[mou] Gilman; Warbler Report

[Pastor Al Schirmacher]

Stopped at Gilman Ponds again this morning:  Yellow-billed Cuckoo calling 
across the street, good number of late shorebirds (although the Willet has 
moved on).

Have been monitoring warbler migration discussions on various listservs, 
decided to look over my own numbers/trends for this spring.  These would 
cover Sherburne, Mille Lacs and (to a lesser degree) Aitkin Counties - 
birded 5-6 days per week throughout the month, primarily morning walks.

* Relatively frequent sightings during migration (10-100+ 
sighting/hearings) - Blue-winged, Golden-winged, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, 
Yellow-rumped, Palm, Black-and-White, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern 
Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat

* Less frequent (4-9 sightings/hearings) - Tennessee, Nashville (both 
surprising), Cape May, Black-throated Green, Pine, Wilson's

* Barely there (1-3 sightings/hearings) - Orange-crowned, Northern Parula, 
Magnolia (unusual), Blackburnian (same), Blackpoll, Connecticut, Mourning 
(they nest here) - many of these only one

* Non-existent - Bay-breasted, Canada (usually have multiples of both), 
Black-throated Blue (not surprising), southern warblers

Virtually no waves (two, both primarily Yellow-rumped early).  High day was 
17 (historically break 20 one to three times per season, both in southern WI 
& here).  From this birder's somewhat subjective viewpoint, it was a slow 
spring.

Am also eighteen overall species behind last year's totals through 5/31.

Good birding to all!

Al Schirmacher
Princeton, MN
Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties