[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit - Jackson Co.

[Danny Akers]

Hi All,

While working South Heron Lake in Jackson Co. this morning, I just flushed a 
SPRAGUE'S PIPIT. It vocalized while it did its trademark stair step climb 
before plummeting back to the ground.

I also had 300+ Sparrows, including over a dozen Le Conte's and a couple 
Nelson's, but most were Swamp (50%), Savannah and Song. White-throats, 
White-crowned, and Harris's all represented. Several Sedge Wrens and a 
lingering Common Yellowthroat were also around. The lake was pretty quiet.

From the intersection of 850th St. / 415th Ave., travel north on a two lane 
road. A sign here labels this area as Stern / Kalash Point, however there is an 
eBird hotspot also right in this area as Heron Lake WMA - West Heron Unit. The 
sparrows and Pipit were along this north / south access road.

Danny Akers
Spirit Lake, IA

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[mou-net] SPRAGUE'S PIPIT Near Jeffers Petroglyphs in Cottonwood County

[hags...@aol.com]

Kim Eckert's MBW just found a SPRAGUE'S PIPIT 3/4 mi. West of the Petroglyphs 
on the E/W road that runs along the north edge of the petroglyphs.  They are at 
the Rock Ridge SNA trying to refind it now.

LInda Sparling (With Kim's permission to post.)


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit still present

[Warren]

This morning, Butch Ukura and I drove over to Felton Prairie to check on 
the SPRAGUE'S PIPIT that has been reported. We arrived there shortly 
after 7 o'clock and walked down the fence line just past the metal pipe. 
We heard the bird just to south of the fence (on the wind turbine side). 
To our surprise, the bird was sitting on the ground, no more than thirty 
feet away. We watched it (and Butch photographed it) for over five 
minutes while it casually walked a short distance away. It then flew 
directly over us and began a wonderful aerial display, flying and 
landing several times. We got great views and were on our way before 
7:30. We also got a wonderful show put on by a pair of MARBLED GODWITS a 
short distance further to the north.
We would like to thank all of the birders who posted for their help -- 
it was very much appreciated.   Warren Nelson



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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit.

[Frank Gosiak]

I went to Felton Prairie this morning and arrived to find Doug K. and 
Steve M.  They were staring up at the sky and I knew what they were 
looking at. After looking up and getting a stiff neck, I noticed as Doug did, 
there were two birds flying and both appeared to have the same 
movement. I left there and we later hooked up when I noticed a strange 
looking bird. After talking to Steve I ascertained it was a juvenile Chestnut 
Collared Longspur (first Chestnuts I have seen). Doug was further South 
and motioned to us that he found a group who were probably in a nesting 
area. My nearest estimate was there were probably a little less than a 
dozen birds. The location is about 3/4 mile North of the Sprague's Pipit 
(which was by the North end of the wind generator). Also, there were a 
number of Marbled Godwits in the area with Bobolinks and Dicksissles. It 
was hard to focus at times with the many, many, Grasshopper Sparrows 
calling. Earlier I found two Upland Sandpipers and a lone LeConte's 
Sparrow. The Uplands were North where the minimum maintenance road 
joined County 108. The LeConte's was West of the end of  County 108. 
Take the first minimum maintenance road heading South. Then the first 
maintenance road heading East again. It was back in the lowland grass 
area along the road on the South side. Two Minnesota lifers and 4 first of 
the year birds, plus, some good fellowship with a number of birders. My 
day was full and I was happy on the return trip. What a good way to 
spend a day.


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit still present 6/10

[Doug Kieser]

The Felton Prairie Sprague's Pipit is still present this morning, continuously 
skylarking from 9:00-9:50.  It was joined briefly by a second bird (species 
unknown, but appeared quite similar).
Park at the first fence north of the windmills, walk east along the fenceline 
to metal pipeline post.
Thanks to Joel Claus directing us to the spot.
Doug Kieser
Scott Meyer


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Re: [mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Refound @ 8:15 a.m. today

[J. Schmidt]

Just an added note that Ron, Randy and I also found a male Chestnut-collared 
Longspur about 1/2 mile north of the location of the Sprague's Pipit.  It was 
foraging on the ground about 40-50 feet on the east side of the gravel road 
that runs through the prairie.

