I’m not sure if the bird had stopped singing, or if I simply failed to hear it with my increasingly poor hearing.) At 10:50 I watched the pipit abruptly drop to the ground. It landed roughly 150 yards N of the metal post, where it almost immediately interacted with another bird that was right about at its landing site. Alas, it didn’t stay, taking off after perhaps only 10 seconds – too quickly for me to switch from binoculars to telescope. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Hoary Redpoll continues in Stearns Co.
The Hoary Redpoll in Stearns County's St. Joseph Twp. – found on Saturday by Marco Restani, and seen again yesterday by Herb Dingmann – remains in the northwest quadrant of the intersection of CR 2 and 270th St. It's in a flock of roughly 100 Common Redpolls; while I was there, between 0830 and 0940, the flock ranged up to about 300 yards north of the intersection, and up to about 100 yards west of the intersection. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Townsend's Solitaire still in SE Stearns Co.
The Townsend's Solitaire found on Thursday evening by Milt Blomberg was seen again this morning. Milt found the solitaire along CR 143 at the north end of Fuller Lake, roughly 1 mile WNW of the town of Clearwater, at about 5:45 PM on Thursday; this morning at about 8:15 AM, Bob Janssen and Dave Cahlander saw the bird at the intersection of CR 143 and 19th Ave. E, about 200 yards due W of Milt's sighting. However, encountering the bird is not trivial - I myself spent three hours in the immediate vicinity, but with no luck. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Western Tanager, Stearns County
The adult male Western Tanager reported yesterday from the vicinity of Paynesville, Stearns County, was still present today as of 2:10 PM. If you're interested in making arrangements to try for it, then sharglenn at peoplepc.com is the e-mail address to query. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Cinnamon Teal, Lac Qui Parle Co.
At 10:30 this morning I bumped into a male Cinnamon Teal in Lac Qui Parle Co. The location was along CR 7 about 0.15 mile south of CR 36; here there is water on both the east and west sides of the road, and the Cinnamon Teal was at the north edge of the water on the west side. Accompanying the male Cinnamon was a female teal, and that female was plainer-faced than is typical for a female Blue-winged, with pale rather than dark lores, a postocular stripe that was indistinct instead of conspicuous, and a paler area at the bill-base that was dingy pale buff rather than whitish (so that the pale area appeared...well, less contrastingly pale, relative to the rest of the face). The female in question also appeared a bit longer- and broader-billed than I expect for a female Blue-winged; regrettably, I didn't think to compare the female's bill size to that of a male Blue-winged that was briefly nearby. The male Cinnamon and its female companion swam south, and then east toward CR 7, ending up to the south of my position in the vegetation along the shoulder of the road. Once the teal disappeared into the vegetation I turned my attention to counting shorebirds, looking at the other ducks that were present, etc.; then, about 10 minutes later, with the teal having not yet reappeared, I decided to walk south along the shoulder of the road, thinking that by doing so I might "push" them back out into the open. Unfortunately, I couldn't find them - meaning, I guess, that they flew off during my 10 minutes of looking at other stuff. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Golden-crowned Sparrow still present
As of 10:55 this morning, the Golden-crowned Sparrow was still on Leech Lake's Pelican Island. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Lesser Black-backed Gull and Black Scoter, Stearns Co.
Today, in the northwestern quadrant of Pearl Lake (Stearns County, Maine Prairie Twp.), there was an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. One wonders - OK, I wonder - if this is the same individual that spent about a month at Pearl Lake late last fall. Also, at Grand Lake in adjacent Rockville Twp. (also Stearns Co.), there was a female/immature Black Scoter along the lake's east shore. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] CORRECTION - Black Scoter, Stearns Co.
The Black Scoter at Grand Lake in Stearns Co. was on the lake's west shore, not its east shore. Note that it was in the company of coots and *very close* to shore: I frequently lost sight of it as it moved through the shallows along the edge of the reeds. A few Ruddy Ducks remain on the lake, so beware. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Eurasian Wigeon still present in Hennepin Co.
The male Eurasian Wigeon remains at North Anderson Lake in Eden Prairie; it was present continuously from 7:25 (when I arrived) until 9:45 (when I left). I second Jim Mattsson's 6 November statements about the bird's appearance, and add that - at a distance where I could clearly see dark flecking on the faces of Gadwalls, American Wigeons, and female Northern Pintails - no dark flecks were visible on the face of the bird in question. In short, I saw no reason to be concerned about the presence of American Wigeon genes. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou] Long-tailed Duck, Stearns Co.
