[mou-net] RUSTY BLACKBIRD at Feeders near Hope, Steele County
A bedraggled Rusty Blackbird is visiting the feeders, today. Shows the supercilliam quite well. 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] Rusty Blackbird
(Posted by Don Hoppe via moumn.org) I saw a female Rusty Blackbird under my feeders this afternoon. I live on Ten Mile Lake in Cass County, Minnesota. It was on the ground feeding on mixed bird seed and sunflower seeds with Dark-eyed Juncos, a Fox Sparrow, and a juvenile Chipping Sparrow. I have photos of all these birds, which I could send. Don Hoppe 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] Rusty Blackbird - MVNWR
A Rusty Blackbird was on the old road down to the river at the Old Cedar Ave Bridge. Not what I was expecting this time of the year. Road construction is set to begin after Labor Day. Bruce Baer Bloomington 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] Rusty Blackbird -- Hennepin Cnty
This morning a Rusty Blackbird was seen on the Bluff Trail at the Old Cedar Ave Bridge. Also in the area were the local Great Blue Heron, nine Gadwalls, two flickers, and a Bufflehead. Bruce Baer Bloomington 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] Rusty Blackbird blitz
Although the blitz more-or-less officially ended yesterday in Minnesota, I
still encourage people to look for them.Two birds were seen yesterday and
today at Westwood Hills Nature Center (St. Louis Park, Hennepin Co.) so
they are still very much present. Some of the weather earlier on in the
season prevented birds from moving into the state say some other birders
I've spoken with.
Remember to enter your sightings on to eBird under the blitz protocol
("Other" option on the Effort Page). The deadline for entering Rusty
Blackbird sightings in May 31. So keep looking for them until then! And as
always, do not hesitate to contact me with questions and comments.
Thanks!
Alyssa DeRubeis
Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota co-coodinator
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[mou-net] Rusty Blackbird blitz update
At a glance, list-serve and Facebook posts have reported very few Rusty Blackbirds. I've looked at an eBird map of Rusty Blackbirds from March 1-present and birds have been spotted in all regions of the state except north-central and northeast: http://ebird.org/ebird/map/rusbla?neg=true&env.minX=127.31505256605396&env.minY=14.90812000979197&env.maxX=7.432240066053964&env.maxY=75.48765171938685&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=3-5&bmo=3&emo=5&yr=cur A couple of birders have asked me about reporting Rusty Blackbirds to eBird. The main thing is to be sure that you're selecting the "Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" option under Other when entering the type of effort. Even if it was a traveling or stationary outing, you should still select the blitz option. The official end of the blitz in Minnesota is April 20th, although it seems like Rusty migration has been temporarily stalled by cold weather. So keep on reporting them regardless of the deadline--more could be coming in later this year! Thanks, and happy blitzing! Alyssa DeRubeis (who still hasn't seen a Rusty Blackbird this spring) Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota co-coordinator Madison, WI 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] Rusty Blackbird Blitz starts soon
Today is the first official day of spring, in terms of ornithology. This means that the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz is not far off. Spanning from March 10-April 20, 2016 marks the third and last year of an effort to determine spring migratory details of "The Rusty." The species has declined up to 95% in the past half-century, and in order to implement conservation strategies, we need to know about its entire life history. In 2015, 113 birders submitted 249 checklists containing 3,887 Rusty Blackbirds. How will we do this year? Please join us in this international-scale survey! All you need to do is enter your observations (Rusty or Rusty-less reports) on www.eBird.org. Be sure to use the "Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" under the Other category on the Effort page. This means that you have specially been keeping your eye out for Rusty Blackbirds. If you are unfamiliar with eBird, let me know and I'll be more than happy to help you out. (Sightings entered on to the MOU database CANNOT be used in this research; however, eBird sightings CAN be transferred to the MOU database.) If interested, I have an article, flyer, and a number of other resource sheets at my disposal to give to you. The Minnesota co-coordinators are open to such requests plus questions and comments. Send an e-mail to Alyssa DeRubeis (alderub...@gmail.com) or Brittney Yohannes ( brittneylarso...@gmail.com), or if you're in the southeast region of the state, Stephen Winter (wintersl8...@gmail.com). Thanks guys! Let's go find us some Rusties! :) Alyssa DeRubeis Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota co-coordinator 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] Rusty Blackbird survey ends today