Joel Schmidt



 From: Ron Erpelding 
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU 
Sent: Saturday, June 9, 2012 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Refound @ 8:15 a.m. today
 
Just got back from the Felton Prairie @ 3:30 p.m. and am pleased to report
that Randy Fredrickson, Joel Schmidt and I first heard and then saw the
Sprague's Pipit from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. this morning!  Unlike Dedrick Benz
(see email below) we parked next to the road near the south pasture fence
line north of the wind turbines and walked east.  Joel Schmidt first heard
the bird singing not too far from where we parked.  As we walked further
east (1/2 to 3/4 of the way east along the fence line) all three of us could
hear the bird singing on an ongoing periodic basis quite high in the sky.
After searching the sky for some time eventually all three of us had good
looks at the "sky larking "/singing bird.  When Dennis & Barb Martin arrived
around 9:00 a.m. they also heard the singing bird high overhead but
unfortunately  were unable to locate it.  None of us every saw the bird
land.
Later in the morning at the site we met Mark Ottness (Spelling?) from Fargo,
ND who had found a Sprague's Pipit in the same general area 20 years ago and
reported that bird was also singing/"sky larking" at a very high altitude.
Ron Erpelding

-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Dedrick
Benz
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 3:38 PM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Not Refound

I spent from about 4:30AM until 7:30AM Saturday Morning at Felton Prairie.
Directions were a little vague but I did my best.  I spent most of my time
along the "Longspur Road" south of the large pond south of CR108 and north
of the windmills.  This is kind of a large area to cover so it is entirely
possible I missed it.  I should have probably given it more time, but the
lack of shade and caffeine were getting to me so I moved on!  
Dedrick BenzWinona, MN                            

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Re: [mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Refound @ 8:15 a.m. today

[Ron Erpelding]

Just got back from the Felton Prairie @ 3:30 p.m. and am pleased to report
that Randy Fredrickson, Joel Schmidt and I first heard and then saw the
Sprague's Pipit from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m. this morning!  Unlike Dedrick Benz
(see email below) we parked next to the road near the south pasture fence
line north of the wind turbines and walked east.  Joel Schmidt first heard
the bird singing not too far from where we parked.  As we walked further
east (1/2 to 3/4 of the way east along the fence line) all three of us could
hear the bird singing on an ongoing periodic basis quite high in the sky.
After searching the sky for some time eventually all three of us had good
looks at the "sky larking "/singing bird.  When Dennis & Barb Martin arrived
around 9:00 a.m. they also heard the singing bird high overhead but
unfortunately  were unable to locate it.  None of us every saw the bird
land.
Later in the morning at the site we met Mark Ottness (Spelling?) from Fargo,
ND who had found a Sprague's Pipit in the same general area 20 years ago and
reported that bird was also singing/"sky larking" at a very high altitude.
Ron Erpelding

-Original Message-
From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU] On Behalf Of Dedrick
Benz
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 3:38 PM
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Not Refound

I spent from about 4:30AM until 7:30AM Saturday Morning at Felton Prairie.
Directions were a little vague but I did my best.  I spent most of my time
along the "Longspur Road" south of the large pond south of CR108 and north
of the windmills.  This is kind of a large area to cover so it is entirely
possible I missed it.  I should have probably given it more time, but the
lack of shade and caffeine were getting to me so I moved on!  
Dedrick BenzWinona, MN

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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Not Refound

[Dedrick Benz]

I spent from about 4:30AM until 7:30AM Saturday Morning at Felton Prairie.  
Directions were a little vague but I did my best.  I spent most of my time 
along the "Longspur Road" south of the large pond south of CR108 and north of 
the windmills.  This is kind of a large area to cover so it is entirely 
possible I missed it.  I should have probably given it more time, but the lack 
of shade and caffeine were getting to me so I moved on!  
Dedrick BenzWinona, MN

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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit at FELTON Prairie

[Jim Lind]

It has been brought to my attention that Fulton Prarie is in 
Illinois.  I'm so unfamiliar with Felton Prairie that I called it by 
the wrong name!  