Late this morning there was an adult male Long-tailed Duck in Stearns Co. at the Albany sewage ponds - specifically, the southwest pond. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou-net] again, two female Black-backed Woodpeckers in Stearns Co.
Our party of four - Herb Dingmann, Ron Erpelding, Brian Jungels, and I - saw two female Black-backed Woodpeckers in the St. Wendel bog at about 12:30 PM today. Herb found one female, and at the same time Brian found another; both were a little outside of the stripped-tree area referenced in Denny Martin's message from yesterday, but one subsequently flew into that area, and was still there when we left at 1:00. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Red-throated Loon, Stearns Co.
This morning - from 0805 (when I arrived) through 0925 (when I left) - there was a Red-throated Loon on Sauk Lake, in the town of Sauk Centre. The loon was in winter plumage, and I suspected it to be less than a year old because of how weakly red-tinged the iris was. To get to the spot from which I viewed the loon, take US 71 north through downtown Sauk Centre. On the north side of downtown, where US 71 bends hard to the right, turn left on 4th St. N; then take 4th St. N to its end - it dead-ends at the lakeshore. From here, the loon was sometimes straight offshore; sometimes as much as 300 yards to the NW; and sometimes as much as 200 yards to the SW. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University 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] drawdown at the Albany sewage ponds (Stearns Co.)
Some of you may be interested to know that the southeasternmost of the Albany sewage ponds (Stearns Co.) has been drawn down; this morning there were about 120 shorebirds of seven species there. (Actually, the majority of the Wilson's Phalaropes were on the southwesternmost pond, which is *not* drawn down.) In at least some years, the spring drawdown of the southeasternmost pond has lasted into the beginning of June. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] NO Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Dodge Co.
Today, from 12:30 to 5:15 PM, I did *not* see any Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in Dodge Co. My time was spent driving successively larger loops, till I had covered every road within three or four miles of the intersection of CR 1 and 555th St. - with, of course, every loop bringing me back to that intersection. Alas, there were only phoebes and Eastern Kingbirds, flycatcher-wise. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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-tailed Duck in Stearns County
Today from about 11:00 to 12:15 there was a female Long-tailed Duck along the Mississippi River just north of St. Cloud. Initially it was about 350 yards NW of the 9th Ave. bridge, but eventually it moved farther NW to the Sauk River mouth. As far as I could tell, it was always in Stearns County, right along the ice edge on the river's Stearns County side. Views can be obtained from Heims Mill Canoe Access, situated on the north side of the Sauk River mouth, and from directly under the 9th Avenue bridge on the Sauk Rapids side of the Mississippi. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Surf Scoter, Stearns Co.
This afternoon there was a male Surf Scoter at the Albany sewage ponds here in Stearns County. The scoter was in the southwesternmost pond. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] NO Garganey at Crex Meadows (Burnett Co, WI)
When I left Crex Meadows Wildlife Area at noon, no one had yet seen the Garganey today (28 April). According to others with whom I spoke, observers made sporadic visits to Erickson Flowage as early as 0530, and one or more people were there continuously from perhaps 0915 until at least 1200; meanwhile, for every car parked near the intersection of Abel Rd. and County Rd. F, there were a couple more cars driving around, checking other lakes, ditches, etc. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Garganey YES - Crex Meadows (Burnett Co., WI)
The Garganey was present from 1100 to 1200 – there when I arrived, still there when I left. Throughout it was in the eastern of the two channels on the south side of Abel Rd.; the two channels lie just to the east of where Abel intersects with County Rd. F. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Black-necked Stilt, Stearns Co.
