Re: [mou] Junco

Kelly = Larson

Bemidji Minnesota

Northern Flights Wild Bird = Store

Just 96 miles from the Canadian border!

Or = visit us on the Web at...

The middle of Nowhere = = Somewhere!<= /DIV>

= --Apple-Mail-1-253515488-- From axhertzel@sihope.com Tue Oct 17 17:29:48 2006 From: axhertzel@sihope.com (Anthony Hertzel) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:29:48 -0500 Subject: [mou] Fwd: Jaeger STILL being seen References: Message-ID: <14052108-43D2-485A-8F21-438434B2D06A@sihope.com> --Apple-Mail-11-259278487 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Begin forwarded message: > From: Drew Smith > Date: October 17, 2006 10:19:12 A.M. CDT > Subject: Jaeger STILL being seen > > Jim Mattsson phoned me about 10 minutes ago, as he was watching the > Pomarine > Jaeger in Blue Earth County. He asked me to post that it was still > there. > > > Drew Smith > - - - Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com --Apple-Mail-11-259278487 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII

Begin forwarded = message:

From: Drew Smith <drews@seasonalspecialties.co= m>
Date: October 17, 2006 10:19:12 A.M. = CDT
Subject: Jaeger STILL being = seen

=
Jim Mattsson phoned me about 10 minutes ago, as he = was watching the Pomarine
Jaeger in = Blue Earth County. He asked me to post that it was still = there.

Drew = Smith

=

- - = -

Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com

= --Apple-Mail-11-259278487-- From two-jays@att.net Tue Oct 17 22:55:04 2006 From: two-jays@att.net (Jim Williams) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:55:04 -0500 Subject: [mou] prairie preserved Message-ID: <6d58798b2a0dd844052a4330415aa332@att.net> Many bird species will benefit from the action described below, thanks,=20= among others, to purchasers of the federal duck stamp and members of=20 Ducks Unlimited. I urge you to buy a stamp and consider DU membership.=20= Bird conservation wears many hats. Jim Williams Wayzata =46rom an announcement by Ducks Unlimited: HAND COUNTY, S. D., Oct.. 16, 2006 =96 More than 10,300 acres of South=20= Dakota native prairie grasslands and wetlands have been permanently=20 protected with a nearly $3 million grant. This is thanks to the efforts=20= of a broad coalition of conservation partners including Ducks Unlimited=20= (DU), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the U.S. Fish=20 and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the North American Wetland Conservation=20 Act (NAWCA) and 13 private landowners in central South Dakota. DU=20 received a grant from NFWF that provided a springboard to purchase=20 grassland easements on native prairie grassland and wetland complexes=20 that supply critical breeding habitat for a diversity of grassland=20 birds including waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and songbirds. The USFWS used significant funds from the Migratory Bird Conservation=20 Stamp, or =93duck stamp,=94 to help protect a large portion of these=20 ranches via easements. All migratory bird hunters in the United States=20= are required to purchase a Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp to hunt=20 waterfowl, and the proceeds are used to protect critical habitat such=20 as the breeding areas in South Dakota. Out of every dollar generated=20 through stamp sales, 98 cents goes to the protection of critical=20 habitat. Since its inception in 1934, sales of Duck Stamps have=20 generated more than $670 million for wildlife conservation. A portion of the funding from NFWF comes directly from the =93Help=20 Budweiser Help the Outdoors=94 program. As part of the Budweiser sales=20= promotion, more than 180 participating Anheuser-Busch wholesalers=20 donated a percentage of proceeds from all bottles and cans of Budweiser=20= sold from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31, 2005. Ducks Unlimited and Budweiser have=20= partnered for years to conserve vital acres of habitat. The=20 relationship continues to pay off for the benefit of waterfowl. The benefits of this collaborative conservation work include=20 maintenance of the diverse native mixed grass prairie along with the=20 embedded wetlands and protection of critical breeding habitat for=20 Northern Pintails, mallards, blue-winged teal, marbled godwits,=20 Wilson=92s phalaropes, chestnut-collared longspurs and Baird=92s = sparrow.=20 The grasslands are also critical to ensuring the viability of the local=20= ranching industry, which is a cornerstone of the rural communities=20 across South Dakota. From dkienholz@hotmail.com Tue Oct 17 23:18:00 2006 From: dkienholz@hotmail.com (Don Kienholz) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:18:00 -0500 Subject: [mou] Mountain Bluebird - Bayfront Park, Duluth MN Message-ID: This afternoon in the fog and drizzle I found a female Mountain Bluebird at Bayfront Park Duluth. I first saw the bird around 1:30 PM on Tuesday Oct 17th. Kim Eckert and I independently both relocated the bird around 2 - 3:30 in the afternoon. The bird was last seen on the small hill located between the music stage and the aquarium near the harbor. It was seen perching on boulders and in small trees in this area of the park. Bayfront Festival Park is in downtown Duluth. Directions. North on 35W, exit 5th Ave west near downtown and turn right onto Harbor Drive at the stoplight. Take next right and go to Railroad Street. At stop go left to parking lot. The park is visible from the freeway. Look for the large music pavillion and grassy "bowl" also present in the park with 100's of Canada Geese no fewer than 8 Cackling Geese, and 3 blue phase Snow Geese. 2 adults, 1 Imm. Don Kienholz _________________________________________________________________ All-in-one security and maintenance for your PC. Get a free 90-day trial! http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000002msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.windowsonecare.com/?sc_cid=msn_hotmail From blanich@emily.net Wed Oct 18 01:27:34 2006 From: blanich@emily.net (Steve & Jo Blanich) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 19:27:34 -0500 Subject: [mou] Sabine's Gull in Crow Wing County Message-ID: <001c01c6f24c$34e50b60$b264a8c0@hppav> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C6F222.4BCBDFE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This evening, Tuesday, a Sabine's Gull was sighted with a flock of two = hundred plus Bonaparte's Gulls at the Ironton sewer ponds which are = located one mile north from the intersection of Hwy. 210 & CR30 in Crow = Wing county. =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C6F222.4BCBDFE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This evening, Tuesday, a Sabine's Gull = was sighted=20 with a flock of two hundred plus Bonaparte's Gulls at the Ironton sewer = ponds=20 which are located one mile north from the intersection of Hwy. 210 & = CR30 in=20 Crow Wing county.

------=_NextPart_000_0019_01C6F222.4BCBDFE0-- From Hagsela@aol.com Wed Oct 18 03:07:41 2006 From: Hagsela@aol.com (Hagsela@aol.com) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:07:41 EDT Subject: [mou] Pomarine Jaeger in Blue Earth Message-ID: --part1_c8f.7071af.3266e66d_boundary Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit I was able to relocate the probable Pomarine Jaeger this afternoon (10/17) from 2:00-2:45. The Cty. Rd. to take from Hwy 14 is actually Cty. 86. Just north of where it crosses Cty. 3 is the parking area for the Sakatah Trail (left side). As Denny mentioned, it's an easy walk east from there. Keep going past the little bridge. A good spot to plant your scope is at the bench on the south side of the trail. Another birder I saw leaving the area said she'd seen the jaeger only on the south side of the lake. That was my experience, too. It was at first on the water for 10 minutes or so, then it flew around the south end of the lake. I was able to see the double flashing on the wings. After a while I lost it against the tree line on the opposite shore. It was pretty windy and cold so I let myself get distracted with birds closer to hand. It was delightful to see so many Fox Sparrows, Rusty Blackbirds, a few Swainson's Thrushes, Wilson's Snipe and even three Pectoral Sandpipers. Linda Sparling Hennepin County --part1_c8f.7071af.3266e66d_boundary Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was able to relocate the probable Pom= arine Jaeger this afternoon (10/17) from 2:00-2:45. The Cty. Rd. to t= ake from Hwy 14 is actually Cty. 86. Just north of where it crosses C= ty. 3 is the parking area for the Sakatah Trail (left side). A= s Denny mentioned, it's an easy walk east from there. Keep going past the li= ttle bridge. A good spot to plant your scope is at the bench on the s= outh side of the trail. Another birder I saw leaving the area said sh= e'd seen the jaeger only on the south side of the lake. That was my experie= nce, too. It was at first on the water for 10 minutes or so, then it=20= flew around the south end of the lake. I was able to see the double f= lashing on the wings. After a while I lost it against the tree line o= n the opposite shore. It was pretty windy and cold so I let myself ge= t distracted with birds closer to hand. It was delightful to see so m= any Fox Sparrows, Rusty Blackbirds, a few Swainson's Thrushes, Wilson's Snip= e and even three Pectoral Sandpipers.
Linda Sparling
Hennepin County --part1_c8f.7071af.3266e66d_boundary-- From smithville4@charter.net Wed Oct 18 06:12:35 2006 From: smithville4@charter.net (Mike Hendrickson) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:12:35 -0500 Subject: [mou] Park Pt./ Mt. Bluebird Message-ID: <001201c6f274$06607270$6400a8c0@FAMILYCOMPUTER> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C6F24A.1CBFA060 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I went down to look for Don Kienholtz's Mountain Bluebird at Bayfront = Park. I was to locate the bluebird and spent a good deal of time = studying the bird and taking some photos. I was at Bayfront Park from = 4:30pm - 5:10pm and the bird was still in the area mentioned by Don.=20 There is also a large gathering of geese on the ballfield at Park Point. = I saw 10 Blue Geese and about as many as 15 or so Cackling Geese mixed = in with some Lesser Canada Geese.=20 I took photos of the Mt. Bluebird and the Blue Geese and you can view = them on my website under "Recently Seen" Michael Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C6F24A.1CBFA060 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I went down to look for Don = Kienholtz's=20 Mountain Bluebird at Bayfront Park. I was to locate the bluebird and = spent a=20 good deal of time studying the bird and taking some photos. I was at = Bayfront=20 Park from 4:30pm - 5:10pm and the bird was still in the area mentioned = by Don.=20

There is also a large = gathering of geese=20 on the ballfield at Park Point. I saw 10 Blue Geese and about as = many as=20 15 or so Cackling Geese mixed in with some Lesser Canada Geese. =

I took photos of the Mt. = Bluebird and the=20 Blue Geese and you can view them on my website under "Recently=20 Seen"

Michael = Hendrickson
Duluth,=20 Minnesota
http://webpages.chart= er.net/mmhendrickson/

------=_NextPart_000_000F_01C6F24A.1CBFA060-- From Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com Wed Oct 18 13:27:24 2006 From: Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com (Alt, Mark) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 07:27:24 -0500 Subject: [mou] FW: [PABIRDS] Wax Birds Message-ID: <53C2BE278DA0704BA0CC0F271E0158CBC1CE97@dsp65mail.na.bestbuy.com> Another interesting tidbit from our birding friends in the keystone state. -----Original Message----- From: Bird discussion list for Pennsylvania [mailto:PABIRDS@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG] On Behalf Of Grant Stevenson Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 11:40 PM To: PABIRDS@LIST.AUDUBON.ORG Subject: [PABIRDS] Wax Birds Just a note: Tree Swallows, Pine Warblers, and Yellow-rumped Warblers=20 have in their digestive systems the ability to digest wax berries like=20 barberries, poison-ivy, dogwood, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and sumac like Cedar Waxings, Phainopepla, N. Flickers, and Downy Woodpeckers=20 slightly have the capability to do. Tree Swallows' ability to digest=20 recoated beeswax exocarps paralleled that of Yellow-rumped Warblers.=20 This study's results may be a stimilus for winter birders to look in=20 unlikely spots in North America at unlikely times for these birds,=20 depending on the unmonitored crop-size of these plants. For more=20 information, see Place, A.R., and E.W. Stiles (1992, Living off the wax=20 of the land: bayberries and Yellow-rumped Warblers, THE AUK 109(2):=20 334-345; obtain via PDF from SORA on BIRDNET, www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/.=20 Place inside "keywords" YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Also has YRW study from=20 Presque Isle.). I welcome any corrections, from professors or "amateurs". Happy birding, Grant Stevenson Bethlehem, Leheigh County, PA Surnia_ulula_caparoch@verizon.net From robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu Wed Oct 18 04:00:37 2006 From: robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu (robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu) Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:00:37 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [mou] gray jay report from Clay County Message-ID: <49237.24.117.134.204.1161140437.squirrel@webmail.ndsu.nodak.edu> Hi, I received a call this evening from a home owner in Clay County who says she had a Gray Jay in her yard today. She lives about two miles west of Buffalo River State Park and is sending me photographs to document her sighting. This will be a real rarity for the county if she's right, but given the number of Gray Jays sighted in the Duluth area this fall and the multiple reports coming from Grand Forks County, ND, about seventy miles further north, I suspect the sighting is correct, although I can't say that with certainty yet. At the very least it's going to have me out looking for Gray Jays. Bob O'Connor Moorhead From fieldfare21@hotmail.com Wed Oct 18 14:30:12 2006 From: fieldfare21@hotmail.com (Benjamin Fritchman) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:30:12 -0500 Subject: [mou] NW MN Gray Jay(s) Message-ID: I figured I'd pass on a little on information from the North Dakota birding listserve. Earlier there has been a noted migration of Gray Jays along the North Shore, and in the past week, several Gray Jays have turned up in northeastern North Dakota. There have been 6 reports of Gray Jays in Grand Forks County ND this fall, some right along the Red River and in Grand Forks itself. As of yet, I don't think any have been found on the Minnesota side of the river in Grand Forks. Also, last night Bob O'Connor of Moorhead received a call from a homeowner living about 2 miles west of Buffalo River State Park in Clay County, MN, saying a Gray Jay had visited her feeder. If confirmed, I believe this will be a 2nd Clay County record. If you're in northwestern Minnesota this fall, keep an eye open for wandering Gray Jays! It seems this could be a good year for them. Ben Fritchman P.S. If anyone sees(or doesn't see) the Blue Earth Co. Pomarine today, please post....I may head down there tomorrow....... _________________________________________________________________ Get FREE company branded e-mail accounts and business Web site from Microsoft Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ From corax6330@yahoo.com Wed Oct 18 16:23:22 2006 From: corax6330@yahoo.com (fred lesher) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:23:22 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Buffalo Co. , Wis. Ibis Present 10AM Oct. 18 Message-ID: <20061018152322.47853.qmail@web56004.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Carol Schumacher (Winona MN) is looking (10AM) at an ibis at the current location along Hwy 35 across from the Cochrane/Fountain City Public School. This bird has been previously reported on Wisbird. Fred Lesher, LaCrosse, Wis. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From markotnes@msn.com Wed Oct 18 16:15:35 2006 From: markotnes@msn.com (Mark Otnes) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 10:15:35 -0500 Subject: [mou] NW MN Gray Jay(s) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I would suggest checking a nice grove just to the north of Syre in Norman County. It's on the east side of Highway 32 across from a small cemetery. In the early 90's I had a gray jay there in October I believe. I've also had Townsend's solitaire in that grove. The habitat there is excellent, it's full of cedars and conifers, and it has a stream running through it. Mark Otnes Fargo ND 701-241-4191 markotnes@msn.com >From: "Benjamin Fritchman" >To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu >Subject: [mou] NW MN Gray Jay(s) >Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 08:30:12 -0500 > >I figured I'd pass on a little on information from the North Dakota birding >listserve. Earlier there has been a noted migration of Gray Jays along the >North Shore, and in the past week, several Gray Jays have turned up in >northeastern North Dakota. There have been 6 reports of Gray Jays in Grand >Forks County ND this fall, some right along the Red River and in Grand >Forks itself. As of yet, I don't think any have been found on the Minnesota >side of the river in Grand Forks. Also, last night Bob O'Connor of Moorhead >received a call from a homeowner living about 2 miles west of Buffalo River >State Park in Clay County, MN, saying a Gray Jay had visited her feeder. If >confirmed, I believe this will be a 2nd Clay County record. If you're in >northwestern Minnesota this fall, keep an eye open for wandering Gray Jays! >It seems this could be a good year for them. > >Ben Fritchman > >P.S. If anyone sees(or doesn't see) the Blue Earth Co. Pomarine today, >please post....I may head down there tomorrow....... > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get FREE company branded e-mail accounts and business Web site from >Microsoft Office Live >http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ > >_______________________________________________ >mou-net mailing list >mou-net@cbs.umn.edu >http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net From PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net Wed Oct 18 17:28:19 2006 From: PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net (Pastor Al Schirmacher) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:28:19 -0500 Subject: [mou] Little Gulls Message-ID: <00bd01c6f2d2$6c44a5d0$0b01a8c0@pastoral> Have noted a dramatically increased number of Little Gull reports this year in Minnesota & Wisconsin (including two of our own) - if I remember correctly, as many as seven on one occasion. So, are we as birders just being more observant...or has there been a population increase...or has some natural phenomenon pushed more into the Great Lakes region...or? Any facts or speculation? Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties From odunamis@yahoo.com Wed Oct 18 19:49:55 2006 From: odunamis@yahoo.com (Chad Heins) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 11:49:55 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Pomarine still present Message-ID: <20061018184955.4551.qmail@web50406.mail.yahoo.com> Hey birders,=0A=0ATom Dahlen and I relocated the Pomarine Jaeger Wednesday = morning. The bird was still present (and apparently in no hurry to leave) = at 11:15 when we left. We observed the bird for 45 minutes and saw it fly = only 3 times. Ring-billed Gulls were present in very low numbers (<20) com= pared to Monday afternoon (>60) when we first viewed the bird. A small flo= ck of Franklin's Gulls also passed overhead.=0A=0AOther birds along the Sak= atah trail: Fox, Song, White-throated, White-crowned, Harris', Swamp, Chipp= ing, and American Tree Sparrows, both kinglets, Eastern Bluebird, Wilson's = Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Great Egret, and Rusty Blackbird.=0A=0AI also wa= nt to offer a late report of a dark-phase Harlan's Red-tail that passed ove= r the Bethany Lutheran College campus last Friday. Two other dark-phase Re= d-tails were also seen that day (51 Red-tails total).=0A=0AHappy birding!= =0A=0AChad Heins=0AMankato, MN=0A=0A From wielandba@yahoo.com Wed Oct 18 23:08:35 2006 From: wielandba@yahoo.com (B W) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:08:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Crow Wing County Little Gull Message-ID: <20061018220835.50081.qmail@web35506.mail.mud.yahoo.com> --0-503374016-1161209315=:49765 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Molly Malecek and I observed a 1st winter Little Gull at the Ironton sewage treatment ponds today at 1 P.M. We were not able to relocate the Sabine's Gull posted there from yesterday. The LIGU was mixed in with a flock of approx. 80 Bonaparte's Gulls. Ben Wieland Ben Wieland Deep Portage Learning Center 2197 Nature Center Dr. NW Hackensack, MN 56452 (218)682-2325 --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail. --0-503374016-1161209315=:49765 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Molly Malecek and I observed a 1st winter Little Gull at the Ironton sewage treatment ponds today at 1 P.M. We were not able to relocate the Sabine's Gull posted there from yesterday. The LIGU was mixed in with a flock of approx. 80 Bonaparte's Gulls.

Ben Wieland

Ben Wieland
Deep Portage Learning Center
2197 Nature Center Dr. NW
Hackensack, MN 56452 (218)682-2325

Do you Yahoo!?
Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail. --0-503374016-1161209315=:49765-- From tiger150@comcast.net Wed Oct 18 23:45:05 2006 From: tiger150@comcast.net (alyssa) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 17:45:05 -0500 Subject: [mou] Westwood Migrants Message-ID: <003801c6f307$0ecfd520$6401a8c0@A2400T2482> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C6F2DD.2590F930 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was volunteering at the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St Louis Park = (Hennepin Co.) The local family of Wild Turkeys (juves from this summer) = decided to watch us at work for a while. Afterwards (4:30-5pm) I decided = to go birding. I was surprised to find a big raft of 50+ H. Mergansers = on the North end of the pond (there was even a lonely coot mixed in!) I = heard many Swamp Sparrows but only saw 2. Lastly, when I was about to = leave, there wagging his tail was...an E. Pheobe! One of the naturalists = there saw a screech owl being mobbed by some crows earlier today, but I = didn't have enough time to go look for it (it was spotted on a spruce.) = Well, good birding to all (and I hope the weather clears up!) Alyssa DeRubeis Golden Valley ------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C6F2DD.2590F930 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I was volunteering at the Westwood = Hills Nature=20 Center in St Louis Park (Hennepin Co.) The local family of Wild=20 Turkeys (juves from this summer) decided to watch us at work = for a=20 while. Afterwards (4:30-5pm) I decided to go birding. I was = surprised to=20 find a big raft of 50+ H. Mergansers on the North end of the pond = (there=20 was even a lonely coot mixed in!) I heard many Swamp Sparrows but only = saw 2.=20 Lastly, when I was about to leave, there wagging his tail was...an E. = Pheobe!=20 One of the naturalists there saw a screech owl being mobbed by some = crows=20 earlier today, but I didn't have enough time to go look for it (it was = spotted=20 on a spruce.) Well, good birding to all (and I hope the weather clears=20 up!)