The Sprague Pipit mentioned in my previous message was at Felton 
Prairie in western MN.

Jim Lind


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit at Fulton Prairie

[Jim Lind]

Brian Gibbons is leading a VENT tour in MN/ND and he and his group 
found a Sprague's Pipit at Fulton Prairie this morning.  He said the 
bird was singing and skylarking over the group for a couple of hours 
while they were birding.  

I'm not real familiar with the area, but he said the bird was off the 
rough dirt road at the south end of the prairie near the big 
windwills, past the sand/gravel operation.  The bird could be heard 
from 200-300 meters away.

Jim Lind
Two Harbors


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit and Ferruginous Hawk

[Nathan Schirmacher]

 Today Pete and Kathy Sufka, my
parents, and I went to Big Stone and Lac Qui Parle counties. Are highlights for
the trip were a Sprague’s pipit and Ferruginous Hawk for the day. The Pipit was
seen on 191st Avenue about a quarter mile south from Laq Qui Parle
Highway 15 ( highway fifteen is the road that is right beside of Plover
Prairie). Basically go down fifteen heading east from highway 75. Once you hit
the plover prairie sign take a right. Go about a quarter mile down and the
pipit was seen on both sides of the street. It was alternating from a tree to an
agriculture field (Unfortunately the pictures did not turn out because of a not
so powerful lens). The Ferruginous Hawk was seen soaring over the trail that
starts at the intersection of Lac Qui Parle county highways of 40 and 15. This
intersection is south of the Big Stone NWR HQ about two miles. We have 
previously
reported a Ferruginous at this location in the past few years. Other birds of
note were five Greater White-fronted Geese as well as one Snow seen at Salt
Lake. Shore birding was very bad for the day ending up with six species on the
day. However all together great trip!



Great Birding to all,
Nathan Schirmacher

Princeton,MN

Mille Lacs County

 


  

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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit and Pacific Loon-Big Stone NWR.

[Bill Unzen]

At 4:20 this after noon there was a Sprague's Pipit at the recently burned
area near the junction of CR40 & CR15 at the south-central part of the
BSNWR. The bird was initially on the road shoulder then it flew and landed
in the burn. I will post a photo on the MOU recently seen page.

Shortly after 9AM I found an adult breeding-plumaged Pacific Loon on the
east pool of the refuge near the Hwy75 dam.

Also of note today:
Common Moorhen-along the auto tour route of the refuge.
American Avocet-mile SW of Rosen.

-- 
Bill J. Unzen
Lac Qui Parle County.


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit Conservation Plan

[Robert_Russell]

Check out this website for the just published Sprague's Pipit conservation
plan.  The Sprague's Pipit was once a common breeder in northwestern
Minnesota.


http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/birds/spraguespipit/SpraguesJS2010r4.pdf
**
Robert P. Russell
Division of Migratory Birds
Federal Building, 1 Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056.


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[mou-net] Sprague's Pipit listing denied

[Robert_Russell]

 Region 6 (Northern Great Plains) of the US Fish and Wildlife Service
published a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Sprague's pipit
under the Endangered Species Act yesterday.  The finding was that listing
is warranted, but precluded by other higher priority actions right now.
This means, however, that the Sprague's pipit is now a candidate species
(while it gets in a que for listing funding).  Region 6 has information on
the finding posted on their website
(http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/birds/spraguespipit/).

Sprague's Pipits were once common breeders along the western border of the
state but intensive agriculture, especially in the Red River Valley (gotta
have those sugar beets, let's put high fructose corn syrup in everything we
eat) doomed the species in the state.  Once restoration of Glacial Ridge
NWR's 32,000 acres is completed perhaps a reintroduction project might be
feasible along with Baird's Sparrow which shares similar habitat.
Sprague's Pipits are likely highly vulnerable to wind turbine projects
since their courtship flights take them well into the rotor sweep zone of
the largest turbines now popping up all over the prairies.

Bob Russell, US Fish and Wildlife Service

**

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