[mou] Curlew Sandpiper/Gr.Black-backed Gulls

Mike Hendrickson smithville4@charter.net
Sat, 23 Oct 2004 18:20:01 -0500


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The Curlew Sandpiper flew into Minnesota around 11:15-30am. I noticed a =
small group of shorebirds flying into WI. The shorebirds landed on the =
beach about 100 yrds from us. The beach I am talking about is the small =
beach area between the Superior Entry and the small parking lot at the =
base of the WI break wall.  Bob Schmoker from Colorado and myself =
watched the bird for almost 4-5 minutes.  While keying on some field =
marks and Bob taking pictures thru his scope the birds flushed and =
headed south over the parking lot and down the beach towards Gull Bluff.

On the Minnesota break wal there were two first winter Greater =
Black-backed Gulls. I would assume these gulls are chaseable as they =
were seen thru out the morning on both the Minnesota break wall and the =
WI break wall. Also there were a few Thayers Gulls present as well. I =
saw at least one adult and possibly two and one immature.  We also =
refound the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull on the Minnesota break wall.

** I am calling this a probable Curlew Sandpiper. What is tough on this =
bird it was a juvenile bird. Bob and I viewed his digitals and saw what =
we felt were key field marks making this a Juv. Curlew Sandpiper.  Bob =
is meeting Chris Woods, Peder Svingen and Phil Chu in Grand Marais =
tonight and there they will view Bob's pictures. Anyway it made for a =
exciting morning and my birthday.

Other birds seen today:

Cattle Egrets in Two Harbors ( See Jim Lind's post)
Harlequin Duck ( Burlington Bay - see Jim's post)
Northern Cardinal at Home Sweet Home gift store near Lake View Castle.

Whats what:

There is two main rocky break walls that make the Superior Entry. One =
side is Minnesota and the only way to walk on it is to start at Park =
Point airport and keep walking south. The other is WI and you can drive =
to it from Moccasin Mike Rd off Hwy 2  South of Superior, WI. The break =
wall you can walk out to a small light house and use it for shelter from =
NW winds. Then there is another cement break wall that wraps around the =
old coast guard building at WI Pt. The break wall is in the middle of =
the main long break walls. there is a bay on the south side and the =
superior entry on the north side. Its a small break wall and you can =
park near the large rock pile and walk out to it. From here you can view =
gulls on the Minnesota side when the gulls are roosting at the base of =
the Mn break wall. If the gulls are roosting at the tip of the Minnesota =
break wall then you can get a much better viewing of them by walking out =
on the WI break wall that has the light house at the end of it.

This morning I was standing and observing birds from the small middle =
break wall and looking at the gulls on the Mn. side because they =
roosting at the base of the Mn break wall.

Today the winds were from the SE and they are switching over to the West =
on Sat night and Sunday.=20

Mike Hendrickson
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>The Curlew Sandpiper flew =
into Minnesota=20
around 11:15-30am. I noticed a small group of shorebirds flying into WI. =
The=20
shorebirds landed on the beach about 100 yrds from us. The beach I am =
talking=20
about is the small beach area between the Superior Entry and the small =
parking=20
lot at the base of the WI break wall.&nbsp; Bob Schmoker from Colorado =
and=20
myself watched the bird for almost 4-5 minutes.&nbsp; While keying on =
some field=20
marks and Bob taking pictures thru his scope the birds flushed and =
headed south=20
over the parking lot and down the beach towards Gull Bluff.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>On the Minnesota break wal =
there were two=20
first winter Greater Black-backed Gulls. I would assume these gulls are=20
chaseable as they were seen thru out the morning on both the Minnesota =
break=20
wall and the WI break wall. Also there were a few Thayers Gulls present =
as well.=20
I saw at least one adult and possibly two and one immature.&nbsp; We =
also=20
refound the 2nd winter Glaucous Gull on the Minnesota break =
wall.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>** I am calling this a =
probable Curlew=20
Sandpiper. What is tough on this bird it was a juvenile bird. Bob and I =
viewed=20
his digitals and saw what we felt were key field marks making this =
a&nbsp;Juv.=20
Curlew Sandpiper.&nbsp; Bob is meeting Chris Woods, Peder Svingen and =
Phil Chu=20
in Grand Marais tonight and there they will view Bob's pictures. Anyway =
it made=20
for a exciting morning and my birthday.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Other birds seen =
today:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Cattle Egrets in Two Harbors =
( See Jim=20
Lind's post)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Harlequin Duck ( Burlington =
Bay - see=20
Jim's post)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Northern Cardinal at Home =
Sweet Home gift=20
store near Lake View Castle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Whats what:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>There is two main rocky break =
walls that=20
make the Superior Entry. One side is Minnesota and the only way to walk =
on it is=20
to start at Park Point airport and keep walking south. The other is WI =
and you=20
can drive to it from Moccasin Mike Rd off Hwy 2&nbsp; South of Superior, =
WI. The=20
break wall you can walk out to a small light house and use it for =
shelter from=20
NW winds. Then there is another cement break wall that wraps around the =
old=20
coast guard building at WI Pt. The break wall is in the middle of the =
main long=20
break walls. there is a bay on the south side and the superior entry on =
the=20
north side. Its&nbsp;a small break wall and you can park near the large =
rock=20
pile and walk out to it. From here you can view gulls on the Minnesota =
side when=20
the gulls are roosting at the base of the Mn break wall. If the gulls =
are=20
roosting at the tip of the Minnesota break wall then you can get a much =
better=20
viewing of them by walking out on the WI break wall that has the light =
house at=20
the end of it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>This morning I was standing =
and observing=20
birds from the small middle break wall and looking at the gulls on the =
Mn. side=20
because they roosting at the base of the Mn break wall.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Today the winds were from the =
SE and they=20
are switching over to the West on Sat night and Sunday. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS" size=3D4>Mike=20
Hendrickson</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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