Alyssa DeRubeis

Golden = Valley

------=_NextPart_000_0035_01C6F2DD.2590F930-- From loridave@cpinternet.com Thu Oct 19 00:49:40 2006 From: loridave@cpinternet.com (Lori Williams) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:49:40 -0500 Subject: [mou] listserve Message-ID: <000601c6f310$148c4080$6401a8c0@D9P14N31> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6F2E6.2ABE43F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Unsubscribe please Thank you ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6F2E6.2ABE43F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

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------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6F2E6.2ABE43F0-- From jslind@frontiernet.net Thu Oct 19 01:52:31 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:52:31 -0600 Subject: [mou] Mountain Bluebird near Two Harbors, Lake Co. Message-ID: <453677EF.7788.137B240@localhost> After relocating the Mountain Bluebird at Bayfront Park in Duluth at noon today, I found another female Mountain Bluebird along the Highway 61 expressway just west of Two Harbors at dusk. It was foraging from highway signs at the crest of the hill just west of the spot where Highway 61 goes from 4-lane to 2-lane. When you're coming from Duluth, this is the small hill just past (east of) the big Ford dealership. A female Eastern Bluebird was also in the same area for direct comparison. Jim Lind Two Harbors From jslind@frontiernet.net Thu Oct 19 03:12:30 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:12:30 -0600 Subject: [mou] more on the Duluth Mountain Bluebird Message-ID: <45368AAE.9494.180EC87@localhost> Kim Risen left a message that he and Cindy Risen relocated the Mountain Bluebird this afternoon, and it was on the west side of the canal foraging from the shrubs and powerlines near the cement plant. This is about two blocks west of where it was seen at Bayfront Park yesterday and at noon today. Others who looked for the bird this afternoon at the park, the stage, and the aquarium were unsuccessful. Jim Lind From psvingen@d.umn.edu Thu Oct 19 06:51:52 2006 From: psvingen@d.umn.edu (Peder Svingen) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:51:52 -0500 Subject: [mou] Record-high count of Common Loons on Mille Lacs Message-ID: Anthony Hertzel and I conducted a 7 and 1/2 hour survey of Mille Lacs Lake on Wednesday (18 October). In spite of snow squalls, intermittent drizzle, and blustery northwest winds, we counted a total of 2,729 Common Loons. This represents a new record-high count for Minnesota (2,511 were tallied at this same location 18 October 2000). The vast majority were along the north and west shores, including a flock of 1,061 off Wealthwood. We also counted a total of 1,923 Bonaparte's Gulls. Other highlights included a Red-throated Loon and a late Hudsonian Godwit along the north shore (Aitkin County), an adult Pacific Loon photographed on St. Albans Bay (Crow Wing County), and a late Common Tern at Isle (Mille Lacs County). Though not counted individually, numbers of Horned Grebes were estimated to be the highest since our surveys started there about 10 years ago. -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN From djr56058@yahoo.com Thu Oct 19 03:28:27 2006 From: djr56058@yahoo.com (David Remiger) Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2006 19:28:27 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Albinistic Redtail Hawk Message-ID: <20061019022827.9037.qmail@web51613.mail.yahoo.com> --0-778161511-1161224907=:8751 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I think it is an almost if not total albino Redtail Hawk. As a UPS driver I didn't have binocs along. It was south of Remax real-estate at 11200 78th St in Eden Prairie. Spotted several times near same trees in the corner by Anderson lake and the road ditch. This was on 10/18/06 David Remiger Apple Valley, 952-423-4864 The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. Psalms 24:1 "If a kid has a Uke in his hand, he's not going to get into much trouble." Arthur Godfrey --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out. --0-778161511-1161224907=:8751 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit I think it is an almost if not total albino Redtail Hawk. As a UPS driver I didn't have binocs along. It was south of Remax real-estate at 11200 78th St in Eden Prairie. Spotted several times near same trees in the corner by Anderson lake and the road ditch. This was on 10/18/06 David Remiger Apple Valley, 952-423-4864

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. Psalms 24:1

"If a kid has a Uke in his hand, he's not going to get into much trouble."
Arthur Godfrey

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out. --0-778161511-1161224907=:8751-- From mattmecklenburg@hotmail.com Thu Oct 19 14:18:18 2006 From: mattmecklenburg@hotmail.com (Matt Mecklenburg) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 09:18:18 -0400 Subject: [mou] CLay Co. Gray Jay Not Refound Message-ID: Hi, I checked last evening for the Gray Jay reported and did not find the bird. However, I did not have specific directions and the general area is by two busy highways. I went to Johnson Park in Moorhead afterward and did not find anything to out of the ordinary. Large flocks of chipping sparrows (2-3 flocks of 40-50 birds) white throated sparrows Juncos There was a small flock of purple finches (8 birds) and there was a great horned along the river. Matt Mecklenburg Clay County _________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones with Windows Live Spaces http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends.aspx&mkt=en-us From blanich@emily.net Thu Oct 19 15:23:13 2006 From: blanich@emily.net (Steve & Jo Blanich) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 09:23:13 -0500 Subject: [mou] Crow Wing County Little Gull Message-ID: <000801c6f38a$1cc8dcc0$aa64a8c0@hppav> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F360.339EE860 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Little Gull was seen this A.M. at the Ironton sewer ponds. There = were approximately 2 dozen Bonaparte's Gulls in the southwest pond when = we arrived at 8:00, then dozens flew in & we saw the Little Gull at = approx. 8:30. The gate is usually locked so anyone wanting to see the = bird can contact Steve at 218-546-5939. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F360.339EE860 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

The Little Gull was seen this A.M. at = the Ironton=20 sewer ponds. There were approximately 2 dozen Bonaparte's Gulls in = the=20 southwest pond when we arrived at 8:00, then dozens flew in & we saw = the=20 Little Gull at approx. 8:30. The gate is usually locked so anyone = wanting=20 to see the bird can contact Steve at = 218-546-5939.

------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F360.339EE860-- From PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net Thu Oct 19 16:46:10 2006 From: PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net (Pastor Al Schirmacher) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 10:46:10 -0500 Subject: [mou] Cackling Geese; Central MN Message-ID: <002601c6f395$b427c620$0b01a8c0@pastoral> This morning there were two Cackling Geese among the 500+ Canadas at Milaca Sewage Ponds (personal county bird) - both were much smaller than the Lessers present. 76 species observed over last week in Sherburne & Mille Lacs Counties, of interest: Little Gull along Mille Lacs Lake (west side, highway 35, previously reported) - 19 waterfowl, including few Tundras - Sandhill Cranes flocking together (97 in one Sherburne ag field, have seen flocks of 600+ in past autumns) - first Northern Shrike of season at Father Hennepin last Saturday - eight species of sparrows, although Juncos predominate - couple of Rusty Blackbirds. Good birding to all! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties From patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu Thu Oct 19 17:00:05 2006 From: patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu (patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:00:05 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [mou] Clay Co. birds Message-ID: <4530.134.129.73.84.1161273605.squirrel@webmail.ndsu.nodak.edu> Hello all, I also went after the Gray Jay last evening, but with no success. I spent about an hour in the pine and spruce grove just off US 10 at the entrance to Buffalo River State Park. I found Pine Siskins (10, FOY), Golden-crowned Kinglets (14), a Red-breasted Nuthatch, one Brown Creeper (FOY), two Great Horned Owls, seven Hooded Mergansers along the river, and an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk. This is a really neat little grove - plenty of pine, spruce and northern white cedar. Ought to be a good place to find a wandering Gray Jay or Townsend's Solitaire. Good Birding! Pat Patrick Beauzay Department of Entomology 217 Hultz Hall, Bolley Drive North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 701-231-9491 Patrick.Beauzay@ndsu.nodak.edu http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/entomology/ http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/tigerbeetles/index.htm http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/Mounting_Chalcidoidea/Chalcmount.htm From odunamis@yahoo.com Thu Oct 19 19:54:06 2006 From: odunamis@yahoo.com (Chad Heins) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 11:54:06 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Pomarine not found Message-ID: <20061019185406.41132.qmail@web50409.mail.yahoo.com> Hey birders!=0A=0ABen Inniger and I looked for the Pomarine Jaeger this mor= ning around 8am. No such bird was found. We were there only 15 minutes or= so, but two other birders had been scanning for awhile already and had the= same result. We did see a couple of Wilson's Snipe and a variety of sparr= ows and blackbirds.=0A=0AWe also visited Cobb River WPA in southeastern Blu= e Earth County and found some other shorebirds: Greater Yellowlegs, Killdee= r, Wilson's Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. A flock= of 6 very subdued Barn Swallows was also there hawking insects over the wa= ter.=0A=0AHappy birding!=0A=0AChad Heins=0AMankato, MN=0A=0A From Chris Benson" Message-ID: <011f01c6f3b1$920463c0$6d78a8c0@station22> Reading Chad's comment about the Barn Swallows makes me think it's about the time of year when we should be out looking for a first state record Cave Swallow. Chris Benson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chad Heins" To: "MOU" Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 1:54 PM Subject: [mou] Pomarine not found Hey birders! Ben Inniger and I looked for the Pomarine Jaeger this morning around 8am. No such bird was found. We were there only 15 minutes or so, but two other birders had been scanning for awhile already and had the same result. We did see a couple of Wilson's Snipe and a variety of sparrows and blackbirds. We also visited Cobb River WPA in southeastern Blue Earth County and found some other shorebirds: Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. A flock of 6 very subdued Barn Swallows was also there hawking insects over the water. Happy birding! Chad Heins Mankato, MN _______________________________________________ mou-net mailing list mou-net@cbs.umn.edu http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net From jme29@cornell.edu Thu Oct 19 20:38:41 2006 From: jme29@cornell.edu (Jesse Ellis) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 12:38:41 -0700 Subject: [mou] Re: thinking about Cave Swallows In-Reply-To: <011f01c6f3b1$920463c0$6d78a8c0@station22> References: <20061019185406.41132.qmail@web50409.mail.yahoo.com> <011f01c6f3b1$920463c0$6d78a8c0@station22> Message-ID: Chad's comment is a great one. After last fall's incredible fallout along the south shore of Lake Ontario (some birders reported large flocks of Cave Swallows), and greater observer awareness of these birds, I hope people will look. The birds tend to congregate on the south shores of large bodies of water, or migrate past migrant traps like Cape May. I think your best bet in Minnesota would be ... you guessed it... in Duluth. You might have the chance of seeing birds coming in from Wisconsin along the lake, or birds blown further north and moving south along the North Shore. Park Point seems decent in my mind - look for other swallows and check. Depending on where they blow, Mille Lacs or other large lakes could be good spots to check too. My lifer came a few minutes from my house in Ithaca, New York (I'm transplanted, originallys from the Cities) a few years ago when 6 birds showed up at the south end of Cayuga Lake, which is 40 miles long north-south. Glad to see that MN birders are thinking about this. Cave Swallow seems high on the list for next state records. Hm. Wonder what other birds people think might turn up first? Jesse Ellis Seattle, WA >Reading Chad's comment about the Barn Swallows >makes me think it's about the time of year >when we should be out looking for >a first state record Cave Swallow. > >Chris Benson > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Chad Heins" >To: "MOU" >Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 1:54 PM >Subject: [mou] Pomarine not found > > >Hey birders! > >Ben Inniger and I looked for the Pomarine Jaeger this morning around 8am. >No such bird was found. We were there only 15 minutes or so, but two other >birders had been scanning for awhile already and had the same result. We >did see a couple of Wilson's Snipe and a variety of sparrows and blackbirds. > >We also visited Cobb River WPA in southeastern Blue Earth County and found >some other shorebirds: Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Wilson's Snipe, >Pectoral Sandpiper, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. A flock of 6 very subdued >Barn Swallows was also there hawking insects over the water. > >Happy birding! > >Chad Heins >Mankato, MN > > > >_______________________________________________ >mou-net mailing list >mou-net@cbs.umn.edu >http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net > >_______________________________________________ >mou-net mailing list >mou-net@cbs.umn.edu >http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net -- Jesse Ellis, Ph. D. candidate Neurobiology and Behavior jme29@cornell.edu 111 Mudd Hall Cornell University Ithaca, 14853 "Now, for some of you it doesn't matter. You were born rich, and you're going to stay rich. But here's my advice to the rest of you: take dead aim on the rich boys. Get them in the crosshairs. And take them down." Herman Blume, in "Rushmore" From connybrunell@earthlink.net Thu Oct 19 20:41:32 2006 From: connybrunell@earthlink.net (Conny Brunell) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:41:32 -0500 Subject: [mou] Mountain Bluebird ~ St. Louis County Message-ID: <380-2200610419194132890@earthlink.net> ------=_NextPart_29001111922467194132890 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII The female Mountain Bluebird found by Don Kienholz on 10/17/06 at Bayfront Park in Duluth, St. Louis County was still present this morning. I drove into the parking lot behind the pavilion 7th Ave West and Railroad Street at 8:30 am and the first bird I saw was a Northern Shrike working the edge trees chasing after everything that moved. My heart skipped a few beats hopeful that the Mountain Bluebird would still be around with the enforcer patroling with a no mercy attitude. I tried the next lot closer to the Cement Plant off 8th Ave West and Railroad Street following the Shrike checking everywhere. Upon returning to the 7th Ave lot I found the Mountain Bluebird sitting on a wire, and she flew right in front of my car and landed in some puddles next to a row of planters for a drink. After a few minutes a big semi came into the lot making a lot of noise and scared the bird off across the fence over a channel of water towards the Cement Factory. When I could not find it again I took off for Park Point and returned at 10:45 to find the bird on the same wire at the driveway entrance. This time the bird circled all around the lot perching in the trees along the edges, on rocks, and wires for another 5 minutes then the Northern Shrike made another appearance, and the Mountain Bluebird disappeared again. I waited around for 15 minutes watching a large flock of Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and Horned Larks swirl around in and out and land closeby in the lot, but did not see the Bluebird again. Conny Brunell Richfield, Hennepin Co. ------=_NextPart_29001111922467194132890 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII

The female Mountain Bluebird found by Don Kienholz on 10/17/06 at Bayfront Park in Duluth, St. Louis County was still present this morning. I drove into the parking lot behind the pavilion 7th Ave West and Railroad Street at 8:30 am and the first bird I saw was a

Northern Shrike working the edge trees chasing after everything that moved. My heart skipped a few beats hopeful that the Mountain Bluebird would still be around with the enforcer patroling with a no mercy attitude. I tried the next lot closer to the Cement Plant off 8th Ave West and Railroad Street following the Shrike checking everywhere. Upon returning to the 7th Ave lot I found the

Mountain Bluebird sitting on a wire, and she flew right in front of my car and landed in some puddles next to a row of planters for a drink. After a few minutes a big semi came into the lot making a lot of noise and scared the bird off across the fence over a channel of water towards the Cement Factory. When I could not find it again I took off for Park Point and returned at 10:45 to find the bird on the same wire at the driveway entrance. This time the bird circled all around the lot perching in the trees along the edges, on rocks, and wires for another 5 minutes then the Northern Shrike made another appearance, and the Mountain Bluebird disappeared again. I waited around for 15 minutes watching a large flock of Lapland Longspurs, Snow Buntings, and Horned Larks swirl around in and out and land closeby in the lot, but did not see the Bluebird again.

Conny Brunell

Richfield, Hennepin Co.

------=_NextPart_29001111922467194132890-- From dingermcduff@hotmail.com Fri Oct 20 01:08:15 2006 From: dingermcduff@hotmail.com (shawn conrad) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:08:15 -0500 Subject: [mou] Spruce Grouse - Koochiching County In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I was working in the Big Falls area this week and noted Spruce Grouse in the following areas: 10/18 Toumey Williams Rd near the Hendrickson Rd 10/18 2 SG on the Hendrickson Rd 10/19 Hwy 65 within the Nett Lake Reservation Boundaries (no landmarks to go off of) I also saw 2 flocks of Snow Geese totaling perhaps 100 birds fly over CR 13. There were small flocks of Snow Buntings on Hwy 65 and CR 30. Shawn Conrad Bovey _________________________________________________________________ All-in-one security and maintenance for your PC. Get a free 90-day trial! http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwlo0050000002msn/direct/01/?href=http://www.windowsonecare.com/?sc_cid=msn_hotmail From odunamis@yahoo.com Fri Oct 20 01:27:24 2006 From: odunamis@yahoo.com (Chad Heins) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:27:24 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Pomarine present Message-ID: <20061020002725.32058.qmail@web50405.mail.yahoo.com> Hey birders,=0A=0AI just got off the phone with Butch Ukura who was one of = the birders present when I was at Eagle Lake this morning. He said the jae= ger appeared about 10 minutes after I left (8:45am). It was located on the= northern part of the lake, north of the Sakatah Trail and flew to the sout= hern part of the lake while he watched. He said that the bird flew to the s= outhern part of the lake and he lost sight of the bird. He told me he was = there until 2pm and never saw the bird again. He also indicated that there= were several gulls flying around on the northern part of the lake.=0A=0ASo= ...the jaeger may or may not be there at this point. It has chosen a lake = that can provide some problems for viewing and may require some patience be= fore the bird shows itself. I will not be able to get out the next couple = of days so I will be unable to offer any updates from a local birder. =0A= =0AGood luck!=0A=0AChad Heins=0AMankato=0A=0A From axhertzel@sihope.com Fri Oct 20 01:46:15 2006 From: axhertzel@sihope.com (Anthony Hertzel) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:46:15 -0700 Subject: [mou] MOU RBA 19 October 2006 Message-ID: <20061020004827.E4C7D10268@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161305175==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *October 19, 2006 *MNST0610.19 -Birds mentioned Tundra Swan Ring-necked Duck Surf Scoter Black Scoter Red-throated Loon Pacific Loon Common Loon Rough-legged Hawk Little Gull Sabine's Gull Common Tern Pomarine Jaeger Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Bohemian Waxwing Spotted Towhee American Tree Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Rusty Blackbird Red Crossbill Evening Grosbeak -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: October 19, 2006 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (axhertzel@sihope.com) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday October 19th 2006. A POMARINE JAEGER has been seen at the southern end of Eagle Lake just east of Mankato in Blue Earth County since the 15th. An adult LITTLE GULL was found near the Richard's Townsite boat launch on Lake Winnibigoshish, Itasca County, on the 15th. Another Little Gull was at the Ironton sewage ponds in Crow Wing County on the 18th, and a SABINE'S GULL was seen there on the 17th. On the 14th, Dan Floren found both a BLACK SCOTER and a SURF SCOTER on the east side of Lake Ripley in Litchfield, Meeker County. A lengthy survey of Mille Lacs Lake on October 18th produced a record total of 2,729 COMMON LOONS, the majority of which were along the north and west shores, including a flock of 1,061 near Wealthwood. A RED-THROATED LOON and a late Hudsonian Godwit were also seen along the north shore, an adult PACIFIC LOON was photographed on St. Albans Bay, and a late COMMON TERN was in the bay near Isle. A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD has been at Bayfront Park in Duluth since the 17th, and another was along the state highway 61 just west of Two Harbors in Lake County on the 18th, foraging at the crest of the hill just west of where the highway 61 becomes two lanes. On the 16th, Mike Hendrickson discovered a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the western edge of Gitchie Gammi Park in east Duluth. A SPOTTED TOWHEE was in St. Louis County on the 14th. He was at the feeders at Audrey Evers home in Hoyt Lakes. At the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County, Warren Nelson, Jo Blanich, and Steve Blanich reported at least 150,000 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Many birders are reporting large groups of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and I also have reports of TUNDRA SWAN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SNOW BUNTING, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, EVENING GROSBEAK, and RED CROSSBILL. Finally, John Nelson of Buford, Blue Earth County still has a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD coming to his feeder. There is no reason to take feeders down at this time of year, and those with feeders still up may want to increase the proportion of sugar in the water for the remainder of the season. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, October 26th 2006. --====1161305175==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*October 19, 2006
*MNST0610.19

-Birds mentioned

Tundra Swan
Ring-necked Duck
Surf Scoter
Black Scoter
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Rough-legged Hawk
Little Gull
Sabine's Gull
Common Tern
Pomarine Jaeger
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Bohemian Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
American Tree Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Rusty Blackbird
Red Crossbill
Evening Grosbeak

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: October 19, 2006
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (axhertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday October 19th 2006.

A POMARINE JAEGER has been seen at the southern end of Eagle Lake just east of Mankato in Blue Earth County since the 15th.

An adult LITTLE GULL was found near the Richard's Townsite boat launch on Lake Winnibigoshish, Itasca County, on the 15th. Another Little Gull was at the Ironton sewage ponds in Crow Wing County on the 18th, and a SABINE'S GULL was seen there on the 17th.

On the 14th, Dan Floren found both a BLACK SCOTER and a SURF SCOTER on the east side of Lake Ripley in Litchfield, Meeker County.

A lengthy survey of Mille Lacs Lake on October 18th produced a record total of 2,729 COMMON LOONS, the majority of which were along the north and west shores, including a flock of 1,061 near Wealthwood. A RED-THROATED LOON and a late Hudsonian Godwit were also seen along the north shore, an adult PACIFIC LOON was photographed on St. Albans Bay, and a late COMMON TERN was in the bay near Isle.

A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD has been at Bayfront Park in Duluth since the 17th, and another was along the state highway 61 just west of Two Harbors in Lake County on the 18th, foraging at the crest of the hill just west of where the highway 61 becomes two lanes.

On the 16th, Mike Hendrickson discovered a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the western edge of Gitchie Gammi Park in east Duluth.

A SPOTTED TOWHEE was in St. Louis County on the 14th. He was at the feeders at Audrey Evers home in Hoyt Lakes.

At the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County, Warren Nelson, Jo Blanich, and Steve Blanich reported at least 150,000 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Many birders are reporting large groups of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, and I also have reports of TUNDRA SWAN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, SNOW BUNTING, LAPLAND LONGSPUR, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, EVENING GROSBEAK, and RED CROSSBILL.

Finally, John Nelson of Buford, Blue Earth County still has a RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD coming to his feeder. There is no reason to take feeders down at this time of year, and those with feeders still up may want to increase the proportion of sugar in the water for the remainder of the season.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, October 26th 2006. --====1161305175====-- From brsmith@sleepyeyetel.net Fri Oct 20 01:51:39 2006 From: brsmith@sleepyeyetel.net (Brian Smith) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:51:39 -0500 Subject: [mou] Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Brown Co. Message-ID: <00be01c6f3e1$e83c3990$09852c42@S0026080567> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00BB_01C6F3B7.FE481760 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Late this afternoon I was surprised to find a very late Buff-breasted = Sandpiper feeding along the edge of an exposed gravel bar at the Sleepy = Eye sewage ponds. What was even more surprising was seeing it forage = around in the water. I guess the only available food for it around here = is near the water now that insects are scarce in the grass. =20 There were also three Stilt Sandpipers feeding in the same area. It's = getting late in the season for this species, too. Brian Smith Sleepy Eye ------=_NextPart_000_00BB_01C6F3B7.FE481760 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Late this afternoon I was surprised to find a very = late=20 Buff-breasted Sandpiper feeding along the edge of an = exposed=20 gravel bar at the Sleepy Eye sewage ponds. What was even more = surprising=20 was seeing it forage around in the water. I guess the only=20 available food for it around here is near the water now that = insects=20 are scarce in the grass.

There were also three Stilt = Sandpipers=20 feeding in the same area. It's getting late in the season for this = species, too.

