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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *May 9, 1996 *MNST9605.09 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: May 9, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday May 9th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
With the majority of the regular early spring migrants having finally arrived, the wait is now on for the second wave of later migrants to return. This is the time of year when interesting and unusual species can show up. This year is no exception, and several species of note have been reported along with the numerous more expected species. Among them, CLARK'S GREBE, a possible BLACK RAIL, WHITE-FACED IBIS, SURF SCOTER, MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and SPOTTED TOWHEE.
A CLARK'S GREBE was seen on the north side of Albert Lea Lake in Freeborn County by David Neitzel on May 4th. A good vantage point might be from Helmer Myre State Park.
A possible BLACK RAIL was seen briefly at Veterans Park in south Minneapolis on the afternoon of May 4th, but it has not been seen or heard since then. Veterans Park is located just east of Portland Ave on 66th Street south. Birders interested in looking for the rail can begin by searching along the boardwalk.
Birders from the St. Paul Audubon Chapter visited Lac Qui Parle County on May 5th and located a WHITE-FACED IBIS at Marsh Lake. Unfortunately, at this time I have no detailed directions to the specific location.
Alice Erickson found three SURF SCOTERS at Fort Snelling State Park in Hennepin County on May 7th.
Kim Risen located a very late MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD in Kanabec County on May 5th. The bird was about one mile north of County Road 3 along County Road 20.
A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was found on Pike Island at Fort Snelling State Park on May 7th. The bird was in view for perhaps 15 minutes, singing from the treetops, but has not been seen since then.
Roger Schroeder reports finding three SPOTTED TOWHEES on May 5th at a cemetery, 1/2 mile east of Lake Benton on highway 14 in Lincoln County. Spotted Towhee was recently split from the Rufous-sided Towhee, and I am interested in all reports of this species.
In other birding news, Lake Harriet in Minneapolis hosted five species of grebe on the 7th. TRUMPETER SWANS were in at Elm Creek Park in Hennepin County on May 3rd. SANDHILL CRANES were reported from Rice Creek Regional Park near the town of Circle Pines; from Elm Creek Park in Hennepin County; at Myre Big Island Park near Albert Lea in Freeborn County, and from Todd County near the town of Swanville.
More than twenty AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen by Tom Bell at the small beach near where U.S. highway 10 crosses the Mississippi River into Wisconsin from Washington County on the 2nd. Another avocet was found by Roger Schroeder at the Lines Wildlife Management Area in Lyon County. This is about three miles east of highway 23 along county road 24. A DUNLIN and several other shorebirds were in the area as well.
A LONG-EARED OWL was near the town of Lawndale in Wilkin County on the 5th, 1/4 mile from highway 52 on county road 30, and SHORT-EARED OWLS were in Kanabec County at the Kroschel Wildlife Management Area, one mile north and three miles west of the town of Kroschel.
Warblers are well behind their normal migration arrival dates, and only a few species have yet turned up. The most consistently reported species are YELLOW-RUMPED, PALM, BLACK-AND-WHITE and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. Others include BLUE-WINGED, YELLOW, BLACK-THROATED GREEN, and ORANGE-CROWNED.
CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS have returned to their traditional breeding grounds near Felton in Clay County. Drive the road that runs north from county road 26, about two and a half miles west of county road 27, but please remember that this is private land. On May 4th four birds were seen, and 35 were there two days later.
The first BOBOLINK of the year was found by Bob Ekblad at Silver Creek Reservoir in Olmsted County on May 6th. Other new arrivals in the state include AMERICAN BITTERN, VIRGINIA RAIL, CASPIAN, FORSTER'S, and BLACK TERN, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, STILT SANDPIPER, WHIP-POOR-WILL, CHIMNEY SWIFT, HOUSE WREN, GRAY CATBIRD, BROWN THRASHER, SCARLET TANAGER, ROSE- BREASTED GROSBEAK, LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and HARRIS' SPARROW.
Finally, Randy Fredrickson visited Salt Lake in Lac Qui Parle County on the 5th of May and re-found that pair of GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES on the South Dakota side of the lake, and it is almost certain that at some point these birds will wander into Minnesota, which has only two previous records of this species.
I would like to thank everyone who called or e-mailed in their bird sightings for the quality and excellence of their reports. Spring is a busy time for the hotline, and I very much appreciate the good reports that I have been getting.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday May 16th. If you have birds to report, please leave your name, location, phone number and a specific message.