Today I found two Black-necked Stilts at Getchell Lake in Oak Twp., Stearns Co. I watched them from about 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM, and then I left; the stilts were still there. To get to Getchell Lake, take I-94W to the Albany exit; at the foot of the exit ramp, turn left and go under the freeway to the T intersection; at the T intersection, turn right onto CR 10; follow CR 10 for roughly four-and-a-half miles to CR 30; turn right, or west, onto CR 30; after a little less than two miles turn right (north), following CR 30 which turns right (north) as well; and after a little less than a mile, turn left (west) onto 327th St., which ends at the Getchell Lake public-access site. Getchell Lake water levels are low, perhaps because of a drawdown, and will be worth visiting throughout the spring unless the water comes back up. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Tropical Kingbird
As possibly the last person in MN to go look for the Tropical Kingbird, yesterday (15 July) I spent from 7:00 AM to 1:45 PM in the vicinity of trail marker 36 at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve. During that time I saw the kingbird for about one minute at roughly 8 AM, and it was not at the familiar cottonwood tree NNW of the picnic table; instead, it was about 260 yards away to the ESE – I measured the distance using Google Maps – all of the way across the field, at the edge of a small “peninsula” of brush and scattered trees that projects outward from the treeline along the field’s far side. A few minutes after the kingbird disappeared I walked over there and spent about an hour looking around, but came up empty, at which point I returned to the picnic table in the vain hope that the kingbird would make a return visit to its old haunts. Anyway, the main point of this is to make a plea. I’d be willing to go back in the hope of getting additional looks – with such a great rarity, I’d like to “soak it in,” rather than be restricted to a shortish look from long range – and maybe, just maybe, hearing something. So if anyone goes to look for the kingbird and has success, then please post something to mou-net. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University 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] Whimbrels still present, Albany sewage ponds, Stearns Co.
A short time ago Ron Erpelding called to say that the eight Whimbrels – which flew in at 0940 this morning – are still in the northwest corner of the large pond at the Albany sewage ponds here in Stearns Co. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University Collegeville, MN 56321
[mou-net] Western Wood-Pewee: NO, 9 June 2017
Today I was on-site from 0615 to 1230, and there were no Western Wood-Pewee vocalizations. The most interesting bird was an apparent intergrade towhee, located between the pewee area and the next trail intersection to the east. The bird mostly looked like a spotted - two bold wing bars, four rows of white streaks on either side of the back - but also had an obvious Eastern-Towhee-like white patch at the base of the primaries and gave an Eastern-like "drink your tea" song. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Western Wood-Pewee, Clay Co.; Black-necked Stilts, Grant Co.
The Western Wood-Pewee at Buffalo River State Park in Clay Co. continues: I was there between 5:40 and 8:15 AM this morning, and must have heard the bird 150 times. It's a good thing, too, because yesterday someone said to me, "Dude, stay away from the King Rail site because you're obviously bad luck." So, after leaving Clay Co. I *did* go to Grant Co. and the North Ottawa Impoundment, and, as was reported by Randy Frederickson earlier today, the King Rail was pretty cooperative, at least for a while; also present were the two Black-necked Stilts, which are a pair and appear to be nesting in the southernmost B pool - they engaged in a protracted distraction display with a Great Egret that approached too closely. (At the North Ottawa Impoundment, you can think of the pools as being arranged in columns that run from north to south. The eastern column consists of the A pools, the western column consists of the C pools, and the middle column is made up of the B pools. Actually, calling those units "pools" is a bit confusing, as some of them are mostly dry.) Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nesting?
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was present and frequently seen between 6:40 and 9:00 AM this morning. It appears to have a nest on the previously mentioned cellphone tower. At least, there is a small heap of dead plant material – rootlets (or something similarly flexible and woody-looking) and grasses – where two of the tower’s metal beams meet. The bird repeatedly returned to this heap and sat on it, and when sitting on the heap its tail was often cocked like a wren’s, as if the bird was sitting in a cup and its back end was being bent up where it met the cup’s side wall. Moreover, there was a 30-to-40-minute period in which the bird repeatedly brought things to the apparent nest site – it would fly across to the ditch on the westbound side of I-90, disappear out of sight down into the ditch, then fly back to the nest site carrying in its bill what I guessed to be insects. To be honest, it was impossible for me to say for sure that the objects being carried were insects; the objects didn’t look filamentous like grasses or rootlets would, though, and they sometimes seemed to show an un-plant-like mix of black and white or black and yellow. Even with a scope, it’s tough to identify stuff in a bird’s mouth when the bird is flying by! The only other flycatcher observed was an Eastern Kingbird, which I saw only once. It closely approached the nest site while the Scissor-tailed was sitting on the nest, then chased the Scissor-tailed away, only to disappear itself; shortly thereafter the Scissor-tailed returned. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University 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] Red Knot - Albany WTP
Over the lunch hour, I ran out to Albany – spent about an hour scoping the rock riprap along the pond margins, but had no luck. I’m not sure how much this means. Around here right now there’s a stiff wind out of the NW (varying from 15 to 25 mph), which makes longer-distance scope viewing difficult, so if the bird was on the opposite side of the big lagoon from me I could have easily missed it, what with my scope bouncing around in the breeze. Also, the Albany sewage-pond complex has two ponds that you can’t see from the road, so if the bird decided to spend some time at one of those ponds Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University Collegeville, MN 56321 On 9/5/17, 10:52 AM, "Minnesota Birds on behalf of Steven & Cynthia Broste" wrote: This morning, Kyle Peterson posted images taken yesterday afternoon at the Albany Waste Treatment Plant of a juvenile Red Knot. The pictures are on the Minnesota Birding Photography Facebook page. If anyone is in the area, it would be interesting to know if it is still there, or if the winds have blown it south. Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html 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] Plegadis ibis at Getchell Lake in Stearns Co.