Brian Smith

Sleepy Eye

------=_NextPart_000_00BB_01C6F3B7.FE481760-- From corax6330@yahoo.com Fri Oct 20 02:33:37 2006 From: corax6330@yahoo.com (fred lesher) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:33:37 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Pool 8, Miss. R.,MN & WI; Houston Co, MN Message-ID: <20061020013337.74471.qmail@web56011.mail.re3.yahoo.com> All waterfowl in Pool 8 (LaCrosse to Reno, MN, Genoa, WI). Most waterfowl in WI, east side & middle Pool 8, numbers into the 10,000s, mostly Canvasbacks. Raft of waterfowl stretches 1/4 mile wide & 2 miles long, approximately. I viewed from Hwy 26, Houston Co. MN. From deck south of Brownsville & wherever safe to pull off the highway. In WI, view from Hwy. 35 north & south of Stoddard. Also from Genoa Old Settlers'Park, if open. Forest road is south of Brownsville, MN. Look for heavy DNR pipe gate. Walk in. Wear an orange vest at least. I do not know all the hunting seasons, but squirrels now & I think turkeys for bow hunters. Remember how blaze orange looks like autumn leaves! Horned Grebe Am. White Pelican..........300+ Double-crstd. Corm. Great Blue H. Great Egret Can. Goose Tundra Swan................125+ Wood D., Gadwall, Am. Wigeon, Am. Black D., Blue-w. Teal (2), No. Pintail, Green-w.Teal, Canvasback, (thousands, maybe more), Ring-n. Duck, L. Scaup, Ruddy Duck Bald E.....................12 Am. Coot and more Forest trail, unmarked, on foot, no vehicles. Look for the ugly DNR pipe gate about 10" diameter across from a wide spot in Hwy 26, west side. This entrance is about 0.2 mile south of RR Mile Marker 147 on the RR track between the highway & the River. A new viewing area & highway pull-off is under construction near RR Mile Marker 147. Best birds: E. Phoebe Tufted Titmouse Brown Creeper House Wren Winter Wren both kinglets Gray-cheeked Thrush---2 Am. Robin----100+, very noisy Cdar Waxwing Yell. r. Warbler Fox Sp. Song Sp. White-thrtd. Sp. Fred Lesher LaCrosse, Wis. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From ajjoppru@wiktel.com Fri Oct 20 02:58:50 2006 From: ajjoppru@wiktel.com (Jeanie Joppru) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 18:58:50 -0700 Subject: [mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Thursday, October 19, 2006 Message-ID: <20061020020105.0ABA610268@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161309530==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *October 19, 2006 *MNDL0610.19 -Birds mentioned Snow Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Trumpeter Swan Surf Scoter Hooded Merganser Spruce Grouse American White Pelican Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Great Horned Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Gray Jay Boreal Chickadee Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Cedar Waxwing American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Western Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Pine Siskin -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: October 19, 2006 Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours) Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com) This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 20, 2006 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888. Leaves are only a memory now, and the temperatures are flirting with the freezing mark this week in the northwest. Scoters and gray jays are showing up in the birding reports on both sides of the Red River, and the last sparrows are making their way out of the area. Ben Fritchman passed on a very good sighting of 20 SNOW GEESE at Lake Latimer just south of Long Prairie in Todd County this week. In Clay County on October 15, Bonnie Schultz reported a GRAY JAY at her place near Glyndon. The bird was not relocated by several birders in recent days, but permission has been obtained for birders to come look for the bird from the roadway or you may come to the door and ask if it has been seen recently. Directions to the location are as follows: From the intersection of US 10 and MN 9, go one mile south and one mile east on 12th Ave to 1222 145 St S. On looking at the map, it looks as if that might be only 0.5 mi east. Matt Mecklenburg visited Johnson Park in Moorhead, Clay County, on October 19 where he found the expected CHIPPING SPARROWS, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and PURPLE FINCH; in addition there was a GREAT HORNED OWL. At the Moorhead wastewater treatment ponds on October 18, Ben Fritchman found three SNOW GEESE, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, one KILLDEER, and 12 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. Patrick Beauzay, near the entrance to Buffalo River State Park, found most of the same species and also 7 HOODED MERGANSERS, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, GOLDEN -CROWNED KINGLET, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, and PINE SISKIN. There were four SURF SCOTERS at the Thief River Falls wastewater treatment ponds in Pennington County on October 15. They were in the far southeastern corner of the most southerly cell. Other species seen there included SNOW GOOSE, CANADA GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE, many ducks of a nice variety of species, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK. Zeann Linder reported a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS at her home on October 15, and a possible LINCOLN'S SPARROW on October 17. On October 19, four EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and one TREE SPARROW appeared in our yard near Thief River Falls. At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on October 15, I found CACKLING GEESE, 5 TRUMPETER SWANS, BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILSON'S SNIPE, and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Many of those species were along CR 7 east of the headquarters building. Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, FOX SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and DARK-EYED JUNCO at their place near Bemidji on October 16. >From Lake of the Woods County, Martin Kehoe reported seeing five groups of SPRUCE GROUSE totaling 24 individuals within the last two weeks. He also found one AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, two BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, and some BOREAL CHICKADEES. He noted that small mammal populations have exploded in the Beltrami Island State Forest this summer which bodes well for owls and goshawks this winter. Thanks to Ben Fritchman, Bob O'Connor, Bonnie Schultz, Martin Kehoe, Matt Mecklenburg, Pat Rice, Patrick Beauzay, and Zeann Linder for their reports. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, October 27, 2006. --====1161309530==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*October 19, 2006
*MNDL0610.19

-Birds mentioned

Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Surf Scoter
Hooded Merganser
Spruce Grouse
American White Pelican
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-bellied Plover
American Golden-Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Long-billed Dowitcher
Wilson's Snipe
Great Horned Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Gray Jay
Boreal Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Eastern Bluebird
Cedar Waxwing
American Tree Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Western Meadowlark
Rusty Blackbird
Pine Siskin

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: October 19, 2006
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 20, 2006 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

Leaves are only a memory now, and the temperatures are flirting with the freezing mark this week in the northwest. Scoters and gray jays are showing up in the birding reports on both sides of the Red River, and the last sparrows are making their way out of the area.

Ben Fritchman passed on a very good sighting of 20 SNOW GEESE at Lake Latimer just south of Long Prairie in Todd County this week.

In Clay County on October 15, Bonnie Schultz reported a GRAY JAY at her place near Glyndon. The bird was not relocated by several birders in recent days, but permission has been obtained for birders to come look for the bird from the roadway or you may come to the door and ask if it has been seen recently. Directions to the location are as follows: From the intersection of US 10 and MN 9, go one mile south and one mile east on 12th Ave to 1222 145 St S. On looking at the map, it looks as if that might be only 0.5 mi east.

Matt Mecklenburg visited Johnson Park in Moorhead, Clay County, on October 19 where he found the expected CHIPPING SPARROWS, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and PURPLE FINCH; in addition there was a GREAT HORNED OWL. At the Moorhead wastewater treatment ponds on October 18, Ben Fritchman found three SNOW GEESE, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, one KILLDEER, and 12 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS. Patrick Beauzay, near the entrance to Buffalo River State Park, found most of the same species and also 7 HOODED MERGANSERS, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, GOLDEN -CROWNED KINGLET, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, BROWN CREEPER, and PINE SISKIN.

There were four SURF SCOTERS at the Thief River Falls wastewater treatment ponds in Pennington County on October 15. They were in the far southeastern corner of the most southerly cell. Other species seen there included SNOW GOOSE, CANADA GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE, many ducks of a nice variety of species, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK. Zeann Linder reported a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS at her home on October 15, and a possible LINCOLN'S SPARROW on October 17. On October 19, four EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and one TREE SPARROW appeared in our yard near Thief River Falls.

At Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge on October 15, I found CACKLING GEESE, 5 TRUMPETER SWANS, BALD EAGLES, NORTHERN HARRIERS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 4 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, WILSON'S SNIPE, and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD. Many of those species were along CR 7 east of the headquarters building.

Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, FOX SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and DARK-EYED JUNCO at their place near Bemidji on October 16.

>From Lake of the Woods County, Martin Kehoe reported seeing five groups of SPRUCE GROUSE totaling 24 individuals within the last two weeks. He also found one AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, two BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS, and some BOREAL CHICKADEES. He noted that small mammal populations have exploded in the Beltrami Island State Forest this summer which bodes well for owls and goshawks this winter.

Thanks to Ben Fritchman, Bob O'Connor, Bonnie Schultz, Martin Kehoe, Matt Mecklenburg, Pat Rice, Patrick Beauzay, and Zeann Linder for their reports.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, October 27, 2006. --====1161309530====-- From jslind@frontiernet.net Fri Oct 20 03:08:09 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 19:08:09 -0700 Subject: [mou] Duluth RBA 10/19/06 Message-ID: <20061020021020.230B510268@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161310089==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 19, 2006 *MNDU0610.19 -Birds mentioned Snow Goose Ross's Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan Ring-necked Duck Harlequin Duck White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Spruce Grouse Rough-legged Hawk Little Gull Short-eared Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Shrike Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Bohemian Waxwing Spotted Towhee Snow Bunting Yellow-headed Blackbird Common Redpoll Pine Siskin -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: October 19, 2006 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net) This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 19th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. Don Kienholz found a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the 17th at Bayfront Park in Duluth. It was originally seen between the stage and the aquarium, but was relocated on the 18th and today west of the park near 7th Avenue West. Another female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was found west of Two Harbors on the 18th along the MN Highway 61 expressway, about three blocks east of the big Ford dealership. It could not be relocated today. Jeff Newman reports a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the 18th in his yard near the corner of 44th Avenue East and Regent Street in Duluth. Jeff also had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in his yard on the 16th. A SPOTTED TOWHEE visited the yard of Audrey and Joel Evers in Hoyt Lakes on the 14th, but it has not been seen since. Mike Hendrickson found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the 16th on the west end of Gitchi Gammi Park in east Duluth. Deb and Steve Falkowski found a male HARLEQUIN DUCK on the 15th along Scenic Highway 61 about three miles southwest of Stoney Point near fire number 5174. At Park Point in Duluth they found four WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS at 12th Street and two BLACK SCOTERS near the rowing club. Bruce Munson reported a LITTLE GULL at Wisconsin Point on the 14th. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was found today along Scenic Highway 61 about three miles east of Lester River at fire number 8517. Two immature ROSS'S GEESE were still present today at the Two Harbors golf course, along with at least 238 CACKLING GEESE, 25 SNOW GEESE, and 120 CANADA GEESE. Peder Svingen and Tony Hertzel found a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Cook County on the 15th along the Croftville Road, as well as a SHORT-EARED OWL near the mouth of the Brule River at Naniboujou Lodge, and a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the Sprague Creek ponds. Jan Green found two female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the 15th in Two Harbors at Lighthouse Point. This afternoon a male and female were seen here along the trail on the east side of the point. Another BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found today in Two Harbors at the corner of 4th Avenue and 1st Street. Deb and Steve Falkowski found one on the 15th at Stoney Point. Steve and Ann Schon found two SPRUCE GROUSE on the 15th about a half mile west of MN Highway 1, on the second gravel road going west off Highway 1 about 1.5 miles south of the Spruce Road. Shawn Conrad found two SPRUCE GROUSE in Koochiching County on the 18th along the Hendrickson Road and another on the Toumey Williams Road near the Hendrickson Road. On the 19th he saw one along MN Highway 65 within the Nett Lake Reservation. Warren Nelson and Steve and Jo Blanich birded Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County over the weekend and saw TRUMPETER SWAN, TUNDRA SWAN, nine shorebird species, and at least 150,000 RING-NECKED DUCKS. SNOW BUNTINGS, NORTHERN SHRIKES, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, PINE SISKINS, COMMON REDPOLLS, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are being reported from many locations throughout northern Minnesota, especially along the North Shore. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, October 26th. The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message. The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. --====1161310089==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 19, 2006
*MNDU0610.19

-Birds mentioned

Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Ring-necked Duck
Harlequin Duck
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Spruce Grouse
Rough-legged Hawk
Little Gull
Short-eared Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Bohemian Waxwing
Spotted Towhee
Snow Bunting
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 19, 2006
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 834-2858
Compiler: Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 19th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Don Kienholz found a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the 17th at Bayfront Park in Duluth. It was originally seen between the stage and the aquarium, but was relocated on the 18th and today west of the park near 7th Avenue West. Another female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was found west of Two Harbors on the 18th along the MN Highway 61 expressway, about three blocks east of the big Ford dealership. It could not be relocated today. Jeff Newman reports a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the 18th in his yard near the corner of 44th Avenue East and Regent Street in Duluth. Jeff also had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in his yard on the 16th.

A SPOTTED TOWHEE visited the yard of Audrey and Joel Evers in Hoyt Lakes on the 14th, but it has not been seen since. Mike Hendrickson found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the 16th on the west end of Gitchi Gammi Park in east Duluth. Deb and Steve Falkowski found a male HARLEQUIN DUCK on the 15th along Scenic Highway 61 about three miles southwest of Stoney Point near fire number 5174. At Park Point in Duluth they found four WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS at 12th Street and two BLACK SCOTERS near the rowing club. Bruce Munson reported a LITTLE GULL at Wisconsin Point on the 14th.

A LONG-TAILED DUCK was found today along Scenic Highway 61 about three miles east of Lester River at fire number 8517. Two immature ROSS'S GEESE were still present today at the Two Harbors golf course, along with at least 238 CACKLING GEESE, 25 SNOW GEESE, and 120 CANADA GEESE.

Peder Svingen and Tony Hertzel found a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Cook County on the 15th along the Croftville Road, as well as a SHORT-EARED OWL near the mouth of the Brule River at Naniboujou Lodge, and a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the Sprague Creek ponds.

Jan Green found two female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the 15th in Two Harbors at Lighthouse Point. This afternoon a male and female were seen here along the trail on the east side of the point. Another BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was found today in Two Harbors at the corner of 4th Avenue and 1st Street. Deb and Steve Falkowski found one on the 15th at Stoney Point.

Steve and Ann Schon found two SPRUCE GROUSE on the 15th about a half mile west of MN Highway 1, on the second gravel road going west off Highway 1 about 1.5 miles south of the Spruce Road. Shawn Conrad found two SPRUCE GROUSE in Koochiching County on the 18th along the Hendrickson Road and another on the Toumey Williams Road near the Hendrickson Road. On the 19th he saw one along MN Highway 65 within the Nett Lake Reservation.

Warren Nelson and Steve and Jo Blanich birded Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Aitkin County over the weekend and saw TRUMPETER SWAN, TUNDRA SWAN, nine shorebird species, and at least 150,000 RING-NECKED DUCKS.

SNOW BUNTINGS, NORTHERN SHRIKES, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, PINE SISKINS, COMMON REDPOLLS, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are being reported from many locations throughout northern Minnesota, especially along the North Shore.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, October 26th.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. --====1161310089====-- From houletr@yahoo.com Fri Oct 20 14:26:42 2006 From: houletr@yahoo.com (terry houle) Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 06:26:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Bird bath heaters Message-ID: <20061020132642.81029.qmail@web57901.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Looking for info on bird bath heaters. I think some of the common ones are like 200 watts and looking for something with lower wattage for environmental reasons. Also would like one with an intermittent on it unless I use a timer. Anyone had any experiences because I want to keep the energy use down for global warming. Thanks for any assistance or pointers on information. terry houle __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu Fri Oct 20 19:41:51 2006 From: patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu (patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu) Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:41:51 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [mou] [Fwd: [ND-BIRDS] odd bird] Message-ID: <4240.134.129.73.84.1161369711.squirrel@webmail.ndsu.nodak.edu> Hello all, These photos have sparked a bit of discussion on the ND listserver. My gut feeling is that it's a cowbird, but I'm only basing this on bill shape. Any ideas? Pat ---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: [ND-BIRDS] odd bird From: Corey Ellingson Date: Fri, October 20, 2006 10:36 am To: ND-BIRDS@LISTSERV.NODAK.EDU -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings ND-Birders: I noticed this on the Texas Listserve and thought I had to share. Check it out! Pics taken near Lubbock, Texas. http://www.russellgraves.com/temp/leas/ It is really an unusual looking bird!! Good Birding, Corey Ellingson Bismarck, ND Patrick Beauzay Department of Entomology 217 Hultz Hall, Bolley Drive North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 701-231-9491 Patrick.Beauzay@ndsu.nodak.edu http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/entomology/ http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/tigerbeetles/index.htm http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/Mounting_Chalcidoidea/Chalcmount.htm From ksussman@lcp2.net Fri Oct 20 21:49:09 2006 From: ksussman@lcp2.net (Karen Sussman) Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:49:09 -0500 Subject: [mou] Eagles and Cougar Message-ID: <6F3B6D08-607C-11DB-8875-000A95D84DEC@lcp2.net> --Apple-Mail-10-534039598 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed I did my usual neighbourhood run this morning: SLC #25 in Britt following it all the way to #73 via Plum Creek Road then down Lind Road. Between Lind Rd and Plum Creek Rd along #73 there were at least 15+ Bald Eagles. There were additional eagles west of #73 on Lind and east of #73 on Plum Creek Road. There were more than 30 all counted. This area is along Hwy 73 north of Chisholm and north of mile marker 112. Also saw 2 Rough Legs, one light phase, and 2 Red Tails. One Timberwolf. There was a *very* large Cougar on SLC #65 not more than 3 miles from my house. It was near Lake Leander and Lake Fourteen. I have sometimes seen Cougars in my area after dark, but never at noon time. They are usually along SLC#25 between Buhl and Angora. Karen Karen Sussman ksussman@lcp2.net --Apple-Mail-10-534039598 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=US-ASCII Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProI did my usual neighbourhood run this morning: SLC #25 in Britt following it all the way to #73 via Plum Creek Road then down Lind Road. Between Lind Rd and Plum Creek Rd along #73 there were at least 15+ Bald Eagles. There were additional eagles west of #73 on Lind and east of #73 on Plum Creek Road. There were more than 30 all counted. This area is along Hwy 73 north of Chisholm and north of mile marker 112. Also saw 2 Rough Legs, one light phase, and 2 Red Tails. One Timberwolf. There was a *very* large Cougar on SLC #65 not more than 3 miles from my house. It was near Lake Leander and Lake Fourteen. I have sometimes seen Cougars in my area after dark, but never at noon time. They are usually along SLC#25 between Buhl and Angora. Karen Times New RomanKaren Sussman ksussman@lcp2.net --Apple-Mail-10-534039598-- From psvingen@d.umn.edu Sat Oct 21 22:53:54 2006 From: psvingen@d.umn.edu (Peder Svingen) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 16:53:54 -0500 Subject: [mou] North Shore weekend birds Message-ID: Chris Benson and Mike Hendrickson called regarding the following species of interest along the North Shore of Lake Superior: Ross's Goose -- two immatures still present at Two Harbors Golf Course as of 10/20; Long-tailed Duck -- one near Rowing Club on harbor side of Park Point 10/21; White-winged Scoter -- one in Agate Bay, Two Harbors 10/20; Western Grebe -- found by Dan Svingen at Agate Bay, Two Harbors 10/20; Three-toed Woodpecker -- found by CCB at private residence adjacent to the Harbor View Apartments in Two Harbors 10/21; Black-backed Woodpecker -- still present in Two Harbors -- walk trails east of the lighthouse; Mountain Bluebird -- female still present in Duluth at Bayfront Park and vicinity as of 10/21; Townsend's Solitaire -- found by CCB near ballfields at Park Point Recreation Area, Duluth 10/21. -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN From blitkey@usfamily.net Sat Oct 21 23:04:02 2006 From: blitkey@usfamily.net (Bill Litkey) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 17:04:02 -0500 Subject: [mou] Surf Scoters - Centerville Lake, Anoka Co. Message-ID: <000901c6f55c$d2c72260$0101a8c0@28litkeyhome> Two female Surf Scoters were observed today on Centerville Lake in Anoka Co. in early- and mid-afternoon. They moved around the lake quite a bit so searching may need to be attempted from more than one spot. Such spots are: off the road on the east side, Waterworks Beach Club property on the north side, and the beach and boat launch of the Rice Ck. Chain of Lakes Reg. Park on the northwest and west sides. Bill Litkey (Oakdale) --- http://USFamily.Net/dialup.html - $8.25/mo! -- http://www.usfamily.net/dsl.html - $19.99/mo! --- From Dkham5@aol.com Sun Oct 22 00:38:26 2006 From: Dkham5@aol.com (Dkham5@aol.com) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 19:38:26 EDT Subject: [mou] Blue phase snow geese Message-ID: <238.21646a74.326c0972@aol.com> -------------------------------1161473906 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Two fully blue phase and four immature snow geese have been feeding with the Canada and lesser Canda geese on Lester Park Golf Course in Duluth for the past week. They were first sighted 10-15. David Hampton Duluth -------------------------------1161473906 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Two fully blue phase and four immature snow geese have been feeding wit= h the Canada and lesser Canda geese on Lester Park Golf Course in Dulut= h for the past week. They were first sighted 10-15.