Although the last day of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz (RBSMB) in Minnesota technically ended today, it has been a slower spring so please keep entering your Rusty Blackbird sightings (or non-sightings) under the RBSMB option in eBird. The International Rusty Blackbird Working Group greatly appreciates all Rusty Blackbird-related sightings on eBird! Next year will be the last year for RBSMB, so we'll be looking for your help again. As always, feel free to ask questions. Thanks ya'll! Alyssa DeRubeis Huntsville, AR 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] Rusty Blackbird survey ends Wednesday
This is a reminder that the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz ends on Wednesday, April 15. I've already had several people e-mail me their Rusty Blackbird sightings, which are great to hear! We encourage birders to visit "Areas of Interest," as identified in the 2014 blitz. Check out the sites here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/. As a reminder, observations are to be entered into eBird under the "Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" category. Remember that looking for Rusties and NOT finding them is just as important as actually finding them! Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions and comments about eBird or Rusty Blackbirds. Good luck Rusty Blackbirding! Alyssa DeRubeis Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota co-coordinator Huntsville, AR 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] Rusty Blackbird survey starts today
Today is the first day of the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz in Minnesota. I urge you to keep your eyes out for this species and report it to www.eBird.org. If you missed my introductory e-mail from a couple of weeks ago, here it is (and updated): The Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz is taking place again this year between March 15 and April 15 in Minnesota. While much research has been done on the boreal breeding grounds, biologists know little about its migratory habits. The purpose of this blitz is to identify critical migration sites across its entire migration route. Anyone birding in Minnesota during the aforementioned period should submit all their Rusty Blackbird observations to www.eBird.org. When reporting on eBird, make sure you select "Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" under "Other" on the Date and Effort page, even if you did NOT observe any Rusty Blackbirds. *Please note that the MOU Seasonal Report database does not transfer observations on to eBird, therefore you must use eBird so your observations can be used by the International Rusty Blackbird Working Team. If you are uncomfortable using eBird, PLEASE let me know and I will be more than happy to assist you! If you're interested, check out these Minnesota "Areas of Interest" for Rusty Blackbirds this spring (as identified from last year's blitz): http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/. Free birding trips led by Craig Mandel (egretc...@msn.com) focusing on Rusty Blackbirds are at these Metro locations this spring: Old Cedar Avenue Bridge (Bloomington) on March 21, 23, and 30 at 8:00am Rapids Lake Unit (Carver) on April 11 and 19 at 8:00am Also, we are competing with Wisconsin again to see which state finds the most Rusty Blackbirds this spring. The winning state gets a Rusty Blackbird carving to display publicly (for us it would probably be at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis). Wisconsin won last year, but we can make a comeback and win this year! More information, including (optional) data sheets and identification tips, can be found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/. If you have any questions about the blitz, or how to use eBird, feel free to e-mail your Minnesota state coordinators, Brittney Larson ( brittneylarso...@gmail.com) or me (alderub...@gmail.com). Lastly, I ask that you pass along the blitz information to birders who don't read these list-serve posts. I have a flyer that I can e-mail you to distribute if you so wish. Thank you, and good luck on your Rusty Blackbird searches! Alyssa DeRubeis Huntsville, AR 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] Rusty Blackbird Survey starts soon
