Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *April 9, 1997 *MNST9804.09 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
This is the Minnesota statewide birding report for Thursday April 9th
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
The most interesting reports come from Bloomington in Hennepin County and
from Pennington County.
In Bloomington, Loraine Schoenack observed what she identified as a
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at her bird bath on March 28th. If confirmed this
would represent a first state record. Then on April 5th she had a
VERMILION FLYCATCHER visit the same bird bath. This well described male
would represent only the fourth state record and the first in spring.
Neither of these birds returned the following day, but if they are seen
again this tape will be updated immediately.
In Pennington County in the northwestern part of the state, Peder
Svingen found a second year CALIFORNIA GULL at the Thief River
Falls settling ponds. It was seen in with a group of FRANKLIN'S
GULL and RING-BILLED GULLS on April 5th, but was not present the
next day. Peder also found a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the 5th in Kittson
County along the Tombstone Highway just east of the town of Lancaster,
and a BLACK SCOTER at the Federal Dam on Lake Winnibigoshish in
Itasca County on April 6th.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS returned to Lake of the Isles in Minneapolis
where up to eight were seen on April 9th, and on the 5th two were at
Springbrook Nature Center in Anoka County.
VIRGINIA RAILS were at Carlos Avery Refuge in Anoka County on April 5th
and a SORA was at Mound Prairie north of the town of Hokah in Houston
County on the 5th as well.
Six species of shorebirds were seen by Karl Bardon in Jackson County on
the 3rd. Species seen there include PECTORAL SANDPIPER, COMMON SNIPE,
GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, KILLDEER and an unidentified DOWITCHER,
probably a LONG-BILLED.
Fifteen BONAPARTE'S GULL were seen by Paul Budde on April 4th in southern
Dakota County, and on the 5th Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis held a single
adult THAYER'S GULL.
Three species of owls were seen and heard in Lake County on the
4th. Tony Hertzel found LONG-EARED OWL, GREAT GRAY OWL and NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWLS along the Stoney River Road which runs south of state
highway 1 about four miles west of the town of Isabella, and along
the Whyte Road which intersects the Stoney River Road about 12
miles south of highway 1. For additional information on these and
other birds in northeastern Minnesota, call the Duluth birding
report at 218-525-5952.
Most interesting was the report of a BALTIMORE ORIOLE from Don Buldoc. The
bird was seen the first week of April in Minneapolis for one day only.
This would be a record early date for this species by nearly two weeks.
Thanks to Don Wansura I have the following April 7th report from
Pine County from near the town of Rutledge: TURKEY VULTURE, EASTERN
PHOEBE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, SONG SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, and a few
EASTERN MEADOWLARKS have all returned as spring migrants to the
area, while COMMON REDPOLLS, EVENING GROSBEAKS, and PURPLE FINCHES
are some of the winter birds he found still lingering there. And
speaking of winter birds, Greg Pluth had a few WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS
at his feeder in Minneapolis on April 9th.
Additional species that many callers have reported -- mostly from
the southern half of Minnesota -- include RED-NECKED GREBES and
HORNED GREBES, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, AMERICAN COOT, NORTHERN
HARRIER, COOPER'S HAWK, SANDHILL CRANE, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER,
NORTHERN FLICKER, AMERICAN PIPIT reported from many localities all
across the southern part of the state, WINTER WREN, both GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, HERMIT THRUSH, YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday April 16th.
From tony@midas.millcomm.com Fri Apr 17 09:18:21 1998
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Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 16, 1998, sponsored
by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. As expected, this week's list of
new spring migrants plus other birds of interest reported in Duluth and
northeastern Minnesota is longer than it was last week. Among the more
interesting sightings since last week's tape were a ROSS'S GOOSE seen by
Bill Stauffer and Warren Nelson last weekend in Aitkin County west of
Duluth. The location was along County Road 1 about 10 miles north of the
town of Aitkin.
OLDSQUAWS last weekend at various locations seen near Grand Marais up the
North Shore in Cook County.
Two SPRUCE GROUSE and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, seen by Jim Lind of Two
Harbors along the Spruce Road in Lake County on April 11. The Grouse
locations were not given, but the Black-backed was about 0.7 mile up the
Spruce Road from Minnesota Highway 1.
Jim Lind also saw a quite unexpected and very early FRANKLIN'S GULL in
the main harbor in Two Harbors on April 13.
On the Minnesota side of the Superior entry breakwater at the southern
tip of Park Point yesterday, were a first-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL,
a first-winter ICELAND GULL, along with a late GLAUCOUS GULL and some
THAYER'S GULLS. All identified by Karl Bardon of the Twin Cities. Some of
these same species were also at the nearby Superior, Wisconsin landfill.
Very early on April 13, were there the three small and pale sandpipers
on the beach at Park Point, which Scott Wolf was unable to identify. The
most likely possibility would be BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, which migrate
earlier than most other shore birds.
Dan Versaw of Two Harbors found a GREAT GRAY OWL on a nest on April 11 in
the general vicinity of Greenwood Lake in Lake County. But to avoid
disturbance, the exact location of this nest cannot be given at this time.
Another GREAT GRAY was also seen April 12 in Aitkin County near the
intersection of Pietz's Road and County 18. This is four miles east of
US highway 169.
A few NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS and LONG-EARED OWLS have been heard recently
at various locations in Lake and Cook County, but calling BOREAL OWLS
continue to be very hard to come by this spring. As of April 10,
resesarcher Bill Lane reports hearing only nine calling male Boreal Owls
on territory during 300-plus miles of survey.
And an out-of-range FIELD SPARROW was carefully identified and
photographed by various Twin Cities observers April 10. It was found at
Taconite Harbor in Cook County.
Frank Nicoletti's spring count of raptors and other migrants on West
Skyline Parkway near Enger Tower has also resulted in some significant
sightings lately. On April 10 his count was 872 raptors including no
fewer than 753 RED-TAILED HAWKS. On April 11 his count included two
GOLDEN EAGLES, plus the first DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT of the spring in
Duluth. The raptor count on April 13 was 450, including no fewer than
158 TURKEY VULTURES, 110 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 12 OSPREYS -- the first
report for the season, one BROAD-WINGED HAWK -- also the first arrival
in Duluth, and a Harlin's-type RED-TAILED HAWK. Also on the 13th, a
minimum of 68 COMMON LOONS, four AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, and five
SANDHILL CRANES flew by. On the 14th, the count included another HARLAN'S
HAWK, and yesterday, the 15th, Frank was still seeing some late BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS.
Finally, among the other newly-arrived spring migrants reported in Duluth
since last week's tape were: HORNED GREBE, early BONAPARTE'S GULL on
April 13th, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, WINTER WREN, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET,
HERMIT THRUSH, CEDAR WAXWINGS - - also early on April 13th, CHIPPING and
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, EASTERN MEADOWLARK and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime that needs to be
reported on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be
on Thursday, April 23rd. And, as always if you have birds to report you
may leave a message after the tone.
Date: April 9, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
From: Anthony Hertzel
Date: April 16, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525 5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Barb Adams badams@.css.edu
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