David Hampton

Duluth

-------------------------------1161473906-- From two-jays@att.net Sun Oct 22 03:30:25 2006 From: two-jays@att.net (Jim Williams) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 21:30:25 -0500 Subject: [mou] Fwd: [sd-birds] Luverne Sewage ponds OFF LIMITS! Message-ID: --Apple-Mail-5-640915748 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed forward by Jim Williams, Wayzata Begin forwarded message: From: douglas chapman Date: October 21, 2006 3:19:36 PM CDT To: sd-birds@yahoogroups.com Subject: [sd-birds] Luverne Sewage ponds OFF LIMITS! Hi, I just returned from birding the Luverne area. Nothing much at Blue Mounds or Touch the Sky Prairie, but much at Luverne Sewage Ponds. Unfortunately, it's the last time I can bird there. Be warned. I nearly got hauled in for trespassing; had to sign a "sheet of trespassers," he took my license number and after i said I would warn other birders NOT to enter, he let me pass. It's the Gold'N Plump people, not the City of Luverne. So there is absolutely no access to the ponds now without risking being hauled in. Too bad. I saw 7 species of sparrow; 6 shorebird species (14 resplendent W Snipe out in the open); and 7 species of duck. Glad to be back from Minnesota, Doug Chapman Sioux Falls, SD __._,_.___ Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Members | Calendar --Apple-Mail-5-640915748 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Type: application/applefile; name="image.tiff" Content-Disposition: inline; filename=image.tiff AAUWAAACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAAAJAAAAMgAAAAoAAAADAAAAPAAAAAoAAAAAAAAA AAAAaW1hZ2UudGlmZg== --Apple-Mail-5-640915748 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch=20 format to Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe Visit Your Group SPONSORED LINKS =E2=96=AA South dakota pheasant hunting =E2=96=AA Bird control =E2=96=AA Bird pest =E2=96=AA Bird control product =E2=96=AA Bird pest control Sell Online Yahoo! makes it easy to start selling online. Y! GeoCities Be Interactive Create a conver- sation with blogs. Yahoo! Groups Start a group in 3 easy steps. Connect with others. . --Apple-Mail-5-640915748 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Type: application/applefile; name="image.tiff" Content-Disposition: inline; filename=image.tiff AAUWAAACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIAAAAJAAAAMgAAAAoAAAADAAAAPAAAAAoAAAAAAAAA AAAAaW1hZ2UudGlmZg== --Apple-Mail-5-640915748 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed __,_._,___ --Apple-Mail-5-640915748-- From BillyJoe.Unzen@st.bemidjistate.edu Sun Oct 22 06:31:54 2006 From: BillyJoe.Unzen@st.bemidjistate.edu (BillyJoe Unzen) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:31:54 -0500 Subject: [mou] Brant at Lac Qui Parle Lake Message-ID: <1161495114.a229831cBillyJoe.Unzen@st.bemidjistate.edu> Today, 21 October, at 3:30PM a group of three Brant were seen flying low ov= er Lac Qui Parle Lake(Chippewa County). They were near the southern end o= f the lake and were last seen as they headed north past the southern tip = of Rosemoen Island. They could not be relocated farther up the lake durin= g the next couple hours, but all the geese in the area are wary and many = are seeking the more isolated areas of the lake. The sharp contrast between their black necks and paler gray flanks indicate= they were of the Atlantic race (hrota). Also their lack of any white nec= klace suggest they were all juveniles. Also of note was a male Sharp-tailed Grouse seen as it flew over CR31, (2 m= iles straight south of Milan) and passed just infront of my car. It was f= lushed by a hunter north of the road and flew south into the Lac Qui Parl= e WMA. Bill Unzen From jquinn@technicaltoolproducts.com Sun Oct 22 04:11:22 2006 From: jquinn@technicaltoolproducts.com (John Quinn) Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:11:22 -0500 Subject: [mou] Pacific Loon still present on Mille Lacs (Crow Wing County) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <000f01c6f587$c28c4300$0300a8c0@ttp.net> I re-found the Pacific Loon in St. Albans Bay. It was in the Southwest corner of the bay about 25 yards out from the reed line. Spent about 20 minutes observing the adult bird. I did not find the Red-throated or the Godwit. Did find lots of Bonaparte's Gulls and good numbers of Common Loons. Other birds: American Pipit 1 Greater Yellow-legs. (Aitkin County)By Wealthwood on the sand bars. I then made the trip to Hawk Ridge in time to see one Golden Eagle. Missed the Northern Goshawks, Mountain Bluebird and even after running into Chris Benson I could not relocate the Long-Tailed Duck. John Quinn Technical Tool Products, Inc. 7600 W 27th Street Suite B11 St. Louis Park MN 55427 Office: 952-974-3042 Mobile: 612-518-0663 Website: www.technicaltoolproducts.com -----Original Message----- From: Peder Svingen [mailto:psvingen@d.umn.edu] Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 12:52 AM To: MOU-net Subject: [mou] Record-high count of Common Loons on Mille Lacs Anthony Hertzel and I conducted a 7 and 1/2 hour survey of Mille Lacs Lake on Wednesday (18 October). In spite of snow squalls, intermittent drizzle, and blustery northwest winds, we counted a total of 2,729 Common Loons. This represents a new record-high count for Minnesota (2,511 were tallied at this same location 18 October 2000). The vast majority were along the north and west shores, including a flock of 1,061 off Wealthwood. We also counted a total of 1,923 Bonaparte's Gulls. Other highlights included a Red-throated Loon and a late Hudsonian Godwit along the north shore (Aitkin County), an adult Pacific Loon photographed on St. Albans Bay (Crow Wing County), and a late Common Tern at Isle (Mille Lacs County). Though not counted individually, numbers of Horned Grebes were estimated to be the highest since our surveys started there about 10 years ago. -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN _______________________________________________ mou-net mailing list mou-net@cbs.umn.edu http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net From ajjoppru@wiktel.com Sun Oct 22 13:27:26 2006 From: ajjoppru@wiktel.com (Jeanie Joppru) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 07:27:26 -0500 Subject: [mou] White-winged scoter- Pennington County Message-ID: <001a01c6f5d5$709cef10$d0d5aec6@main> A White-winged Scoter was found on the Thief River Falls WTP yesterday afternoon. At least one Surf Scoter remained there also, but many ducks were sleeping when I was there so I could have missed some more. Jeanie Joppru Pennington County From PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net Sun Oct 22 13:45:34 2006 From: PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net (Pastor Al Schirmacher) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 07:45:34 -0500 Subject: [mou] St. Louis, Aitkin Counties + Message-ID: <001101c6f5d7$f7f96bd0$0b01a8c0@pastoral> Any day that you see a Mountain Bluebird in Minnesota is an excellent birding day, right? Perhaps. Nathan & I traveled to Duluth, Two Harbors, Rice Lake & northern Mille Lacs Lake yesterday. A dog flushed the M. Bluebird at Bayfront Park in Duluth just past 8:00 AM (understand that a later group had even better looks at the cement plant) - life & state bird for both of us. We then traveled to 12th Street - Park Point - Stoney Point (and the previously posted fire numbers along 61) - Knife River and Two Harbors. No scoters, no Long-tailed Ducks, no Harlequin. Sigh. Days like this happen, and we've been incredibly blessed in the past along the North Shore. A Golden Eagle (hawk flight was solid along 61), small flock of Redpolls (Stoney Point) and a probable Thayer's at Knife River kept us going. 1:00 PM in Two Harbors, do we continue the northern tour? Particularly in light of van problems? No! Head south, middle aged and young man. To 210, to Rice Lake; light permitting, to Mille Lacs. Rice Lake was a bit quieter than expected: single BB Plover (among numerous snipe), at least 72 Tundra Swans, assorted ducks. On to Wealthwood along the northern shore of Mille Lacs. Scan the loons, Commons galore. Turn the scope over to son. Upturned beak, smaller loon, life Red-throated for Nathan (thanks, Peder, for the report & details). Dive, dive, never come up again on this side of the heat shimmer for dad. Sigh. And the blue van? Probably it's last major trip (204K miles, many birding), time for retirement. Still, upon further reflection, a birding day is by definition a good day, and the Mountain Bluebird was worthwhile. Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties From josep002@umn.edu Sun Oct 22 14:09:08 2006 From: josep002@umn.edu (josep002@umn.edu) Date: 22 Oct 2006 08:09:08 -0500 Subject: [mou] Two Harbors-larks and longspurs Message-ID: We were up at Two Harbors yesterday and, alas, no woodpeckers. At the golfcourse we did see the Ross's Geese, Cackling Geese and Snow Geese in all their plumages. A real treat for us was the small flock of Lapland Longspurs and Horned larks just up the road from the golf course entrance. We also saw a late Yellow Rumped Warbler across the road from Emily's Inn in Knife River. Today we'll try for the Mountain Bluebird in Duluth. Marilyn and Warren Regelmann From jslind@frontiernet.net Sun Oct 22 16:29:02 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 09:29:02 -0600 Subject: [mou] 3-toed and 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers in Two Harbors Message-ID: <453B39DE.27130.49C6F96@localhost> Jim Otto and Doug Kieser found an American Three-toed Woodpecker and five Black-backed Woodpeckers Saturday afternoon at Lighthouse Point in downtown Two Harbors. After they called, I was able to meet up with them and see all of the woodpeckers, as well as a sixth Black- backed. Most of them were seen along the trail on the east side of the point. The Three-toed is likely a different individual than the one found by Chris Benson at about the same time near the Harbor Point Apartments at 3rd Avenue and 1st Street. Jim Lind Two Harbors From axhertzel@sihope.com Sun Oct 22 17:40:46 2006 From: axhertzel@sihope.com (Anthony Hertzel) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 11:40:46 -0500 Subject: [mou] CAGU Message-ID: <14E191CC-2168-4630-B01D-F1B2394B7556@sihope.com> --Apple-Mail-71-691936591 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed This morning, 22 October, Bob Dunlap and Ben Fritchman found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Clay County Sanitary Landfill near the town of Hawley. Their description favors a winter-plumaged adult bird. Hawley is located on U.S. highway 10 at the junction of Clay County Road 33. The dump itself is located at 3615 - 190th Street South. Go west on U.S. 10 from Hawley to 190th Street and turn south. Drive about two and a half miles to the dump on the west side of the road. There are nine previous records of California Gull between the dates of 9 September (1976) and 15 December (1984), with three of these for the month of October. This would be the second record of California Gull for the Hawley landfill, the first having been documented there on 25 April 2002. - - - Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com --Apple-Mail-71-691936591 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 This morning, 22 October, Bob = Dunlap and Ben Fritchman found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Clay County Sanitary = Landfill near the town of Hawley.=A0Their description favors a = winter-plumaged adult bird.=A0

Hawley is located on U.S. highway 10 = at the junction of Clay County Road 33.=A0The dump itself is=A0located = at=A03615 - 190th Street South. Go west on U.S. 10 from Hawley to 190th = Street and turn south. Drive about two and a half miles to the dump on = the west side of the road.

There are nine previous records of California = Gull between the dates of 9 September (1976) and 15 December (1984), = with three of these for the month of October.=A0

This would be the second record of California = Gull for the Hawley landfill, the first having been documented there on = 25 April 2002.

- - = -

Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com

= --Apple-Mail-71-691936591-- From earlorf@uslink.net Sun Oct 22 19:53:15 2006 From: earlorf@uslink.net (Earl Orf) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:53:15 -0500 Subject: [mou] Northern Shrike-Ramsey County Message-ID: <000001c6f60b$56d91be0$0301aac0@TOSHIBAEARL> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree outside our apartment in Shoreview. As I watched it through the scope, it regurgitated a pellet = like an owl would do. I didn't know they would do that. =20 Earl Orf web site www.earlorfphotos.com=20 =20 =20 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree = outside our apartment in Shoreview. As I watched it = through the scope, it regurgitated a pellet like an owl would do. I = didn’t know they would do that.

Earl Orf

web site www.earlorfphotos.com

------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0-- From smithville4@charter.net Sun Oct 22 21:05:47 2006 From: smithville4@charter.net (Mike Hendrickson) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:05:47 -0500 Subject: [mou] Three-toed Woodpeckers Message-ID: <003401c6f615$780c5ca0$6400a8c0@FAMILYCOMPUTER> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >From the light house in Two Harbors walk along the main trail along Lake = Superior for at least 150 yards and this is where I discovered a male = Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind who was birding with Denny = Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out looking for the = reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us were = enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female = Three-toed Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The = trail between the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn = to the north had at least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the = Black-backed woodpeckers you could walk right up to them as the scraped = the bark off the spruce trees. I took a lot of photos as did Jim Lind = and Denny Martin. I will be putting my photos on my website this evening = after the Viking football game. Look for these photos in the "Recently = Seen" section of my website. Other birds: -Western Grebe=20 -Gray Jays -Red Crossbills -Northern Shrike Michael Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

From the light house in Two = Harbors walk=20 along the main trail along Lake Superior for at least 150 yards and this = is=20 where I discovered a male Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind = who was=20 birding with Denny Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out = looking for=20 the reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us = were=20 enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female = Three-toed=20 Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The trail = between=20 the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn to the north = had at=20 least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the Black-backed woodpeckers = you=20 could walk right up to them as the scraped the bark off the spruce = trees. I took=20 a lot of photos as did Jim Lind and Denny Martin. I will be putting my = photos on=20 my website this evening after the Viking football game. Look for these = photos in=20 the "Recently Seen" section of my website.

Other birds:

-Western Grebe

-Gray Jays

-Red Crossbills

-Northern Shrike

Michael = Hendrickson
Duluth,=20 Minnesota
http://webpages.chart= er.net/mmhendrickson/

------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00-- From sharon@birdchick.com Sun Oct 22 21:18:40 2006 From: sharon@birdchick.com (Sharon Stiteler) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:18:40 -0500 Subject: [mou] Crex Meadows, WI report Message-ID: <98A5345C-0AF5-40C1-AD79-6916A3DDC8C6@mn.rr.com> --Apple-Mail-7-705010446 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed This isn't really Minnesota birding, but it's close enough for Minnesota birders to visit. Last night I went with Stan Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane viewing field trip. At dusk we watched at least 4 short-eared owls flying around and harassing a first year northern harrier--quite a fun show. Other species of interest including snow buntings, lapland longspurs, rough-legged hawk, merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes. Another interesting observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk perched on a highway sign on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch. Sharon Stiteler www.birdchick.com Minneapolis, MN --Apple-Mail-7-705010446 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 This isn't really Minnesota = birding, but it's close enough for Minnesota birders to visit.

Last night I went with Stan = Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane viewing field trip.=A0 At dusk = we watched at least 4 short-eared owls flying around and harassing a = first year northern harrier--quite a fun show.=A0 Other species of = interest including snow buntings, lapland longspurs, rough-legged hawk, = merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes.

Another interesting = observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk perched on a highway sign = on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch.

Sharon = Stiteler

www.birdchick.com

Minneapolis, = MN

= --Apple-Mail-7-705010446-- From tana Sun Oct 22 21:56:51 2006 From: tana (tana) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:56:51 -0500 (GMT-05:00) Subject: [mou] north shore weekend birds Message-ID: <10578526.1161550611748.JavaMail.root@elwamui-royal.atl.sa.earthlink.net> I took a break from homework and visited the north shore this weekend with my parents. We saw around sixty species, with the following being our better finds - 10/21 RED-NECKED GREBE - Five Mile Rock CACKLING GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course SNOW GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course (a few blue morphs present) ROSS'S GOOSE - 2 at Two Harbors Golf Course BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER - Two Harbors - Lighthouse Point GRAY JAY - a few along Highway 61, including one feeding on a roadkilled deer MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - refound the individual at Bayfront Park - right along the canal - it was on the cement objects there (don't know exactly what they're called) AMERICAN PIPIT - many spots LAPLAND LONGSPUR - many spots SNOW BUNTING - many spots 10/22 SNOW GOOSE - Park Point SURF SCOTER - Park Point WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - Park Point AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 male at Brighton Beach - near the outhouse The crows were migrating in very large numbers. Also saw numerous juvenile bald eagles and found a dead lake sturgeon at Park Point. Good birding to everyone! Keith Pulles, Wright County From fieldfare21@hotmail.com Sun Oct 22 22:54:02 2006 From: fieldfare21@hotmail.com (Benjamin Fritchman) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:54:02 -0500 Subject: [mou] CAGU & other NW birds Message-ID: Bob Dunlap and I spent Saturday and Sunday birding Mahnomen, Norman, Polk, Clay, and Wilkin Counties. Our best bird was found this morning around 11, which was the California Gull at the Hawley landfill. It was relocated a little later by Kim Eckert and his MBW group, but it was on the east side of 190th st. in a gravel pit when he found it. Bob and I originally had it in the dump itself on the west side of the road. Some pictures were taken by Bob and I, and notes were taken. Here are some of the better birds from this weekend: Saturday: Gray Jay-Norman County-Just north of Syre on Hwy. 32 in a pine and cedar grove, across from the cemetery. Bohemian Waxwing-Mahnomen County-1 bird in the town of Mahnomen across the Hwy. from the casino in a crabapple tree. Surf Scoter-Polk County-Oak Lake near Erskine. Short-eared Owl-Polk County-4 miles south of the CR 44 and CR 45 junction SE of Crookston, then 1/2 mile east. Great Horned Owl-Polk County-calling at the same location as the Short-eared, sounded like it was coming from a woodlot to the north. We ran into Kim Eckert's group, and they had 2 Gray Jays at different locations in Polk Co. They're coming! Sunday: California Gull-I noticed a gull that was larger than the surrounding RB Gulls, and after it turned its head, I could see its bill which had a red gony and a black line on the bill. I immediately called Bob over and together we saw all the remaining neccessary field marks. Also present were Ring-billed and Herring Gulls which gave us excellent comparisons. Gray Jay was not relocated in Clay County. 82 species for the weekend. Other birds seen were Snow Buntings in small flocks, 1 Common Redpoll in Norman Co. 1 Northern Shrike at Waubun WMA. Tundra Swans at a few locations. 1 Rough legged Hawk in Wilkin. Cackling Geese in several spots. 12 LB dowitchers at the Moorhead Sewage Ponds. 1 Pectoral Sandpiper at the Breckenridge Sewage Ponds. Longspurs and Pipits in small numbers. Raptors migrating in good numbers, especially in Mahnomen county. Thanks to Bob Dunlap for his eagle eyes which made this weekend more enjoyable by an exponential amount. Thanks also to Kim and his group who gave us tips on birds in the area. All in all a cold but great weekend. Ben Fritchman _________________________________________________________________ Get today's hot entertainment gossip http://movies.msn.com/movies/hotgossip?icid=T002MSN03A07001 From jslind@frontiernet.net Mon Oct 23 03:49:57 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:49:57 -0600 Subject: [mou] Cook County sightings Message-ID: <453BD975.15826.70BD501@localhost> Ann Russ reported that she found a Townsend Solitaire, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Gray Jays at Taconite Harbor today, as well as two more Black-backed Woodpeckers at Temperance River State Park. I also have a belated report from October 15th of a Varied Thrush in a flock of American Robins in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West 3rd Avenue. Jim Lind From BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM Mon Oct 23 02:52:41 2006 From: BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM (Williams, Bob) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:52:41 -0500 Subject: [mou] Plegadis Ibis in Pope County Message-ID: <0831C8BE-BA01-4DA9-8ECD-215C54440AE5@mimectl> --_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Late this afternoon I found a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johann= a WPA in SE Pope County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is i= n SW Stearns County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd.=20 37 at 4 tenths of a mile south of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards awa= y so no chance to look for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, col= d winds. Bob Williams, Bloomington =20 --_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Late this afternoon I foun= d a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johanna WPA in SE Pope= County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is in SW Stearn= s County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd.

37 at 4 tenths of a mile s= outh of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards away so no chance to loo= k for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, cold winds.

Bob Williams, Bloomington&= nbsp;

--_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_-- From jclaus13@msn.com Mon Oct 23 03:24:13 2006 From: jclaus13@msn.com (Joel Claus) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:24:13 -0500 Subject: [mou] Purgatory Creek LBBG and Albinistic Red-Tailed Hawk Message-ID: About 5:15 PM this evening I observed an Adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in a mixed flock of Herring and Ring-Billed Gulls in the Purgatory Creek wetland near the junction of 212 and Hwy 5 in Eden Prairie. Earlier this afternoon (2 PM) I had a quick look at the albinistic Red-Tailed hawk that was reported last week by David Remiger. It was in roughly the same location near the junction of Prairie Center drive and 78th street. I only saw the back side of the bird as it perched in a tree and saw no trace of pigmentation. It was pure snowy white - cool bird! From SClark@ci.elk-river.mn.us Mon Oct 23 14:28:10 2006 From: SClark@ci.elk-river.mn.us (Clark, Scott) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:28:10 -0500 Subject: [mou] North Shore Birding and others Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6F6A7.21DAB508 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Highlights of the Northshore-LeConte's Sparrow at Flood Bay, a late juvenile y.b. sapsucker at the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel "hawking" and terrifying a group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park ( Friday October 20th ) and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine County) on June 21st. One other note- at Elm Creek Park I saw one week ago and this week at least 4 purple finches. =20 ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6F6A7.21DAB508 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Highlights of the Northshore—LeConte’s = Sparrow at Flood Bay, a late juvenile y.b. = sapsucker at the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel “hawking” and = terrifying a group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park ( Friday October = 20^th ) and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine County) on June = 21^st. One other note- at Elm Creek Park I saw one week ago and this week at least 4 purple finches. =