In less than two weeks, the 2015 Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz will start in Minnesota! We need your help by finding and submitting observations. The details are as follows: The Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz is taking place again this year between March 10 and April 20 in Minnesota. While much research has been done on the boreal breeding grounds, biologists know little about its migratory habits. The purpose of this blitz is to identify critical migration sites across its entire migration route. Anyone birding in Minnesota during the aforementioned period should submit all their Rusty Blackbird observations to www.eBird.org. When reporting on eBird, make sure you select "Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz" under "Other" on the Date and Effort page, even if you did NOT observe any Rusty Blackbirds. *Please note that the MOU Seasonal Report database does not transfer observations on to eBird, therefore you must use eBird so your observations can be used by the International Rusty Blackbird Working Team. If you are uncomfortable using eBird, PLEASE let me know and I will be more than happy to assist you! If you're interested, check out these Minnesota "Areas of Interest" for Rusty Blackbirds this spring (as identified from last year's blitz): http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/2015-areas-of-interest/. Free birding trips led by Craig Mandel (egretc...@msn.com) focusing on Rusty Blackbirds are at these Metro locations this spring: Old Cedar Avenue Bridge (Bloomington) on March 14, 21, 23, and 30 at 8:00am Rapids Lake Unit (Carver) on April 11 and 19 at 8:00am Also, we are competing with Wisconsin again to see which state finds the most Rusty Blackbirds this spring. The winning state gets a Rusty Blackbird carving to display publicly (for us it would probably be at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis). Wisconsin won last year, but we can make a comeback and win this year! More information, including (optional) data sheets and identification tips, can be found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/. If you have any questions about the blitz, or how to use eBird, feel free to e-mail your Minnesota state coordinators, Brittney Larson ( brittneylarso...@gmail.com) or me (alderub...@gmail.com). Lastly, I ask that you pass along the blitz information to birders who don't read these list-serve posts. I have a flyer that I can e-mail you to distribute if you so wish. Although I'll be in Arkansas this spring, I'll try my best to send plenty of Rusty Blackbirds your way! Good birding! Alyssa DeRubeis Huntsville, AR 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] Rusty Blackbird Survey results
The checklists between Minnesota and Wisconsin have been tallied for this year's Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz, and the winner is...Wisconsin. I won't go into details here, but there will be an article on it in the upcoming Minnesota Birding magazine. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks to all who participated, and good birding! Alyssa DeRubeis Stevens Point, WI 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] Rusty Blackbird sightings wanted
This is one last reminder to get your spring Rusty Blackbird observations into www.eBird.org, as April 30 was the last day of the survey period in Minnesota. The deadline for these observations is SUNDAY, MAY 4. Next week we will start looking more into the checklists to see which state (Minnesota or Wisconsin) is the winner of the Spring Rusty Blackbird Competition. We will be looking at the proportion of checklists containing Rusty Blackbirds to the total number of checklists submitted during the survey period. Once we know the winner, I will announce it on the list-serve and on the various Facebook pages. The winning state will be awarded a lovely Rusty Blackbird carving, courtesy of Bruce Ankeny. As always, PLEASE let me know if you have any questions whatsoever. Thank you for all of your effort! Alyssa DeRubeis Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota State Co-coordinator 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] Rusty Blackbird Survey Update
We are two weeks into the Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz in Minnesota. A few tidbits: Wisconsin is beating us, as of a few days ago. (See eBird map here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=661859463876343&set=a.591206517608305.1073741828.591107727618184&type=1&theater). However, I think we still have a chance to pull through. Here in northern Iowa (~10 miles south of MN), I didn't encounter any Rusty Blackbirds until just yesterday. Now every blackbird flock I've seen includes at least a few Rusties. So keep your eyes peeled--they're definitely close to Minnesota, if not in Minnesota already. Good places to look are open forested areas near or in water. Although Rusties aren't too keen on foraging in agricultural settings or at bird feeders, they have done both. I've been told that Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (Sherburne County) and various areas in Carver County hold a lot of Rusties during migration. Again though, any wet and wooded area has the potential to harbor Rusties. The best way to detect them is to listen for their gurgling/Killdeer-esque song. For more information on separating them from other species, and on how to report them to eBird, visit http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thank you for those who have put effort forward, and good (Rusty Black)birding! Alyssa DeRubeis Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz Minnesota State Co-coordinator Lake Mills, IA 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] Rusty Blackbird meeker cty