Today along the northeast shore of Getchell Lake in Stearns Co. there was a Plegadis ibis; I first noticed it at 11:25, and it was there when I left at 1:00. It was an adult, but was always between 400 and 800 yards away, so my ability to evaluate bare-part colors was quite limited: legs were pinkish red and bill was grayish, but I couldn't determine color of the bare facial skin, and I *for sure* couldn't determine iris color. Also, there was an obvious whitish border above and below the bare facial skin; couldn't be sure if it went behind the eye. So, the breadth of the whitish border, especially below the bare facial skin, in combination with the pinkish red legs, is suggestive of White-faced Ibis, though as was mentioned above I was a "few cents short of a dollar," identification-wise, given especially the problems posed by mixed-blood Plegadis. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University 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] as most of you already expected, no Curlew Sandpiper today
Today from 7:15 to 11:15 AM I was at Lone Tree Lake in Lyon Co. There were, by my count, 1501 shorebirds of 16 species – there’s nothing like counting by ones to force you to look at every bird – but none of them was a Curlew Sandpiper. It’s another case of being “a day late and a dollar short.” Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University 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] Stearns Co. Snowy Egret
In the "local interest" category, this morning there was a Snowy Egret at the Albany sewage ponds. Indeed, it was still there when I left at 10:45 AM. It was moving around between the SW pond, the SE pond, and the dike between them; seems conceivable that it could also go up and spend some time around the NW and NE ponds, in which case it wouldn't be visible from the road. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John's University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Snowy Owl in Stearns Co.
Less expected than yesterday’s Snowy Egret in Stearns Co. – but WAY more expected than today’s Sage Thrasher in St. Louis Co. – was a Snowy Owl in Stearns Co. this morning, perched on a fencepost along westbound I-94 between MN 15 and the next overpass to the west (labeled on Google Maps as 260th St.). I got off the freeway at the next exit, doubled back via back roads, and was able to view the owl from CR 6 about 300 yards east of its intersection with the north arm of CR 137 – I parked in a little pull-off and looked SSW towards I-94. Anyway, the bird was still there when I left at around 0835, being harassed by a Red-winged Blackbird. Phil Chu Department of Biology St. John’s University Collegeville, MN 56321 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] Red Knot in Stearns Co. (Albany sewage ponds)
Of some interest - actually, of *much* interest to me as a Stearns Co. guy - was a juvenile Red Knot at the Albany sewage ponds. The knot was present when I arrived at the ponds (4:40 PM) and was still present when I left (7:25 PM). It was in the triangular (southeasternmost) pond, sometimes on the pond's west side and sometimes on its north side. Phil Chu Department of Biology College of St. Benedict and St. John's University 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] spoonbill left (for the evening at least)
At 8:03 this evening the spoonbill took off, first heading SE, then turning NE and flying out of sight. It's hard to know how consequential this is. A spoonbill located in a township park at 9 PM on 13 June in OH departed at 7 AM on the 14th - but reappeared back in the township park at 9 PM that evening. So, perhaps "our" bird will exhibit similarly regular movements (though I recognize that the OH story pertains to a bird returning to a roost site, whereas tonight's events pertain to a bird leaving for a roost site). Phil Chu Department of Biology College of St. Benedict and St. John's University 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] Tufted Duck, Stearns Co. - NO
Between 8:10 and 9:20 this morning – hoping to be able to see what I could not see yesterday, i.e., whether or not digit I (= hallux) is present on the left foot – I was at the Albany sewage ponds; however, I did not see yesterday’s adult male Tufted Duck. I *did* check all four ponds there, though I note that some portions of the NE and NW ponds are impossible to see; also, for whatever it’s worth, the duck arrived at about 10 AM yesterday from some other location – flew in from the south – so I suppose a repeat performance is conceivable. Phil Chu Department of Biology College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