------_=_NextPart_001_01C6F6A7.21DAB508-- From dkienholz@hotmail.com Mon Oct 23 16:14:33 2006 From: dkienholz@hotmail.com (Don Kienholz) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 10:14:33 -0500 Subject: [mou] update Duluth, Mt Bluebird Message-ID: I saw the Mt Bluebird today at the 7th Ave W gate to Bayfront park. 9:00 AM. The bird flew in from the freeway side, got a drink from the puddle in the parking lot by planters, and proceeded to fly back towards the freeway side of Railroad Street. A Merlin appearred out of the sky and the chase was on! the two kept gaining altitude with the bluebird dodging the Merlling with a neat drop and roll to reverse direction move. after 3 or 4 of these chases the bluebird dove into a blue spruce along the road to regroup and catch its breath. The Merlin flew to the top of the depot bldng to wait. it was close! the Merlin was inches from the bluebird several times. Check the 7th ave west gate areas, and across the road along the paved bike path under the freeway and along the tracks. good luck Don Kienholz _________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch with old friends and meet new ones with Windows Live Spaces http://clk.atdmt.com/MSN/go/msnnkwsp0070000001msn/direct/01/?href=http://spaces.live.com/spacesapi.aspx?wx_action=create&wx_url=/friends.aspx&mkt=en-us From thomas@angelem.com Mon Oct 23 17:44:14 2006 From: thomas@angelem.com (Thomas Maiello) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 11:44:14 -0500 Subject: [mou] Bird scratch observations Message-ID: <7CDD860F-B667-4E86-A183-94A510A3A781@angelem.com> Sitting at a desk all day with feeders and feathered friends for company has done much for my ability to identify birds in other ways than by physical appearance. Of late I have noticed how quickly I can spot a new visitor or concur the identity of frequent visitors simply by a quick glance at their motions when feeding. None of this is probably new to any birders but I thought sharing my realization would help anchor it in my understanding of how I ID birds. So here goes. I have noticed a breakdown if feeding behavior of ground feeding birds, most notably a variety of sparrows, juncos, chickadees (when they must lower themselves to ground feeding), thrushes, jays, cardinals, and others - most of whom I will not discuss here and leave it for later study. But I have noticed that the ground-feeders can be broken down into varying degrees of head-scratchers and feet-scratchers. I first noticed this when I was trying to stop House Sparrows from emptying my feeders. House Sparrows, juncos, jays, and cardinals, I have found are head-scratchers. They search for ground food using there heads and bills to move litter and debris out of the way and use their feet, for the most part, simply to move about. And there is much variety among the head scratching techniques. House Sparrows simply stand in one spot and turn their heads and look at the ground and potential food and then snatch it up or use their head and bills in wide sweeps to expose it. (Explains why they are so good at emptying the contents of my feeders so quickly onto the ground.) Juncos are similar except they hunt and peck with less standing and ogling of their food items, choosing instead to move quickly and cover much more ground than the HSs. Plus the juncos use their feet in a jumping, sideways motion to help uncover potential food. They use their heads and bills but don't expend as much energy in one spot making sure they got every morsel as do the HSs. Jays, Mourning Doves and cardinals also seem to be head-scratchers who use the focus of one eye and a turned head to identify food and snatch it up but with little uncovering energy - visually hunting and pecking their way to a full crop. They seem to take what they can quickly see and use their feet only to more clearly expose the food items they see. Also the doves and jays seem to swallow their food for later shelling and digestion as compared to cardinals who shell on the spot and chickadees who take and run for loftier perch shelling. Let's get the chickadees out of the way here. They do whatever it takes from head-scratching to foot-scratching to dive-bombing to snatch and grab. They are by for, in my opinion, the most versatile and determined to survive of all my feathered friends. I could go on and on about all the adaptations they have and gregarious habits that allow them to survive MN winters and propagate themselves as a steady, reliable and charming winter and summer companion. Now let me cover the ground-scratchers, which is what actually instigated this extended diatribe. Ground-scratchers vary in their aggressiveness in the act and the use of their feet and legs - which are very likely specifically adapted for this action. I would have to compare their feet and legs up-close and with measuring devices to confirm this and I am sure someone already has - but that is beyond an email. White-throated Sparrows are charming in their leaping forward and backwards scratching technique - continuously similar pace and effort - quickly snatching any exposed tidbit - like raking leaves. Fox Sparrows seem to be much more aggressive, like they are on a mission to move everything out of their way, to uncover the nuggets that could lie just beneath the ground surface as well as that which lies atop the ground - which seems to be the limit to the junco's and head-scratcher's efforts. Fox Sparrows must have hoe- like toes to be able to scratch and turn the surface soil in their knowing search for ground yummies. What am I really trying to share here? Simply this noticing - I preview ID my birds in a glance of motion and can spot new visitors by scratching sound, degree and blur of activity, and other motions in addition to sound and physical IDs. Well it was a new realization to me and its only taken some 30 years of birding to realize it and how much I do use it without even realizing that I do it. I hope there was something I shared that is of value. This also has me thinking of what other ways I unconsciously ID birds and what else I take for granted in my enjoyment of my avian adventures. When I am turning kids onto birding for the first time, what else can I share with them that will add to their excitement and ability to appreciate this new world that has surrounded them all of their lives? Now I can add this to my teaching. I guess that is the point of this sharing. Thomas Maiello Spring Lake Park From jadrake@arvig.net Mon Oct 23 19:02:26 2006 From: jadrake@arvig.net (Jeff and Amy Drake) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 13:02:26 -0500 Subject: [mou] Am. Tree Sparrows, etc. Message-ID: <002701c6f6cd$72dd4470$6fba81d8@D807P3B1> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0024_01C6F6A3.7D2867E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This weekend in my yard we've had Am. Tree, Fox, White-throated, and = House Sparrows. There have been a couple of Pine Siskins mixed with the = Goldfinches. The Red-bellied woodpeckers are back. The robins are = cleaning up the crabapples. The WB Nuthatches, Downys, Hairys, and = Bluejays are blasting through the suet. The Chickadees, House Finches, = Purple Finches, and 50+ Juncos are doing the same with the sunflower = seeds and thistle mix. Every now and then an Eastern Bluebird comes through. I thought House Sparrows weren't supposed to like sunflower seeds but = this batch seems to love them. I would add safflower again but most of = it is wasted. Amy ------=_NextPart_000_0024_01C6F6A3.7D2867E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This weekend in my yard we've had Am. = Tree, Fox,=20 White-throated, and House Sparrows. There have been a couple = of Pine=20 Siskins mixed with the Goldfinches. The Red-bellied woodpeckers = are=20 back. The robins are cleaning up the crabapples. The WB = Nuthatches,=20 Downys, Hairys, and Bluejays are blasting through the suet. The=20 Chickadees, House Finches, Purple Finches, and 50+ Juncos are doing the = same=20 with the sunflower seeds and thistle mix.

Every now and then an Eastern Bluebird = comes=20 through.

I thought House Sparrows weren't = supposed to like=20 sunflower seeds but this batch seems to love them. I would add = safflower=20 again but most of it is wasted.

Amy

------=_NextPart_000_0024_01C6F6A3.7D2867E0-- From jadrake@arvig.net Mon Oct 23 20:00:08 2006 From: jadrake@arvig.net (Jeff and Amy Drake) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:00:08 -0500 Subject: [mou] Am. Tree Sparrows, etc. oops Message-ID: <000c01c6f6d5$823a65d0$6fba81d8@D807P3B1> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F6AB.8C9FA0F0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Sorry all, I'm in Ottertail county, MN. Northwest of the city of Ottertail about 8 = miles near the junction of Cty. 1 and Cty. 14. Amy ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F6AB.8C9FA0F0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Sorry all,

I'm in Ottertail county, MN. = Northwest of the=20 city of Ottertail about 8 miles near the junction of Cty. 1 and Cty.=20 14.

Amy

------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F6AB.8C9FA0F0-- From csteinmuel@prodigy.net Mon Oct 23 20:42:42 2006 From: csteinmuel@prodigy.net (Cheryl Steinmueller) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:42:42 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Surf Scoters on Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey Co. - 10/23 Message-ID: <20061023194242.2678.qmail@web81914.mail.mud.yahoo.com> --0-1210918822-1161632562=:1919 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Today (Monday, Oct. 23rd) at 12:30 pm Jane Wicklund, Barb Wojahn, and Cheri Steinmueller discovered two Surf Scoters near the west shore of Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County. Jane had tentatively ID'd one bird at the same spot yesterday at 2:30 pm. Returned today at 10:30 am - not in view, but fishing boat in area. Returned again at 12:30 pm and had good looks at possible adult female and juvenile. They swam south as a fishing boat trolled into the area. Directions: go approx. 1/2 mile north of where County Road H2 (County Rd. 5) intersects Bald Eagle Blvd. Look for large pull-off next to the lake, posted as "No Parking". --0-1210918822-1161632562=:1919 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Today (Monday, Oct. 23rd) at 12:30 pm Jane Wicklund, Barb Wojahn, and Cheri Steinmueller discovered two Surf Scoters near the west shore of Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County. Jane had tentatively ID'd one bird at the same spot yesterday at 2:30 pm. Returned today at 10:30 am - not in view, but fishing boat in area. Returned again at 12:30 pm and had good looks at possible adult female and juvenile. They swam south as a fishing boat trolled into the area. Directions: go approx. 1/2 mile north of where County Road H2 (County Rd. 5) intersects Bald Eagle Blvd. Look for large pull-off next to the lake, posted as "No Parking". --0-1210918822-1161632562=:1919-- From smithville4@charter.net Mon Oct 23 22:22:15 2006 From: smithville4@charter.net (Mike Hendrickson) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:22:15 -0500 Subject: [mou] Mt. Bluebird update / Northshore birds Message-ID: <000801c6f6e9$50058630$6400a8c0@FAMILYCOMPUTER> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F6BF.66EA5EE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable After I read Don's email this morning I headed down there to see if I = could relocate and take some better digiscope photos of it. I was able = to relocate the Mt. Bluebird at the locked gates located on 7th Ave West = and Railroad Street. The Mt. Bluebird then foraged its way towards the = main stage at Bayfront Park and then flew across the open water slip to = the Laforge Cement Plant which is located on 8th Ave. West and Railroad = Street. Chris Elmgren joined me as we watched the Mt. Bluebird move = around from the Laforge Plant back to the Bayfront Park. We also saw the = merlin. At the French River parking lot located on Scenic Hwy 61, I observed = several groups of Red Crossbills feeding on the spruce trees just east = of the hatchery. Also interesting were two Black-backed Woodpeckers = migrating down the shore. The raptors were moving in full force as I = sat and watched the birds fly over me. I was able to see a adult Golden = Eagle kettle among several Red-tailed Hawks, a Rough-legged Hawk flying = over the shore and nice looks of a dark morph Red-tail Hawk. =20 I posted new photos of the female Mountain Bluebird on the Recently Seen = section of my website. You can also see photos of yesterday Black-backed = Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpeckers seen in Two Harbors. Michael Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F6BF.66EA5EE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

After I read Don's email this = morning I=20 headed down there to see if I could relocate and take some better = digiscope=20 photos of it. I was able to relocate the Mt. Bluebird at the locked = gates=20 located on 7th Ave West and Railroad Street. The Mt. Bluebird then = foraged its=20 way towards the main stage at Bayfront Park and then flew across the = open water=20 slip to the Laforge Cement Plant which is located on 8th Ave. West and = Railroad=20 Street. Chris Elmgren joined me as we watched the Mt. Bluebird move = around from=20 the Laforge Plant back to the Bayfront Park. We also saw the=20 merlin.

At the French River parking = lot located=20 on Scenic Hwy 61, I observed several groups of Red Crossbills = feeding on=20 the spruce trees just east of the hatchery. Also interesting were = two=20 Black-backed Woodpeckers migrating down the shore. The raptors = were moving=20 in full force as I sat and watched the birds fly over me. I was = able to=20 see a adult Golden Eagle kettle among several Red-tailed Hawks, a = Rough-legged=20 Hawk flying over the shore and nice looks of a dark morph Red-tail = Hawk. =20

I posted new photos of the = female=20 Mountain Bluebird on the Recently Seen section of my website. You can = also see=20 photos of yesterday Black-backed Woodpecker and Three-toed Woodpeckers = seen in=20 Two Harbors.

Michael = Hendrickson
Duluth,=20 Minnesota
http://webpages.chart= er.net/mmhendrickson/

------=_NextPart_000_0005_01C6F6BF.66EA5EE0-- From sweston2@comcast.net Tue Oct 24 07:33:58 2006 From: sweston2@comcast.net (Steve Weston) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:33:58 -0500 Subject: [mou] MRVAC meeting this Thursday Message-ID: <002301c6f737$10627df0$d69b7618@Weston72505> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0018_01C6F70C.7A41F910 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable You are invited to the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC)=20 meeting this Thursday, which will feature Dawn Tanner, from the = University of Minnesota presenting a program on Borneo's Rare and = Wonderful Cats: An Ecosystem in Crisis. Landscape change is happening at breakneck speed in Borneo's last = remaining=20 lowland forests. Logging hardwood forests has been a primary reason for=20 habitat loss for forest-loving species. In the wake of selective logging = and clear-cutting of forests, oil palm agrilculture, grown primarily for = cooking oil, has arisen as the new agent of change, blanketing areas of=20 especially northeastern Sabah. What will be the result of these changes = for=20 the species adapted to primary, old-growth forest? Just a few of the=20 charasmatic animals of rare, lowland forests are orangutans, clouded=20 leopards, rhino, elephant, and numerous lesser-known and equally = deserving=20 species. The discussion of landscape change will be presented against a=20 backdrop of developing research of little-understood cat species from a=20 recent trip to Sabah. Our programs are free and open to the public. We encourage you to come early for viewing the art in the gallery, watching a bird ID video/DVD = in the auditorium or socializing over coffee and cookies - beginning at = 7:00p.m. After a brief business meeting begining at 7:30, we will introduce the featured speaker. The meeting concludes at 9:00 p.m. The Visitor Center is located at 3815 American Blvd. E in Bloomington, across from the Airport Hilton Hotel. From I-494, exit on 34th Ave. and drive south. Turn left on American Blvd. E and drive 1/4 mile to the entrance on the right. Or, just follow the signs. There's plenty of = free parking. The Visitor Center is also about a 12-minute walk from the Bloomington Central light rail stop. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN MRVAC Program Chair sweston2@comcast.net ------=_NextPart_000_0018_01C6F70C.7A41F910 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

You = are invited to=20 the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC)=20

meeting this=20 Thursday, which will feature Dawn Tanner, from the University of = Minnesota=20 presenting a program on Borneo's Rare and Wonderful Cats: An Ecosystem = in=20 Crisis.

Landscape change is happening at breakneck speed in = Borneo's last=20 remaining
lowland forests. Logging hardwood forests has been a = primary=20 reason for
habitat loss for forest-loving species. In the wake of = selective=20 logging
and clear-cutting of forests, oil palm agrilculture, grown = primarily=20 for
cooking oil, has arisen as the new agent of change, blanketing = areas of=20
especially northeastern Sabah. What will be the result of these = changes for=20
the species adapted to primary, old-growth forest? Just a few of the =
charasmatic animals of rare, lowland forests are orangutans, clouded =
leopards, rhino, elephant, and numerous lesser-known and equally = deserving=20
species. The discussion of landscape change will be presented = against a=20
backdrop of developing research of little-understood cat species = from a=20
recent trip to Sabah.

Our programs are free = and open to the=20 public. We encourage you to come
early for viewing the = art in the=20 gallery, watching a bird ID video/DVD in
the auditorium or = socializing over=20 coffee and cookies - beginning at 7:00p.m.

After a brief business = meeting=20 begining at 7:30, we will introduce the
featured speaker. The = meeting=20 concludes at 9:00 p.m.

The Visitor Center is located at = 3815=20 American Blvd. E in Bloomington,
across from the Airport Hilton = Hotel. From=20 I-494, exit on 34th Ave. and
drive south. Turn left on American Blvd. = E and=20 drive 1/4 mile to the
entrance on the right. Or, just follow = the=20 signs. There's plenty of free
parking. The Visitor Center = is also=20 about a 12-minute walk from the
Bloomington Central light rail=20 stop.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
MRVAC Program = Chair

sweston2@comcast.net

<= /HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0018_01C6F70C.7A41F910-- From jslind@frontiernet.net Tue Oct 24 21:31:56 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:31:56 -0600 Subject: [mou] Townsend's Solitaire in Knife River, Lake Co. Message-ID: <453E23DC.11429.62C7F8B@localhost> This afternoon I found a Townsend's Solitaire in Knife River, across the road from Emily's Restaurant in the yard with the crab apple trees. Jim Lind Two Harbors From saqqara@worldnet.att.net Sun Oct 22 19:20:41 2006 From: saqqara@worldnet.att.net (Bruce Baer) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:20:41 -0500 Subject: [mou] Red Crossbills Message-ID: <000301c6f606$c957a9c0$0a01a8c0@bruce083171b63> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0004_01C6F5DC.E081A1C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A flock of 20+ Red Crossbills were seen this afternoon flying over the Old Country Buffet on 66th and Nicolet. Bruce Baer Bloomington, MN ------=_NextPart_000_0004_01C6F5DC.E081A1C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

A flock of 20+ Red Crossbills were seen this = afternoon flying over the Old Country Buffet on 66^th and Nicolet. =

Bruce = Baer

Bloomington, MN

------=_NextPart_000_0004_01C6F5DC.E081A1C0-- From robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu Sun Oct 22 22:13:23 2006 From: robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu (robert.oconnor@ndsu.edu) Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:13:23 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [mou] Clay County California Gull Message-ID: <49277.24.117.134.204.1161551603.squirrel@webmail.ndsu.nodak.edu> Hi, The Clay County California Gull discovered by Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap and mentioned in a previous post was still being seen as of 2:30 PM today (Sunday), but in a slightly different spot. Several of us, including a group led by Kim Eckert, converged on the area at the same time and were redirected to the alternative site by a local landowner. About an eighth or a quarter mile south of the entrance to the landfill mentioned in the earlier message, a single-lane gravel road climbs a hill to the east and drops down into a quarry with a pond at the bottom. This is a few hundred yards short of an east-west north-south road junction. The California Gull was with a flock of 30 or so Ring-billed Gulls resting in this quarry pond. It stood out from the other gulls most noticably because of the brown area on its face and neck and its larger size. The gray mantle was a little darker than the gray mantles of the adjacent gulls, and its legs were a kind of greenish blue. With a really good telescope, the dark eye was apparent, and the red spot of the lower mandible was visible near the dark bill tip. It was great luck having birders with good telescopes show up when I realized my binoculars weren't going to do the job. And without Kim there pointing out fieldmarks, I'm sure I wouldn't have felt comfortable with the difficult ID. Bob O'Connor Moorhead From csteinmuel@prodigy.net Mon Oct 23 20:22:04 2006 From: csteinmuel@prodigy.net (Cheryl Steinmueller) Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:22:04 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [mou] Re: 10/23 two Surf Scoters, Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey Co. In-Reply-To: <20061023164500.16780.25683.Mailman@biosci.cbs.umn.edu> Message-ID: <20061023192204.94220.qmail@web81914.mail.mud.yahoo.com> --0-127586072-1161631324=:92000 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Today (Monday, Oct. 23rd) at 12:30 pm, Jane Wicklund, Barb Wojahn, and Cheri Steinmueller discovered two Surf Scoters near the west shore of Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County. Jane had tentatively ID'd one bird at the same spot yesterday at 2:30 pm. Returned today at 10:30 am - not in view, but fishing boat in area. Returned again at 12:30 pm and had good looks at possible adult female and one juvenile. They swam south as a fishing boat trolled into the area. Directions: go approx. 1/2 mile north of where County Road H2 (County Rd. 5) intersects Bald Eagle Blvd. Look for large pull-off next to the lake, posted as "No Parking". Cheri Steinmueller Little Canada, MN mou-net-request@cbs.umn.edu wrote: Send mou-net mailing list submissions to mou-net@cbs.umn.edu To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to mou-net-request@cbs.umn.edu You can reach the person managing the list at mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of mou-net digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Northern Shrike-Ramsey County (Earl Orf) 2. Three-toed Woodpeckers (Mike Hendrickson) 3. Crex Meadows, WI report (Sharon Stiteler) 4. north shore weekend birds (tana) 5. CAGU & other NW birds (Benjamin Fritchman) 6. Cook County sightings (Jim Lind) 7. Plegadis Ibis in Pope County (Williams, Bob) 8. Purgatory Creek LBBG and Albinistic Red-Tailed Hawk (Joel Claus) 9. North Shore Birding and others (Clark, Scott) 10. update Duluth, Mt Bluebird (Don Kienholz) 11. Bird scratch observations (Thomas Maiello) --__--__-- Message: 1 Reply-To: From: "Earl Orf" To: "MOU Listserve" , Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:53:15 -0500 Organization: uslink.net Subject: [mou] Northern Shrike-Ramsey County This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree outside our apartment in Shoreview. As I watched it through the scope, it regurgitated a pellet = like an owl would do. I didn't know they would do that. =20 Earl Orf web site www.earlorfphotos.com=20 =20 =20 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable charset=3Dus-ascii"> /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree = outside our apartment in style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Shoreviewface=3DArial>style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>. As I watched it = through the scope, it regurgitated a pellet like an owl would do. I = didn’t know they would do that. style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Earl Orf style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>web site href=3D"http://www.earlorfphotos.com">www.earlorfphotos.com an> style=3D'font-size: 12.0pt'> style=3D'font-size: 12.0pt'> style=3D'font-size: 12.0pt'> ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C6F5E1.6E07A7C0-- --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Mike Hendrickson" To: "MOU-Net" Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:05:47 -0500 Subject: [mou] Three-toed Woodpeckers This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >From the light house in Two Harbors walk along the main trail along Lake = Superior for at least 150 yards and this is where I discovered a male = Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind who was birding with Denny = Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out looking for the = reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us were = enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female = Three-toed Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The = trail between the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn = to the north had at least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the = Black-backed woodpeckers you could walk right up to them as the scraped = the bark off the spruce trees. I took a lot of photos as did Jim Lind = and Denny Martin. I will be putting my photos on my website this evening = after the Viking football game. Look for these photos in the "Recently = Seen" section of my website. Other birds: -Western Grebe=20 -Gray Jays -Red Crossbills -Northern Shrike Michael Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable charset=3Diso-8859-1"> From the light house in Two = Harbors walk=20 along the main trail along Lake Superior for at least 150 yards and this = is=20 where I discovered a male Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind = who was=20 birding with Denny Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out = looking for=20 the reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us = were=20 enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female = Three-toed=20 Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The trail = between=20 the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn to the north = had at=20 least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the Black-backed woodpeckers = you=20 could walk right up to them as the scraped the bark off the spruce = trees. I took=20 a lot of photos as did Jim Lind and Denny Martin. I will be putting my = photos on=20 my website this evening after the Viking football game. Look for these = photos in=20 the "Recently Seen" section of my website. Other birds: -Western Grebe -Gray Jays -Red Crossbills -Northern Shrike Michael = Hendrickson Duluth,=20 Minnesota href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart= er.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C6F5EB.8E47FD00-- --__--__-- Message: 3 To: mnbird , MOU-net Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:18:40 -0500 From: Sharon Stiteler Subject: [mou] Crex Meadows, WI report --Apple-Mail-7-705010446 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed This isn't really Minnesota birding, but it's close enough for Minnesota birders to visit. Last night I went with Stan Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane viewing field trip. At dusk we watched at least 4 short-eared owls flying around and harassing a first year northern harrier--quite a fun show. Other species of interest including snow buntings, lapland longspurs, rough-legged hawk, merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes. Another interesting observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk perched on a highway sign on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch. Sharon Stiteler www.birdchick.com Minneapolis, MN --Apple-Mail-7-705010446 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">This isn't really Minnesota = birding, but it's close enough for Minnesota birders to visit. class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"> Last night I went with Stan = Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane viewing field trip.=A0 At dusk = we watched at least 4 short-eared owls flying around and harassing a = first year northern harrier--quite a fun show.=A0 Other species of = interest including snow buntings, lapland longspurs, rough-legged hawk, = merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes. class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"> Another interesting = observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk perched on a highway sign = on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch. class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"> class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; = font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: = normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; = -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; = -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "> Sharon = Stiteler www.birdchick.com Minneapolis, = MN class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"> class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"> = --Apple-Mail-7-705010446-- --__--__-- Message: 4 Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:56:51 -0500 (GMT-05:00) From: tana Reply-To: tana To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu Subject: [mou] north shore weekend birds I took a break from homework and visited the north shore this weekend with my parents. We saw around sixty species, with the following being our better finds - 10/21 RED-NECKED GREBE - Five Mile Rock CACKLING GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course SNOW GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course (a few blue morphs present) ROSS'S GOOSE - 2 at Two Harbors Golf Course BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER - Two Harbors - Lighthouse Point GRAY JAY - a few along Highway 61, including one feeding on a roadkilled deer MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - refound the individual at Bayfront Park - right along the canal - it was on the cement objects there (don't know exactly what they're called) AMERICAN PIPIT - many spots LAPLAND LONGSPUR - many spots SNOW BUNTING - many spots 10/22 SNOW GOOSE - Park Point SURF SCOTER - Park Point WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - Park Point AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 male at Brighton Beach - near the outhouse The crows were migrating in very large numbers. Also saw numerous juvenile bald eagles and found a dead lake sturgeon at Park Point. Good birding to everyone! Keith Pulles, Wright County --__--__-- Message: 5 From: "Benjamin Fritchman" To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:54:02 -0500 Subject: [mou] CAGU & other NW birds Bob Dunlap and I spent Saturday and Sunday birding Mahnomen, Norman, Polk, Clay, and Wilkin Counties. Our best bird was found this morning around 11, which was the California Gull at the Hawley landfill. It was relocated a little later by Kim Eckert and his MBW group, but it was on the east side of 190th st. in a gravel pit when he found it. Bob and I originally had it in the dump itself on the west side of the road. Some pictures were taken by Bob and I, and notes were taken. Here are some of the better birds from this weekend: Saturday: Gray Jay-Norman County-Just north of Syre on Hwy. 32 in a pine and cedar grove, across from the cemetery. Bohemian Waxwing-Mahnomen County-1 bird in the town of Mahnomen across the Hwy. from the casino in a crabapple tree. Surf Scoter-Polk County-Oak Lake near Erskine. Short-eared Owl-Polk County-4 miles south of the CR 44 and CR 45 junction SE of Crookston, then 1/2 mile east. Great Horned Owl-Polk County-calling at the same location as the Short-eared, sounded like it was coming from a woodlot to the north. We ran into Kim Eckert's group, and they had 2 Gray Jays at different locations in Polk Co. They're coming! Sunday: California Gull-I noticed a gull that was larger than the surrounding RB Gulls, and after it turned its head, I could see its bill which had a red gony and a black line on the bill. I immediately called Bob over and together we saw all the remaining neccessary field marks. Also present were Ring-billed and Herring Gulls which gave us excellent comparisons. Gray Jay was not relocated in Clay County. 82 species for the weekend. Other birds seen were Snow Buntings in small flocks, 1 Common Redpoll in Norman Co. 1 Northern Shrike at Waubun WMA. Tundra Swans at a few locations. 1 Rough legged Hawk in Wilkin. Cackling Geese in several spots. 12 LB dowitchers at the Moorhead Sewage Ponds. 1 Pectoral Sandpiper at the Breckenridge Sewage Ponds. Longspurs and Pipits in small numbers. Raptors migrating in good numbers, especially in Mahnomen county. Thanks to Bob Dunlap for his eagle eyes which made this weekend more enjoyable by an exponential amount. Thanks also to Kim and his group who gave us tips on birds in the area. All in all a cold but great weekend. Ben Fritchman _________________________________________________________________ Get today's hot entertainment gossip http://movies.msn.com/movies/hotgossip?icid=T002MSN03A07001 --__--__-- Message: 6 From: "Jim Lind" To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:49:57 -0600 Subject: [mou] Cook County sightings Ann Russ reported that she found a Townsend Solitaire, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Gray Jays at Taconite Harbor today, as well as two more Black-backed Woodpeckers at Temperance River State Park. I also have a belated report from October 15th of a Varied Thrush in a flock of American Robins in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West 3rd Avenue. Jim Lind --__--__-- Message: 7 From: "Williams, Bob" To: "MNBird (mnbird@lists.mnbird.net)" , "MOU (mou-net@cbs.umn.edu)" Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:52:41 -0500 Subject: [mou] Plegadis Ibis in Pope County --_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Late this afternoon I found a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johann= a WPA in SE Pope County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is i= n SW Stearns County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd.=20 37 at 4 tenths of a mile south of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards awa= y so no chance to look for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, col= d winds. Bob Williams, Bloomington =20 --_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Late this afternoon I foun= d a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johanna WPA in SE Pope= County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is in SW Stearn= s County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd. FONT> 37 at 4 tenths of a mile s= outh of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards away so no chance to loo= k for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, cold winds. Bob Williams, Bloomington&= nbsp; --_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_-- --__--__-- Message: 8 From: "Joel Claus" To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu, MnBird@linux2.Winona.MSUS.edu Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:24:13 -0500 Subject: [mou] Purgatory Creek LBBG and Albinistic Red-Tailed Hawk About 5:15 PM this evening I observed an Adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in a mixed flock of Herring and Ring-Billed Gulls in the Purgatory Creek wetland near the junction of 212 and Hwy 5 in Eden Prairie. Earlier this afternoon (2 PM) I had a quick look at the albinistic Red-Tailed hawk that was reported last week by David Remiger. It was in roughly the same location near the junction of Prairie Center drive and 78th street. I only saw the back side of the bird as it perched in a tree and saw no trace of pigmentation. It was pure snowy white - cool bird! --__--__-- Message: 9 Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:28:10 -0500 From: "Clark, Scott" To: Subject: [mou] North Shore Birding and others This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6F6A7.21DAB508 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Highlights of the Northshore-LeConte's Sparrow at Flood Bay, a late juvenile y.b. sapsucker at the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel "hawking" and terrifying a group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park ( Friday October 20th ) and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine County) on June 21st. One other note- at Elm Creek Park I saw one week ago and this week at least 4 purple finches. =20 ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6F6A7.21DAB508 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable xmlns:w=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" = xmlns:st1=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> charset=3Dus-ascii"> namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceType"/> namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"PlaceName"/> namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name=3D"place"/> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {color:blue; text-decoration:underline;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline;} span.EmailStyle17 {mso-style-type:personal-compose; font-family:Arial; color:windowtext;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> style=3D'font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Arial'>Highlights of the Northshore—LeConte’s = Sparrow at w:st=3D"on">Flood w:st=3D"on">Bay, a late juvenile y.b. = sapsucker at the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel “hawking” and = terrifying a group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park ( Friday October = 20th ) and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine County) on June = 21st. One other note- at === message truncated === --0-127586072-1161631324=:92000 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Today (Monday, Oct. 23rd) at 12:30 pm, Jane Wicklund, Barb Wojahn, and Cheri Steinmueller discovered two Surf Scoters near the west shore of Bald Eagle Lake in Ramsey County. Jane had tentatively ID'd one bird at the same spot yesterday at 2:30 pm. Returned today at 10:30 am - not in view, but fishing boat in area. Returned again at 12:30 pm and had good looks at possible adult female and one juvenile. They swam south as a fishing boat trolled into the area. Directions: go approx. 1/2 mile north of where County Road H2 (County Rd. 5) intersects Bald Eagle Blvd. Look for large pull-off next to the lake, posted as "No Parking".