We just had a Rusty Blackbird by our feeders at Dassel in Meeker Cty. Paul & Koni Fank Dassel Mn Meeker Cty Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE DROID
[mou-net] Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz
If there's a chance that you will or hope to see a Rusty Blackbird this spring, I ask that you read on: The Rusty Blackbird Spring Migration Blitz is taking place between March 15 and April 15 in Minnesota. While much research has been done on its boreal breeding grounds, biologists know little about its migratory habits. The purpose of this blitz is to identify critical migration sites across its entire migration route. I am asking that anyone birding in Minnesota during the aforementioned period submit all their Rusty Blackbird observations to www.eBird.org. To the best of my knowledge, the MOU Seasonal Report database does not transfer observations on to eBird, therefore you must use eBird so your observations can be used by those involved in the International Rusty Blackbird Working Team. Also, we are competing with Wisconsin to see which state finds the most Rusty Blackbirds this spring. The winning state gets a trophy to display publicly (for us it would probably be at the Bell Museum in Minneapolis). I love Wisconsin and all, but let's kick their you-know-whats! More information, including (optional) data sheets and identification tips, can be found here: http://rustyblackbird.org/outreach/migration-blitz/. If you have any questions about the blitz, or how to use eBird, feel free to e-mail your Minnesota state coordinators, Brittney Larson ( brittneylarso...@gmail.com) or me (alderub...@gmail.com). Lastly, I ask that you pass along the blitz information to birders who don't read these list-serve posts. While I'll be in Iowa this spring, I'll be close to the MN border and will be sure to send plenty of Rusty Blackbirds your way! Good birding! Alyssa DeRubeis a few more days in Golden Valley, Hennepin Co. 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] Rusty Blackbird
We have had a lone Rusty blackbird ground feeding beneath one of our birdfeeders the last two days. I had not seen this bird before and was lucky to have several photo opportunities today. To help me identify it I checked with the chamber & one of the photos was sent to local birders and I was grateful someone was able to identify it. I have been feeding a huge flock of pine grosbeak & redpolls the last few weeks and the rusty blackbird was feeding among them. By adding new platform feeders the pine grosbeak flock has increased threefold and it seems the redpoll flock could be nearing 100. We are located on the northern edge of the Tamarac Wildlife Refuge about 23 miles from Itasca State Park. We have deciduous and conifer mix forest. Our resort is located on a lake. We have some natural springs so birds can easily get water in the winter. These springs are very close to where we have the feeders. Linda Schumann Rainbow Resort 36571 Co Hwy 35 Waubun, MN 56580 i...@rainbowresort.com 218-734-2241 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] Rusty Blackbird
I imagine the Rusty Blackbird in the Showcase hasn¹t quite worn off a few of its rusty fringe feathers-I¹ve seen Red-wings also with rusty tips. Other birds (English Sparrows for instance) achieve their black bibs as the white fringes abrade exposing them. Others will know more than I but that would be my guess. 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] rusty blackbird-Rice Co
Found one rusty blackbird near the entrance to the Dennison Sewage ponds this morning. It didn't look like it was in a hurry to go anywhere - just sat in some willows in a ditch next to a small bridge. The entrance to the ponds is a dirt road next to an unpicked corn field west of Dennison (south) off Rice Co 31 (Dennison Blvd) If you are going west on Co 31 and go to Lamb Ave you have gone too far. Also saw a large flock of American pipits at Randolph Industrial park (previously reported by Laura Coble) + one meadowlark and several savannah sparrows. 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] Rusty Blackbird, American Woodcock
Rusty Blackbird, American Woodcock seen at Kunkel WMA this morning, Mille Lacs County. Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