Cheri Steinmueller

Little Canada, MN

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Today's Topics:

1. Northern Shrike-Ramsey County (Earl Orf)
2. Three-toed Woodpeckers (Mike Hendrickson)
3. Crex Meadows, WI report (Sharon Stiteler)
4. north shore weekend birds (tana)
5. CAGU & other NW birds (Benjamin Fritchman)
6. Cook County sightings (Jim Lind)
7. Plegadis Ibis in Pope County (Williams, Bob)
8. Purgatory Creek LBBG and Albinistic Red-Tailed Hawk (Joel Claus)
9. North Shore Birding and others (Clark, Scott)
10. update Duluth, Mt Bluebird (Don Kienholz)
11. Bird scratch observations (Thomas Maiello)

--__--__--

Message: 1
Reply-To:
From: "Earl Orf"
To: "MOU Listserve" ,
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:53:15 -0500
Organization: uslink.net
Subject: [mou] Northern Shrike-Ramsey County

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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charset="us-ascii"
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This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree outside our apartment in
Shoreview. As I watched it through the scope, it regurgitated a pellet =
like
an owl would do. I didn't know they would do that.

=20

Earl Orf

web site www.earlorfphotos.com=20

=20

=20

=20

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charset=3Dus-ascii">

style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>This morning I saw a Northern Shrike in a tree =
outside our
apartment in style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Shoreviewface=3DArial>style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>. As I watched it =
through the
scope, it regurgitated a pellet like an owl would do. I =
didn’t know they
would do that.

style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>

style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Earl Orf

style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>web site href=3D"http://www.earlorfphotos.com">www.earlorfphotos.com an>

style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>

style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>

style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'>

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Message: 2
From: "Mike Hendrickson"
To: "MOU-Net"
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:05:47 -0500
Subject: [mou] Three-toed Woodpeckers

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From the light house in Two Harbors walk along the main trail along Lake =
Superior for at least 150 yards and this is where I discovered a male =
Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind who was birding with Denny =
Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out looking for the =
reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us were =
enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female =
Three-toed Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The =
trail between the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn =
to the north had at least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the =
Black-backed woodpeckers you could walk right up to them as the scraped =
the bark off the spruce trees. I took a lot of photos as did Jim Lind =
and Denny Martin. I will be putting my photos on my website this evening =
after the Viking football game. Look for these photos in the "Recently =
Seen" section of my website.

Other birds:
-Western Grebe=20
-Gray Jays
-Red Crossbills
-Northern Shrike

Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
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charset="iso-8859-1"
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charset=3Diso-8859-1">

From the light house in Two =
Harbors walk=20
along the main trail along Lake Superior for at least 150 yards and this =
is=20
where I discovered a male Three-toed Woodpecker. I called Jim Lind =
who was=20
birding with Denny Martin, Barb Martin and Mike Steffes who were out =
looking for=20
the reported Three-toed Woodpecker seen on Saturday. While all of us =
were=20
enjoying the male Three-toed Woodpecker, Jim Lind spotted the female =
Three-toed=20
Woodpecker as it landed on the same tree as the male. The trail =
between=20
the light house and where the trail takes a 90 degree turn to the north =
had at=20
least 6 Black-backed Woodpeckers!! Some of the Black-backed woodpeckers =
you=20
could walk right up to them as the scraped the bark off the spruce =
trees. I took=20
a lot of photos as did Jim Lind and Denny Martin. I will be putting my =
photos on=20
my website this evening after the Viking football game. Look for these =
photos in=20
the "Recently Seen" section of my website.

Other birds:

-Western Grebe

-Gray Jays

-Red Crossbills

-Northern Shrike

Michael =
Hendrickson
Duluth,=20
Minnesota
href=3D"http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/">http://webpages.chart=
er.net/mmhendrickson/

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--__--__--

Message: 3
To: mnbird , MOU-net
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:18:40 -0500
From: Sharon Stiteler
Subject: [mou] Crex Meadows, WI report

--Apple-Mail-7-705010446
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset=US-ASCII;
delsp=yes;
format=flowed

This isn't really Minnesota birding, but it's close enough for
Minnesota birders to visit.

Last night I went with Stan Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane
viewing field trip. At dusk we watched at least 4 short-eared owls
flying around and harassing a first year northern harrier--quite a
fun show. Other species of interest including snow buntings, lapland
longspurs, rough-legged hawk, merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill
cranes.

Another interesting observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk
perched on a highway sign on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch.

Sharon Stiteler
www.birdchick.com
Minneapolis, MN

--Apple-Mail-7-705010446
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1

-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">This isn't really Minnesota =
birding, but it's close enough for Minnesota birders to visit.

class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder">

Last night I went with Stan =
Tekiela on his Crex Meadows evening crane viewing field trip.=A0 At dusk =
we watched at least 4 short-eared owls flying around and harassing a =
first year northern harrier--quite a fun show.=A0 Other species of =
interest including snow buntings, lapland longspurs, rough-legged hawk, =
merlin, trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes.

class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder">

Another interesting =
observation was seeing a red-shouldered hawk perched on a highway sign =
on hwy 35 going north just past North Branch.

class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder">

class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; =
border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; =
font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: =
normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; =
-khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; =
-apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; ">
Sharon =
Stiteler

www.birdchick.com

Minneapolis, =
MN

class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder">

class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline">

=

--Apple-Mail-7-705010446--

--__--__--

Message: 4
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 15:56:51 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: tana
Reply-To: tana
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Subject: [mou] north shore weekend birds

I took a break from homework and visited the north shore this weekend with my parents. We saw around sixty species, with the following being our better finds -

10/21
RED-NECKED GREBE - Five Mile Rock
CACKLING GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course
SNOW GOOSE - Two Harbors Golf Course (a few blue morphs present)
ROSS'S GOOSE - 2 at Two Harbors Golf Course
BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER - Two Harbors - Lighthouse Point
GRAY JAY - a few along Highway 61, including one feeding on a roadkilled deer
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD - refound the individual at Bayfront Park - right along the canal - it was on the cement objects there (don't know exactly what they're called)
AMERICAN PIPIT - many spots
LAPLAND LONGSPUR - many spots
SNOW BUNTING - many spots

10/22
SNOW GOOSE - Park Point
SURF SCOTER - Park Point
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER - Park Point
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER - 1 male at Brighton Beach - near the outhouse

The crows were migrating in very large numbers. Also saw numerous juvenile bald eagles and found a dead lake sturgeon at Park Point.

Good birding to everyone!

Keith Pulles, Wright County

--__--__--

Message: 5
From: "Benjamin Fritchman"
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:54:02 -0500
Subject: [mou] CAGU & other NW birds

Bob Dunlap and I spent Saturday and Sunday birding Mahnomen, Norman, Polk,
Clay, and Wilkin Counties. Our best bird was found this morning around 11,
which was the California Gull at the Hawley landfill. It was relocated a
little later by Kim Eckert and his MBW group, but it was on the east side of
190th st. in a gravel pit when he found it. Bob and I originally had it in
the dump itself on the west side of the road. Some pictures were taken by
Bob and I, and notes were taken. Here are some of the better birds from this
weekend:
Saturday:
Gray Jay-Norman County-Just north of Syre on Hwy. 32 in a pine and cedar
grove, across from the cemetery.
Bohemian Waxwing-Mahnomen County-1 bird in the town of Mahnomen across the
Hwy. from the casino in a crabapple tree.
Surf Scoter-Polk County-Oak Lake near Erskine.
Short-eared Owl-Polk County-4 miles south of the CR 44 and CR 45 junction SE
of Crookston, then 1/2 mile east.
Great Horned Owl-Polk County-calling at the same location as the
Short-eared, sounded like it was coming from a woodlot to the north.
We ran into Kim Eckert's group, and they had 2 Gray Jays at different
locations in Polk Co. They're coming!
Sunday:
California Gull-I noticed a gull that was larger than the surrounding RB
Gulls, and after it turned its head, I could see its bill which had a red
gony and a black line on the bill. I immediately called Bob over and
together we saw all the remaining neccessary field marks. Also present were
Ring-billed and Herring Gulls which gave us excellent comparisons.
Gray Jay was not relocated in Clay County.

82 species for the weekend. Other birds seen were Snow Buntings in small
flocks, 1 Common Redpoll in Norman Co. 1 Northern Shrike at Waubun WMA.
Tundra Swans at a few locations. 1 Rough legged Hawk in Wilkin. Cackling
Geese in several spots. 12 LB dowitchers at the Moorhead Sewage Ponds. 1
Pectoral Sandpiper at the Breckenridge Sewage Ponds. Longspurs and Pipits in
small numbers. Raptors migrating in good numbers, especially in Mahnomen
county. Thanks to Bob Dunlap for his eagle eyes which made this weekend more
enjoyable by an exponential amount. Thanks also to Kim and his group who
gave us tips on birds in the area. All in all a cold but great weekend.

Ben Fritchman

_________________________________________________________________
Get today's hot entertainment gossip
http://movies.msn.com/movies/hotgossip?icid=T002MSN03A07001

--__--__--

Message: 6
From: "Jim Lind"
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:49:57 -0600
Subject: [mou] Cook County sightings

Ann Russ reported that she found a Townsend Solitaire, Black-backed
Woodpecker, and Gray Jays at Taconite Harbor today, as well as two
more Black-backed Woodpeckers at Temperance River State Park.

I also have a belated report from October 15th of a Varied Thrush in
a flock of American Robins in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West
3rd Avenue.

Jim Lind

--__--__--

Message: 7
From: "Williams, Bob"
To: "MNBird (mnbird@lists.mnbird.net)" ,
"MOU (mou-net@cbs.umn.edu)"
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 20:52:41 -0500
Subject: [mou] Plegadis Ibis in Pope County

--_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_
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Late this afternoon I found a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johann=
a WPA in SE Pope County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is i=
n SW Stearns County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd.=20
37 at 4 tenths of a mile south of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards awa=
y so no chance to look for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, col=
d winds.
Bob Williams, Bloomington =20

--_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_
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Late this afternoon I foun=
d a Plegadis Ibis on the east side of Lake Johanna WPA in SE Pope=
County(about 3 miles WSW of the town of Brooten which is in SW Stearn=
s County). It was seen on the west side of Co. Rd. FONT>

37 at 4 tenths of a mile s=
outh of Co. Rd. 8. It was at least 200 yards away so no chance to loo=
k for any distinguishing marks facing into strong, cold winds.

Bob Williams, Bloomington&=
nbsp;

--_C915C21E-70CC-4915-89EE-194BE5322029_--

--__--__--

Message: 8
From: "Joel Claus"
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu, MnBird@linux2.Winona.MSUS.edu
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:24:13 -0500
Subject: [mou] Purgatory Creek LBBG and Albinistic Red-Tailed Hawk

About 5:15 PM this evening I observed an Adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in a
mixed flock of Herring and Ring-Billed Gulls in the Purgatory Creek wetland
near the junction of 212 and Hwy 5 in Eden Prairie.

Earlier this afternoon (2 PM) I had a quick look at the albinistic
Red-Tailed hawk that was reported last week by David Remiger. It was in
roughly the same location near the junction of Prairie Center drive and 78th
street. I only saw the back side of the bird as it perched in a tree and
saw no trace of pigmentation. It was pure snowy white - cool bird!

--__--__--

Message: 9
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 08:28:10 -0500
From: "Clark, Scott"
To:
Subject: [mou] North Shore Birding and others

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Highlights of the Northshore-LeConte's Sparrow at Flood Bay, a late
juvenile y.b. sapsucker at the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel
"hawking" and terrifying a group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park
( Friday October 20th ) and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine
County) on June 21st. One other note- at Elm Creek Park I saw one week
ago and this week at least 4 purple finches. =20

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style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
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Sparrow
at w:st=3D"on">Flood w:st=3D"on">Bay, a late juvenile y.b. =
sapsucker at
the Two Harbors lighthouse, a kestrel “hawking” and =
terrifying a
group of snow buntings at Kittichi Gama Park ( Friday October =
20^th )
and a late Tennessee Warbler in Duquette (Pine County) on June =
21^st.
One other note- at
=== message truncated ===

--0-127586072-1161631324=:92000-- From susbenus@edina.k12.mn.us Tue Oct 24 20:51:24 2006 From: susbenus@edina.k12.mn.us (Benus, Susan) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:51:24 -0500 Subject: [mou] Curriculum Resources & Programs Message-ID: --Apple-Mail-15-891659323 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed I am contacting you from =91Curriculum Resources & Programs=92. We are a = =20 non-profit located in the Edina School District, serving 4 local =20 school districts by providing volunteer resource speakers from the =20 community to speak to the students, K =96 12, on a plethora of topics. I am contacting you because I have several request from both =20 Kindergarten and First grade classes at several schools in the West =20 Metro for someone to speak about penguins. We had a penguin lady in =20 the past, but she retired. All other avenues have proved fruitless. =20 Is there any member of your organization with a special love of =20 penguins who would be willing to share that with younger elementary =20 school children? Thank you for considering this query! Sincerely, Susan Benus Curriculum Resources & Programs 952-848-4927 susbenus@edina.k12.mn.us --Apple-Mail-15-891659323 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252

I am contacting you from =91Curriculum = Resources & Programs=92. We are a non-profit located in the Edina = School District, serving 4 local school districts by providing volunteer = resource speakers from the community to speak to the students, K =96 12, = on a plethora of topics.

I am = contacting you because I have several request from both Kindergarten and = First grade classes at several schools in the=A0West = Metro for someone to speak about penguins. We had a penguin lady in the = past, but she retired. All other avenues have proved fruitless. Is there = any member of your organization with a special love of penguins who = would be willing to share that with younger elementary school = children?

Thank you = for considering this query!=A0

Susan = BenusCurriculum Resources & = Programs952-848-4927

susbenus@edina.k12.mn.us

=A0

= --Apple-Mail-15-891659323-- From JulianSellers@msn.com Wed Oct 25 01:45:03 2006 From: JulianSellers@msn.com (Julian Sellers) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:45:03 -0500 Subject: [mou] Probable Mute Swan, Centerville Lake, Anoka Cty Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6F7A4.E6507E90 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yesterday (Monday) afternoon, Bill Bronn and I went looking for scoters = on Centerville Lake. We found none. A probable Mute Swan was in the = center of the Lake. It was perhaps 300-400 yards away, and the light = was not good, but the beak appeared to be mostly dull orangish with a = black button and black edge near the face (no knob). The bird was all = white except a bit darker on top of the head. Its posture and movements = said "Mute" to me--neck often curved, and bill mostly pointed downward, = approaching vertical. Julian St. Paul ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6F7A4.E6507E90 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Yesterday (Monday) afternoon, Bill Bronn and I went looking for = scoters on=20 Centerville Lake. We found none. A probable Mute Swan was in = the=20 center of the Lake. It was perhaps 300-400 yards away, and the = light was=20 not good, but the beak appeared to be mostly dull orangish with a black = button=20 and black edge near the face (no knob). The bird was all white = except a=20 bit darker on top of the head. Its posture and movements said = "Mute" to=20 me--neck often curved, and bill mostly pointed downward, approaching=20 vertical.

Julian

St. Paul

------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6F7A4.E6507E90-- From JulianSellers@msn.com Wed Oct 25 01:34:54 2006 From: JulianSellers@msn.com (Julian Sellers) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 19:34:54 -0500 Subject: [mou] Snow Buntings, South St. Paul Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C6F7A3.7B12D700 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable My wife and I took a short walk on the levee from the spiral overpass at = Grand Avenue late this afternoon, and saw a flock of about seven Snow = Buntings feeding among the rocks at the river's edge while moving = southward. ------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C6F7A3.7B12D700 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

My wife and I took a short walk on the levee from the spiral = overpass at=20 Grand Avenue late this afternoon, and saw a flock of about seven Snow = Buntings=20 feeding among the rocks at the river's edge while moving=20 southward.

------=_NextPart_000_0006_01C6F7A3.7B12D700-- From dingermcduff@hotmail.com Wed Oct 25 03:09:53 2006 From: dingermcduff@hotmail.com (shawn conrad) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:09:53 -0500 Subject: [mou] Bohemian Waxwings - Grand Rapids In-Reply-To: <20061023192204.94220.qmail@web81914.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Yesterday and today I saw a flock of about 50 Bohemian Waxwings in the elm tree on the west side of the Old Central School in Grand Rapids. This specific tree has been reliable for the species 4 straight years now. Shawn Conrad Bovey _________________________________________________________________ Get today's hot entertainment gossip http://movies.msn.com/movies/hotgossip?icid=T002MSN03A07001 From jslind@frontiernet.net Wed Oct 25 04:14:23 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:14:23 -0600 Subject: [mou] Mountain Bluebird relocated Message-ID: <453E822F.26390.79CF1DE@localhost> Julie Calligure reports that she and others relocated the Mountain Bluebird today at Bayfront Park in Duluth at about 11:00 am. They also found a Black-backed Woodpecker near the Lakeview Castle on Scenic Hwy 61 and another at Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors. Jim Lind From david@cahlander.com Wed Oct 25 12:28:48 2006 From: david@cahlander.com (David A. Cahlander) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 06:28:48 -0500 Subject: [mou] California Gull (Clay) on Recently Seen Message-ID: <000a01c6f828$c056c490$0400a8c0@flash> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F7FE.D434C5E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable http://www.moumn.org/cgi-bin/recent.pl ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F7FE.D434C5E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

http://www.moumn.org/cgi-= bin/recent.pl

------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F7FE.D434C5E0-- From confer@umn.edu Wed Oct 25 18:55:43 2006 From: confer@umn.edu (Kathy Confer) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 13:55:43 -0400 Subject: [mou] Kathy Confer sent you an article from startribune.com Message-ID: <200610251755.k9PHth7o020178@rcgi002p.nandomedia.com>

This article from StarTribune.com has been sent to you by Kathy Confer.
*Please note, the sender's identity has not been verified.

The full article, with any associated images and links can be viewed here.
Kathy Confer wrote these comments: ...an interesting and sobering article from today's StarTribune Web site...Kathy Confer, U of MN

Botulism is killing migratory birds in Lake Michigan
Tom Meersman, Star Tribune

Hundreds of loons, grebes, mergansers, cormorants and other migrating birds have been killed in Lake Michigan recently, most likely from bacteria linked to non-native fish and mussels.

Biologists at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore estimated this week that 2,600 dead birds have washed up on beaches during the past two months. It is the first large-scale bird die-off in Lake Michigan in decades.

"I've worked here for almost 30 years and I've never seen anything like it," said Steve Yancho, chief of natural resources at the park's office! in Empire, Mich. He said the cause of the deaths seems to be Type E botulism, which occurs naturally in the sediment of the lake, but rarely enters the food chain.

Many wildlife biologists around the Great Lakes have noted similar mass bird deaths since 1999 in Lakes Erie, Ontario and Huron. Lake Superior seems to be the only Great Lake that has not been affected so far, said Doug Jensen, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Minnesota Sea Grant at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

He said he doesn't know whether similar problems will occur in Lake Superior, because scientists are still trying to understand how water temperature and other factors may play a role in transforming the botulism bacterium into a potent neurotoxin.

What's clear from the evidence, said Jensen, is that the die-offs involve the interaction of two invasive species -- quagga mussels and a type of fish called round gobies -- which came originally from the Black and ! Caspian seas. They were carried into the Great Lakes in the ba! llast wa ter of oceangoing ships and have been spreading since their arrival in the late 1980s.

Biologists believe that the birds die as the neurotoxin makes its way through the aquatic food chain.

First, invasive quagga mussels move into a lake-bottom area, filter the sediment and accumulate the botulism's bacteria, which produce the toxin. Then, the round gobies eat the mussels and become contaminated. Finally, migrating birds spot the dead or dying gobies, eat them and in turn get poisoned.

The toxin attacks the birds' nervous system and paralyzes their muscles, causing large numbers to drown when they can no longer flap their wings or hold up their necks.

Large bird die-offs have occurred in late summer when gulls eat poisoned fish, but especially in the late fall when migrating birds are searching for food.

New York biologists picked up more than 17,000 dead birds along the southern shore of Lake Erie in 2002. The toxin has also kille! d tens of thousands of other fish that consume gobies, and the gulls that feed on them.

Yancho said the botulism outbreak at Sleeping Bear Dunes occurred just after the piping plover, an endangered bird species, left the area.

"Had they been here when this was going full speed, it could have been disastrous," he said, adding that there are only 50 pairs of piping plovers left in the Great Lakes.

Helen Domske, senior extension specialist at the New York Sea Grant, is especially concerned about loons.

"They're wonderful birds that are such a critical part of the ecosystem," she said. "You start to wonder what kind of impact so many deaths is having on the entire [loon] population."

Tom Meersman • 612 673-7388 • meersman@startribune.com

From kreckert@cpinternet.com Wed Oct 25 21:05:20 2006 From: kreckert@cpinternet.com (Kim R Eckert) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 15:05:20 -0500 Subject: [mou] another Black-backed Woodpecker Message-ID: --Apple-Mail-1-963410061 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed To add to this month's growing list of Black-backed Woodpecker sightings, there was one today in Duluth along Chester Park Dr between Skyline Pkwy and 18th Ave E, which is just E of Chester Creek. It's worth noting there were similar fall incursions of Black-backeds along the North Shore and in Duluth in 1982 and 1985, with some high counts that birders this fall have yet to equal. In 1982, a total of 14 Black-backeds migrated by Hawk Ridge on 16 October, with a total of 22 individuals seen in Duluth that day. Then in 1985, a larger incursion was documented, with a minimum of 100 Black-backeds seen in Duluth during the fall, almost all of them during October. Of these, a total of 71 was counted during the season at the Lakewood Pumping Station, with 14 counted there in 3 hours (see The Loon 58:68). By the way, this fall's incursion of Gray Jays, which seems to be waning along the North Shore, is so far no match for a larger movement in 1986. A minimum of 470 individuals was counted just within Duluth's city limits and vicinity (up to the Lake Co line). The highest one-day totals were 60 during a 3-hour period on 24 September, and 110 individuals on 1 October, with 103 of these counted in 2.5 hours (see The Loon 59:41-44). Interestingly, there was also a major movement of Boreal Chickadees along the North Shore in the fall of 1986. The peak flight day occurred on 8 October when 40 individuals were counted between the Lester River and Stoney Point, with 22 of these seen in a single flock! So far this season, there has been no evidence of any incursion of this species. - Kim Eckert --Apple-Mail-1-963410061 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=US-ASCII To add to this month's growing list of Black-backed Woodpecker sightings, there was one today in Duluth along Chester Park Dr between Skyline Pkwy and 18th Ave E, which is just E of Chester Creek. It's worth noting there were similar fall incursions of Black-backeds along the North Shore and in Duluth in 1982 and 1985, with some high counts that birders this fall have yet to equal. In 1982, a total of 14 Black-backeds migrated by Hawk Ridge on 16 October, with a total of 22 individuals seen in Duluth that day. Then in 1985, a larger incursion was documented, with a minimum of 100 Black-backeds seen in Duluth during the fall, almost all of them during October. Of these, a total of 71 was counted during the season at the Lakewood Pumping Station, with 14 counted there in 3 hours (see The Loon 58:68). By the way, this fall's incursion of Gray Jays, which seems to be waning along the North Shore, is so far no match for a larger movement in 1986. A minimum of 470 individuals was counted just within Duluth's city limits and vicinity (up to the Lake Co line). The highest one-day totals were 60 during a 3-hour period on 24 September, and 110 individuals on 1 October, with 103 of these counted in 2.5 hours (see The Loon 59:41-44). Interestingly, there was also a major movement of Boreal Chickadees along the North Shore in the fall of 1986. The peak flight day occurred on 8 October when 40 individuals were counted between the Lester River and Stoney Point, with 22 of these seen in a single flock! So far this season, there has been no evidence of any incursion of this species. - Kim Eckert --Apple-Mail-1-963410061-- From dscarman@charter.net Thu Oct 26 03:49:45 2006 From: dscarman@charter.net (Dave Carman) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 21:49:45 -0500 Subject: [mou] 2 More Black-backed Woodpeckers; Bohemian Waxwings at Hawk Ridge Duluth Message-ID: <5c18s2$1ndpk1q@mxip26a.cluster1.charter.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C6F87F.7ECB8540 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit On September 25, 2006, two Black-backed Woodpeckers were observed migrating by the Main Overlook at Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minnesota. The first flock of Bohemian Waxwings was also observed late this afternoon. David Carman Duluth, Minnesota ------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C6F87F.7ECB8540 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

On September 25, 2006, two Black-backed Woodpeckers = were observed migrating by the Main Overlook at Hawk Ridge, Duluth, Minnesota. The first flock of Bohemian Waxwings was also observed late this afternoon.

David Carman

Duluth, Minnesota

------=_NextPart_000_0027_01C6F87F.7ECB8540-- From sweston2@comcast.net Thu Oct 26 04:40:11 2006 From: sweston2@comcast.net (Steve Weston) Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2006 22:40:11 -0500 Subject: [mou] Around the metro Message-ID: <002a01c6f8b2$2275cb10$d69b7618@Weston72505> Possible Golden Eagle at Black Dog: My son called me last night at 5pm that he had just found a large dark eagle on a power pole along Black Dog road. He concluded that it was a Golden Eagle. I explained that most of the all dark eagles found here are usually immature Bald Eagles. I asked him if the bird had any white. He said, "No." When I was done with my lecture, he said, "You would think that after all of these years of being around you, that I would have picked up something." I haven't had a chance to sneak away from work and check the eagles hanging around the river there. While he is not been infected with the bird-watcher infection, he has been a reliable observer in the past. Today I saw a flock of about 50 to 100 finches flying by the pines along Pilot Knob by Acacia Cemetery. I did not have time to stop and listen to their flight calls. I have observed a large flock of House Finches down by Cedar Bridge a week or two ago. I wouldn't have reported these finches, except for the observation of Red Crossbills reported by Bruce Baer recently in Richfield. I have been watching a small flock of Wigeons on Quiggley Lake for the last few days. At least a couple of the local Wood Ducks have been landing on my feeder and feasting on sunflower seeds. The most interesting wildlife observation of the last couple of weeks, was the discovery of at least four squashed Opossums found on Highway 5 between Eden Prairie and Waconia. The last passerine migrants I have stumbled upon were about ten days ago in Patrick Egan Park in Eagan, where I found Fox Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, a Palm Warbler, and a Yellow-rumpped Warbler. Short stops around town in between work have yielded quiet with only the expected non-migratory regulars. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net From PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net Thu Oct 26 15:49:05 2006 From: PastorAl@PrincetonFreeChurch.net (Pastor Al Schirmacher) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:49:05 -0500 Subject: [mou] Red Crossbill Flight Song Assistance Message-ID: <009201c6f90d$e2bb61e0$0b01a8c0@pastoral> The bulk of my birding years was spent in southern Wisconsin, so winter finch exposure was scanty. Three times this week - once each in St. Louis, Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties - I've had small flocks of finches fly over that my ear says "Redpoll" - the chip, chip, chip call. Or was it jip - jip - jip? I wouldn't normally question my ear on this, except flocks of Red Crossbills are being reported with regularity as much as 70 miles south of my location - and I've seen few reports on C. Redpolls yet. So, the question is, how does one distinguish the flight calls of the two species? This morning's Internet search was unproductive, and neither the Peterson nor Feith CD's have Red Crossbills on them. Thanks! Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties From Pmegeland@aol.com Thu Oct 26 15:57:37 2006 From: Pmegeland@aol.com (Pmegeland@aol.com) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 10:57:37 EDT Subject: [mou] Redpolls-Bloomington Message-ID: -------------------------------1161874657 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Doing yard work has its benefits. On Tuesday afternoon I had three Greater Yellowlegs fly over and yesterday afternoon I had two Redpolls land in an Oak tree for a couple of minutes. My yard is across the street form Girard Park in Bloomington. Paul Egeland -------------------------------1161874657 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Doing yard work has its benefits. On Tuesday afternoon I had three Grea= ter=20 Yellowlegs fly over and yesterday afternoon I had two Redpolls land in an Oa= k=20 tree for a couple of minutes.

My yard is across the street form Girard Park in Bloomington.

Paul Egeland

-------------------------------1161874657-- From Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com Thu Oct 26 17:57:29 2006 From: Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com (Alt, Mark) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 11:57:29 -0500 Subject: [mou] Forthcoming news on Three-toeds in Two Harbors (Long) Message-ID: <53C2BE278DA0704BA0CC0F271E0158CBC1CED7@dsp65mail.na.bestbuy.com> VGhyZWUtdG9lZCBXb29kcGVja2VycyBhcmUgaGFyZCB0byBmaW5kLiAgVGhpcyBjaGFsbGVuZ2Ug cHJvbXB0ZWQgUGV0ZXIgTmV1YmVjayBhbmQgSSB0byBzZXQgZm9ydGggZm9yIFR3byBIYXJib3Jz LCBNTiBhbG9uZyBsYWtlIFN1cGVyaW9yIGluIHNlYXJjaCBvZiBUaHJlZS10b2VkcywgYSBsaWZl ciBmb3IgTXIuIE5ldWJlY2sgYW5kIGEgcmVhbGx5IGNvb2wgYmlyZCB0byBzZWUgZm9yIG1lLiBJ biB0aGUgd29vZHMgYmVoaW5kIHRoZSB0d28gSGFyYm9ycyBsaWdodGhvdXNlLCBJIG1ldCBBZGFt IFJheWJ1cm4sIGFuIE1EIGluIHJlc2lkZW5jZSBhdCBSb2NoZXN0ZXIgTWF5bywgYW5kIGhpcyBm YXRoZXIsIGFuIElsbGlub2lzIE9ybml0aG9sb2dpY2FsIFNvY2lldHkgbWVtYmVyLiAgV2UgZGlz Y3Vzc2VkIHRoZSBmaW5lciBwb2ludHMgb2YgZmluZGluZyB0aGVzZSByYXJlIGJpcmRzLiBJIGhh 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ZmYNCldoYXQgcGFydCBvZiB0aGUgdHJlZSBpcyBpdCBmZWVkaW5nIG9uPw0K4oCiCVRydW5rDQri gKIJTGF0ZXJhbCBCcmFuY2hlcw0K4oCiCUhlaWdodCBpbiBtZXRlcnMgb2YgYmlyZOKAmXMgZm9y YWdpbmcNCglVbmRlcnNpZGUgb2YgTGF0ZXJhbCBCcmFuY2hlcyA5IG1ldGVycyBoaWdoDQpJcyB0 aGUgYmlyZCBleGNhdmF0aW5nIG9yIHNjYWxpbmcgYmFyaz8JCUV4Y2F2YXRpbmcNCkhvdyBkaWQg eW91IGRldGVjdCB0aGUgYmlyZD8NCuKAoglTZWVuIEZseWluZw0K4oCiCUhlYXJkDQrigKIJQW5v dGhlciBwZXJzb24gZm91bmQgaXQNCglIZWFyZA0KRGlkIGl0IGludGVyYWN0IHdpdGggYW55IG90 aGVyIGFuaW1hbHMgb3IgYmlyZHM/DQoJTm8NCk9ic2VydmVycyBOYW1lcwlQZXRlciBOZXViZWNr OyBNYXJrIEFsdAkNCg0KR29vZCBCaXJkaW5nIQ0KDQoNCk1hcmsgQWx0DQpCcm9va2x5biBDZW50 ZXIsIE1ODQoNCg== From Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com Thu Oct 26 20:39:45 2006 From: Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com (Alt, Mark) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:39:45 -0500 Subject: [mou] Three-toed Woodpeckers in two Harbors (Long) Message-ID: <53C2BE278DA0704BA0CC0F271E0158CBC1CEE0@dsp65mail.na.bestbuy.com> Three-toed Woodpeckers are hard to find. This challenge prompted Peter Neubeck and I to set forth for Two Harbors, MN along lake Superior in search of Three-toeds, a lifer for Mr. Neubeck and a really cool bird to see for me. In the woods behind the two Harbors lighthouse, I met Adam Rayburn, an MD in residence at Rochester Mayo, and his father, an Illinois Ornithological Society member. We discussed the finer points of finding these rare birds. I had been recording audio with my parabolic mike, (Gray Jays were very cooperative this day), and returned to my car to pack the audio gear away and pick up my video camera when Peter pulled in. Adam came clear out to get me, saying his dad was on a Woodpecker. We moved along the trail briskly, and came upon the stakeout, to the right of the trail as it makes a bend to the left; Mr. Rayburn stood peering upwards into a large Spruce with dead-looking foliage still clinging to its long lateral branches. I filmed Peter as he got the bird in view - he had chased this bird for many years, then turned my camera on the bird, a female Three-toed Woodpecker, feeding with rigor along the bottom side of a small lateral branch, about 5-6 meters high. I filmed it for about 20 seconds, and then it flew away towards the denser trees inland. We spent the next two hours looking for this bird, to no avail. I did find two Black-backed Woodpeckers, both female, yet the forest is so dense, no opportunity to shoot them on video presented itself. These birds are hard to find and harder to get good looks at.=20 5 Downy Woodpeckers and a couple of Hairies were at work in the area, each requiring great effort for identification. Several deer, including a massive buck, many Brown Creepers, a single Golden-crowned Kinglet, and many Gray Jays (three seen at one time) At noon, we went and grabbed lunch and headed for the Gold Course to see Cackling Geese. The birds were barely visible from the road, so I went in to the shop to ask permission to walk the course, and the staff was so helpful, they actually rented us a golf cart (electric even). Thus mobilized, with video cameras on board, we were like Marlin Perkins and his fearless assistant Jim as we headed off across the verdant fairways, in search of cacklers. We crossed over four fairways and drove to a high point to scan the geese, when Peter noticed a massive flocking of Snow Buntings in the area. We stalked the birds to get closer, using a row of pines, and then found the birds to be pretty fearless. A conservative estimate of the count would be over 3,000 birds. There was very little wind, so when the birds would lift off, we would hear a cacophony of noise, a combination of 6,000 wings fluttering and the utterance of the buzzy flight calls. Describing it is difficult., perhaps a mix of thumbing speedily though a book's pages by flexing the cover and allowing the pages to snap past your thumb as it releases each page, with the hint of vocalizations coming at the tail end of the sound, like an aftershock. The birds would make the sound as they lifted off hen if they sustained flight; the sound went away until hey landed. Many times they would lift off, the entire flock going 3 feet in to the air, and then they would turn and settle back in place. This was when the sound was loudest. There were as many as 20 seen flycatching (or drinking water?) over the nearby pond. The birds were very tightly flocked; at times, 95% were on an area no larger than a football field. They would occasionally split into smaller groups, but never for long, and during the half hour we observed them, 70% of the time they were in a single, dense flock. When on the ground, they appeared as light brown spots on the green grass, when they lifted off their wings flashed brilliant white, then as the flock wheeled in a spiral, the flashed black and then light brown as the landed. I have only ever seen flocks move like this in large groups of shorebirds, where they form a spiraling flock, low to the ground and then alighting again, still in a densely packed flock., literally wing to wing. We were able to film this from about 75 yards away; it was one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed. A Merlin jetted in at one point, flying 3 feet off of the ground, like a baby Gyrfalcon, parting the flock, then focusing on one bird which veered sharply upward, the Merlin flared its tail and wings and veered to follow, swallow-like, upwards, managing to hit but not disable its prey. The Buntings dispersed out of sight; the Merlin assumed a sentry position atop a nearby spruce. 5 Merlins were seen this day, all of them being dark in plumage. This one was a male. We spotted a Greater Yellowlegs wading on the sand at the pond near the clubhouse, and Peter was videoing it when the Merlin took a shot at it as well. The yellowlegs flew away calling loud enough to hurt your ears. It seemed to be at least twice the size of the Merlin. Peter's video shows the bird flushing, but the Merlin was just out of frame. Pity, it was quite a rush, We headed back to the lighthouse woods to look for woodpeckers again, and after two hours of searching, I heard crows calling in the densest part of the tract. Steve Millard, it was right after we parted ways. Always on the lookout for owls, I investigated. I heard a soft tapping and after ten minutes of searching, identified a male Three-toed feeding on the underside of white spruce branches about 9 meters up. I called Peter on the radio and told him to find me by following the crow calls. We both got clear views of the male before it flushed, yet no video, then we spent another half hour trying to reacquire the bird, to no avail. The strip of pines that encircles the peninsula of Two Harbors includes the conifers over by the Harborview Apartments and the park, near the mountain Ash Trees; perhaps these are where these birds may be traveling to? We did not refind the birds, but if they are staying in the area, these might be where they are.=20 I only had brief glimpses of the Three-toeds, so my observations are anecdotal, but I wanted to offer them up for others to benchmark against. The Black-blackeds I saw were on the tree trunks of Spruces, one foraged form 2 meters to 5 meters, the other was at 5 meters high. The trees they were in showed no blighted foliage or peeled bark. The Three-toeds were at higher level foraging in Spruces, along lateral branches, feeding on the underside of the branch. Both the Black-backeds and three-toes were not loudly pecking, perhaps the wood is punky and soft, or perhaps they are just softly going about their business, but these birds were not audible when I was 50 feet or more away, and we had low winds all day. The Downies we heard in the area were far noisier than these birds. The Black-backeds were not as active as the Three-toeds. The Three toeds were aggressively feeding, with no repetitive rhythm to their tapping, but the cadence was similar to the clicking of Yellow Rails. No vocals were heard from any Woodpecker except Downy and Hairy. The Three-toeds and Black-backeds were not going from one tree to the one next to it; they left with swift and direct flight, out of view and not to be refound by us.=20 I recommend standardize some of the reporting of these sightings. Perhaps the following questions answered each time would help us all figure out what the pattern of behavior is for these birds. Please enter them into the MOU seasonal reports data base and include them in your posts. 1. What was its exact location (GPS or Delorme coordinates)? 2. What time and date did you sight his bird? 3. What were the weather and wind conditions? 4. What is its gender? 5. What type of tree is it in? 6. What is the apparent health of the tree? 7. What part of the tree is it feeding on? a. Trunk b. Lateral Branches c. Height in meters of bird's foraging 8. Is the bird excavating or scaling bark? 9. Are there any vocalizations 10. How did you detect the bird? a. Seen Flying b. Heard c. Another person found it 11. Did it interact with any other animals or birds? 12. How long did you observe it? Mark Alt Brooklyn Center, MN From cbutler@lcp2.net Fri Oct 27 00:24:23 2006 From: cbutler@lcp2.net (Cindy Risen) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:24:23 -0500 Subject: [mou] Townsend's Solitaire Mille Lacs Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.0.20061026181432.02024340@mail.lcp2.net> There was a Townsend's Solitaire this afternoon about 1/2 mile south of Eddy's resort on Mille Lacs CR 35. Lots of loons, mergansers, snow buntings, Bonaparte's gulls, Wilson's snipe and one greater yellowlegs along with expected stuff. Cindy Risen Tamarack, Aitkin County www.naturescapenews.com From axhertzel@sihope.com Fri Oct 27 01:55:54 2006 From: axhertzel@sihope.com (Anthony Hertzel) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 17:55:54 -0700 Subject: [mou] MOU RBA 26 October 2006 Message-ID: <20061027005835.A0FF81004D@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161910554==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *October 26, 2006 *MNST0610.26 -Birds mentioned California Gull American Three-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Northern Shrike Carolina Wren Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Orange-crowned Warbler Eastern Meadowlark Common Redpoll -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: October 26, 2006 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (axhertzel@sihope.com) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday October 26th 2006. On October 22nd, Bob Dunlap and Ben Fritchman found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Clay County Sanitary Landfill near the town of Hawley. Hawley is located on U.S. Highway 10 at the junction of Clay County Road 33. Go west on U.S. 10 from Hawley to 190th Street and turn south. Drive about two and a half miles to the dump on the west side of the road. Bob Williams found a PLEGADIS IBIS on the 22nd on the east side of Lake Johanna Waterfowl Production Area in southeastern Pope County. The location was about three miles west / southwest of the town of Brooten (which is in Stearns County), on the west side of Pope County Road 37, half a mile south of County Road 8. In the past several days, at least two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported in the vicinity of Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors, Lake County. John Latimer has reported seeing a CAROLINA WREN in Grand Rapids several times over the last few weeks, with the last sighting being on the 19th. The location is along the north shore of Pokegama Lake at the 24000 block of Itasca County Road 76. A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD has been at Bayfront Park in Duluth since the 17th. On the 24th, Jim Lind found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in Knife River, Lake County, across the road from Emily's Restaurant. Ann Russ found another at the Temperence River State Park in Cook County on the 22nd, Chris Benson found a Townsend's Solitaire at the ball fields of Park Point in Duluth on the 21st, and Cindy Risen reported one on the 26th about half a mile south of Eddy's Resort on Mille Lacs County Road 35. This last bird may be the same individual that was reported on the 12th near the town of Wahkon. A late EASTERN MEADOWLARK was heard singing by Julie Brophy in Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County on the 15th. I also have a few reports of NORTHERN SHRIKE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and COMMON REDPOLL. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, November 2nd 2006. --====1161910554==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*October 26, 2006
*MNST0610.26

-Birds mentioned

California Gull
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Carolina Wren
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Orange-crowned Warbler
Eastern Meadowlark
Common Redpoll

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: October 26, 2006
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (axhertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday October 26th 2006.

On October 22nd, Bob Dunlap and Ben Fritchman found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Clay County Sanitary Landfill near the town of Hawley. Hawley is located on U.S. Highway 10 at the junction of Clay County Road 33. Go west on U.S. 10 from Hawley to 190th Street and turn south. Drive about two and a half miles to the dump on the west side of the road.

Bob Williams found a PLEGADIS IBIS on the 22nd on the east side of Lake Johanna Waterfowl Production Area in southeastern Pope County. The location was about three miles west / southwest of the town of Brooten (which is in Stearns County), on the west side of Pope County Road 37, half a mile south of County Road 8.

In the past several days, at least two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported in the vicinity of Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors, Lake County.

John Latimer has reported seeing a CAROLINA WREN in Grand Rapids several times over the last few weeks, with the last sighting being on the 19th. The location is along the north shore of Pokegama Lake at the 24000 block of Itasca County Road 76.

A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD has been at Bayfront Park in Duluth since the 17th.

On the 24th, Jim Lind found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in Knife River, Lake County, across the road from Emily's Restaurant. Ann Russ found another at the Temperence River State Park in Cook County on the 22nd, Chris Benson found a Townsend's Solitaire at the ball fields of Park Point in Duluth on the 21st, and Cindy Risen reported one on the 26th about half a mile south of Eddy's Resort on Mille Lacs County Road 35. This last bird may be the same individual that was reported on the 12th near the town of Wahkon.

A late EASTERN MEADOWLARK was heard singing by Julie Brophy in Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County on the 15th. I also have a few reports of NORTHERN SHRIKE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and COMMON REDPOLL.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, November 2nd 2006. --====1161910554====-- From ajjoppru@wiktel.com Fri Oct 27 03:26:09 2006 From: ajjoppru@wiktel.com (Jeanie Joppru) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:26:09 -0700 Subject: [mou] Northwest Minnesota Birding Report- Thursday, October 26, 2006 Message-ID: <20061027022842.B5E7D1004D@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161915969==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Detroit Lakes *October 26, 2006 *MNDL0610.26 -Birds mentioned Snow Goose Ross's Goose Ring-necked Duck Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Gray Partridge Ruffed Grouse Spruce Grouse Sharp-tailed Grouse Greater Prairie-Chicken Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe American Bittern Bald Eagle Rough-legged Hawk American Coot Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull California Gull Northern Hawk Owl Short-eared Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Gray Jay Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Pipit Bohemian Waxwing American Tree Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Harris's Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes Date: October 26, 2006 Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours) Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com) This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 27, 2006 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888. Nearing Halloween, we will gain an hour of birding time as we turn the clocks back this weekend. Migration is winding down. Any birds seen now are noteworthy, either for being early, late, or just for wandering this way on their journeys. Most noteworthy is the irruption of Gray Jays into northwestern and southern Minnesota. Please send in all Gray Jay sightings so we may log them in an effort to see where they go, and what habitat they use, to try to figure out why this happens every now and then. Please include precise locations, dates, and what kind of habitat they are found in. GRAY JAYS have been reported in Lake of the Woods, Roseau, Marshall , Red Lake, Polk, and Norman Counties this week. Gretchen Mehmel in the Beltrami Island State Forest reported this week both SPRUCE GROUSE and RUFFED GROUSE. Also there has been a NORTHERN HAWK OWL hanging out near the command center for the search for a lost hunter along the East Moose River Road. Please do not get in the way of the search. BALD EAGLES, and GRAY JAYS have also been reported. Stan Wood at the Roseau River WMA reported that several GRAY JAYS have been seen and SNOW BUNTINGS have been common in the area this week. Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported on October 23 that her yard still holds good numbers of sparrows, and she has also seen RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PURPLE FINCH. At Agassiz NWR in Marshall County, Maggie Anderson reported on October 23, that a couple of GRAY JAYS have been hanging around headquarters, and two have been reported along the Maakstad Trail. Peder Svingen found one at Webster Pool on October 24. Other species seen at the refuge included an AMERICAN BITTERN, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK; 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen near the observation deck at Parker Pool. 100 SNOW GEESE and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK have also been seen at the refuge. Steve Broten reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Viking, and 4-5 GRAY JAYS at a home southwest of Newfolden. On October 22, he saw 15 GRAY PARTRIDGE near his home in that area. On October 21, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, and one SURF SCOTER were found at the Thief River Falls WTP, Pennington County. On October 24, Peder Svingen also found a BLACK SCOTER there amid hundreds of scaup and RING-NECKED DUCKS. Several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen there on Saturday, but those were gone by Sunday. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are beginning to appear in the county. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along the west side of the wastewater treatment ponds on October 25. On October 21, a GRAY JAY and a RUFFED GROUSE were seen at the home of Phyllis Audette near Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County. On October 24, Peder Svingen found two GRAY JAYS coming to a yard with a feeder at Huot. In Polk County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap found a SURF SCOTER at Oak Lake on October 21, and a SHORT-EARED OWL four miles south of the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45. Among many species found by Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend were many GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, a dawn flight of over 500 SANDHILL CRANES near the Pembina Trail SNA, a flock of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and SNOW BUNTINGS to name only a few. Two GRAY JAYS were seen, one of them near the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45 along the tracks. Peder Svingen on October 24 found three BLACK SCOTERS, one SURF SCOTER, one ROSS'S GOOSE, and one juvenal WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the Crookston WTP. On October 26, Dave Lambeth reported three immature WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the East Grand Forks WTP about a mile north of town along the Red River. A GRAY JAY was found by Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap on October 22 in the pines across from the cemetery near Syre in Norman County; other species found included NORTHERN SHRIKE and COMMON REDPOLL. Ben and Bob found a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Mahnomen on October 22. In Clay County, Ben and Bob found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Hawley landfill on October 22. Mel and Elaine Bennefeld reported a partial albino DARK-EYED JUNCO on October 25 at the Pondorosa Golf Club. In Otter Tail County, Nancy Jackson found a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a WILSON'S SNIPE at Leaf Lake on October 22. Alma Ronningen saw a HARRIS'S SPARROW on October 23, a BROWN CREEPER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on October 23. Jeff and Amy Drake reported an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on October 21, a nice selection of sparrows, PINE SISKIN, and PURPLE FINCH. >From Wilkin County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap reported a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Nancy Jackson reported many AMERICAN COOTS, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON LOON, BONAPARTE'S GULL, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and BROWN CREEPER in Douglas County on October 21. Deb Johnson on October 23 reported AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL among others in their yard. Thanks to all who sent in their sightings this week. Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, November 3, 2006. --====1161915969==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Detroit Lakes
*October 26, 2006
*MNDL0610.26

-Birds mentioned

Snow Goose
Ross's Goose
Ring-necked Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Gray Partridge
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Greater Prairie-Chicken
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
American Bittern
Bald Eagle
Rough-legged Hawk
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
American Golden-Plover
White-rumped Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
Bonaparte's Gull
California Gull
Northern Hawk Owl
Short-eared Owl
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Shrike
Gray Jay
Brown Creeper
Eastern Bluebird
Hermit Thrush
American Pipit
Bohemian Waxwing
American Tree Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Harris's Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Lapland Longspur
Snow Bunting
Purple Finch
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes
Date: October 26, 2006
Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce
Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)
Compiler: Jeanie Joppru (ajjoppru@wiktel.com)

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 27, 2006 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

Nearing Halloween, we will gain an hour of birding time as we turn the clocks back this weekend. Migration is winding down. Any birds seen now are noteworthy, either for being early, late, or just for wandering this way on their journeys. Most noteworthy is the irruption of Gray Jays into northwestern and southern Minnesota. Please send in all Gray Jay sightings so we may log them in an effort to see where they go, and what habitat they use, to try to figure out why this happens every now and then. Please include precise locations, dates, and what kind of habitat they are found in. GRAY JAYS have been reported in Lake of the Woods, Roseau, Marshall , Red Lake, Polk, and Norman Counties this week.

Gretchen Mehmel in the Beltrami Island State Forest reported this week both SPRUCE GROUSE and RUFFED GROUSE. Also there has been a NORTHERN HAWK OWL hanging out near the command center for the search for a lost hunter along the East Moose River Road. Please do not get in the way of the search. BALD EAGLES, and GRAY JAYS have also been reported.

Stan Wood at the Roseau River WMA reported that several GRAY JAYS have been seen and SNOW BUNTINGS have been common in the area this week.

Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported on October 23 that her yard still holds good numbers of sparrows, and she has also seen RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PURPLE FINCH.

At Agassiz NWR in Marshall County, Maggie Anderson reported on October 23, that a couple of GRAY JAYS have been hanging around headquarters, and two have been reported along the Maakstad Trail. Peder Svingen found one at Webster Pool on October 24. Other species seen at the refuge included an AMERICAN BITTERN, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK; 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen near the observation deck at Parker Pool. 100 SNOW GEESE and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK have also been seen at the refuge. Steve Broten reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Viking, and 4-5 GRAY JAYS at a home southwest of Newfolden. On October 22, he saw 15 GRAY PARTRIDGE near his home in that area.

On October 21, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, and one SURF SCOTER were found at the Thief River Falls WTP, Pennington County. On October 24, Peder Svingen also found a BLACK SCOTER there amid hundreds of scaup and RING-NECKED DUCKS. Several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen there on Saturday, but those were gone by Sunday. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are beginning to appear in the county. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along the west side of the wastewater treatment ponds on October 25.

On October 21, a GRAY JAY and a RUFFED GROUSE were seen at the home of Phyllis Audette near Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County. On October 24, Peder Svingen found two GRAY JAYS coming to a yard with a feeder at Huot.

In Polk County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap found a SURF SCOTER at Oak Lake on October 21, and a SHORT-EARED OWL four miles south of the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45. Among many species found by Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend were many GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, a dawn flight of over 500 SANDHILL CRANES near the Pembina Trail SNA, a flock of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and SNOW BUNTINGS to name only a few. Two GRAY JAYS were seen, one of them near the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45 along the tracks. Peder Svingen on October 24 found three BLACK SCOTERS, one SURF SCOTER, one ROSS'S GOOSE, and one juvenal WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the Crookston WTP. On October 26, Dave Lambeth reported three immature WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the East Grand Forks WTP about a mile north of town along the Red River.

A GRAY JAY was found by Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap on October 22 in the pines across from the cemetery near Syre in Norman County; other species found included NORTHERN SHRIKE and COMMON REDPOLL.

Ben and Bob found a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Mahnomen on October 22.

In Clay County, Ben and Bob found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Hawley landfill on October 22. Mel and Elaine Bennefeld reported a partial albino DARK-EYED JUNCO on October 25 at the Pondorosa Golf Club.

In Otter Tail County, Nancy Jackson found a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a WILSON'S SNIPE at Leaf Lake on October 22. Alma Ronningen saw a HARRIS'S SPARROW on October 23, a BROWN CREEPER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on October 23. Jeff and Amy Drake reported an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on October 21, a nice selection of sparrows, PINE SISKIN, and PURPLE FINCH.

>From Wilkin County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap reported a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

Nancy Jackson reported many AMERICAN COOTS, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON LOON, BONAPARTE'S GULL, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and BROWN CREEPER in Douglas County on October 21. Deb Johnson on October 23 reported AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL among others in their yard.

Thanks to all who sent in their sightings this week.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at ajjoppru@wiktel.com OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, November 3, 2006. --====1161915969====-- From jslind@frontiernet.net Fri Oct 27 03:26:45 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:26:45 -0700 Subject: [mou] Duluth RBA 10/26/06 Message-ID: <20061027022917.BB7C31004D@atp.cbs.umn.edu> --====1161916005==== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" -RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *October 26, 2006 *MNDU0610.26 -Birds mentioned Ross's Goose Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Spruce Grouse Western Grebe American White Pelican American Three-toed Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker Mountain Bluebird Townsend's Solitaire Varied Thrush Nashville Warbler Red Crossbill White-winged Crossbill -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore Date: October 26, 2006 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) Reports: (218) 834-2858 Compiler: Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net) This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 26th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. The female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at Bayfront Park in Duluth was relocated as recently as the 24th. It has been seen most frequently around the gate near 7th Avenue West and Railroad Street. As many as six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS and two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS have been seen during the past week in Two Harbors at Lighthouse Point, especially along the trail on the east side of the point. Chris Benson found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 21st near the Harbor Point Apartments at 3rd Avenue and 1st Street in downtown Two Harbors. Keith Pulles found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 22nd at the west end of Gitchie Gammi Park in east Duluth. Additional BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported from Temperance River State Park, Taconite Harbor, the Two Harbors cemetery, Stoney Point, Hawk Ridge, Lester River and Chester Creek in Duluth. Dan Svingen found a WESTERN GREBE and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in Agate Bay in Two Harbors on the 20th. Nancy Jackson found a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on the 25th at Park Point in Duluth, on the harbor side near the rowing club. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was found by Peder Svingen at this same location on the 21st. A SURF SCOTER was found by Keith Pulles on the 22nd at Park Point. The two immature ROSS'S GEESE were still present as of the 22nd at the Two Harbors golf course. Sue McDonnell reported an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN on the 21st in the Grand Marais harbor near the North House Folk School. Ann Russ found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at Taconite Harbor in Cook County on the 22nd. Chris Benson found a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE on the 21st at Park Point near the ballfields. Another was found on the 24th in Knife River in the crab apple trees across the road from Emily’s Restaurant. It was still present this afternoon. Scott Clark found a LE CONTE’S SPARROW over the weekend at Flood Bay, a mile east of Two Harbors. Jan and John Green found a late NASHVILLE WARBLER in Two Harbors on the 21st. A VARIED THRUSH was seen on the 15th in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West 3rd Avenue. Mike Hendrickson found a flock of 20 RED CROSSBILLS near the mouth of the French River on the 23rd. RED CROSSBILLS have also been found during the past week at Two Harbors and Hawk Ridge. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was reported from Hawk Ridge on the 24th. A SPRUCE GROUSE was seen on the 19th along Lake County Road 2, about a half mile north of the Sand River. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, November 2nd. The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message. The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org. --====1161916005==== Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1"

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 26, 2006
*MNDU0610.26

-Birds mentioned

Ross's Goose
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Spruce Grouse
Western Grebe
American White Pelican
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black-backed Woodpecker
Mountain Bluebird
Townsend's Solitaire
Varied Thrush
Nashville Warbler
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 26, 2006
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 834-2858
Compiler: Jim Lind (jslind@frontiernet.net)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 26th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at Bayfront Park in Duluth was relocated as recently as the 24th. It has been seen most frequently around the gate near 7th Avenue West and Railroad Street.

As many as six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS and two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS have been seen during the past week in Two Harbors at Lighthouse Point, especially along the trail on the east side of the point. Chris Benson found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 21st near the Harbor Point Apartments at 3rd Avenue and 1st Street in downtown Two Harbors. Keith Pulles found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 22nd at the west end of Gitchie Gammi Park in east Duluth. Additional BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported from Temperance River State Park, Taconite Harbor, the Two Harbors cemetery, Stoney Point, Hawk Ridge, Lester River and Chester Creek in Duluth.

Dan Svingen found a WESTERN GREBE and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in Agate Bay in Two Harbors on the 20th. Nancy Jackson found a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on the 25th at Park Point in Duluth, on the harbor side near the rowing club. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was found by Peder Svingen at this same location on the 21st. A SURF SCOTER was found by Keith Pulles on the 22nd at Park Point. The two immature ROSS'S GEESE were still present as of the 22nd at the Two Harbors golf course. Sue McDonnell reported an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN on the 21st in the Grand Marais harbor near the North House Folk School.

Ann Russ found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at Taconite Harbor in Cook County on the 22nd. Chris Benson found a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE on the 21st at Park Point near the ballfields. Another was found on the 24th in Knife River in the crab apple trees across the road from Emily’s Restaurant. It was still present this afternoon. Scott Clark found a LE CONTE’S SPARROW over the weekend at Flood Bay, a mile east of Two Harbors. Jan and John Green found a late NASHVILLE WARBLER in Two Harbors on the 21st. A VARIED THRUSH was seen on the 15th in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West 3rd Avenue.

Mike Hendrickson found a flock of 20 RED CROSSBILLS near the mouth of the French River on the 23rd. RED CROSSBILLS have also been found during the past week at Two Harbors and Hawk Ridge. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was reported from Hawk Ridge on the 24th. A SPRUCE GROUSE was seen on the 19th along Lake County Road 2, about a half mile north of the Sand River.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, November 2nd.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message.

The Little Gull is still being seen at = the Ironton=20 sewer ponds. The gate is usually locked so anyone wanting to see = the bird=20 can contact Steve at 218=3D546-5939.

------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6F9B0.E084D5C0-- From jslind@frontiernet.net Fri Oct 27 20:30:06 2006 From: jslind@frontiernet.net (Jim Lind) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:30:06 -0600 Subject: [mou] Mountain Bluebird relocated Message-ID: <454209DE.13433.1566F4F9@localhost> Jason Caddy relocated the female Mountain Bluebird today near Bayfront Park in Duluth, at 7th Avenue West. Jim Lind From thimgan@digitaljam.com Fri Oct 27 23:36:15 2006 From: thimgan@digitaljam.com (Dan & Sandy Thimgan) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:36:15 -0500 Subject: [mou] Little Gull/Crow Wing Co Message-ID: The Little Gull at the Ironton treatment ponds in Crow Wing County is still being seen. We saw it a little after noon today (Friday, 10/27). This is its tenth day at the ponds. The treatment ponds are 1.5 miles north of the town of Ironton on CR 30, BUT to see the bird you really need to get inside the locked compound, so -- as explained in earlier email messages -- you'll need to call Steve and Jo Blanich at (218)546-5939. Thanks to Steve and Jo, visiting birders have access to these ponds. -- Dan & Sandy Thimgan Otter Tail County Battle Lake MN From tiger150@comcast.net Fri Oct 27 23:46:42 2006 From: tiger150@comcast.net (alyssa) Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:46:42 -0500 Subject: [mou] R-C Kinglets Message-ID: <001401c6fa19$cc2ac800$6401a8c0@A2400T2482> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C6F9EF.DCDBCC50 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I saw one R-C Kinglet today. I was pretty sure they were gone, guess not = though. Has anyone else seen them around lately?? Very quiet at the = Golden Valley trail, well, except for some noisy G-C Kinglets =DC = Beautiful day to be outside, and this weekend is predicted to be just as = nice. Alyssa DeRubeis Golden Valley, Hennepin Co. ------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C6F9EF.DCDBCC50 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I saw one R-C Kinglet today. I was = pretty sure they=20 were gone, guess not though. Has anyone else seen them around = lately?? Very=20 quiet at the Golden Valley trail, well, except for some noisy G-C = Kinglets =DC=20 Beautiful day to be outside, and this weekend is predicted to be just as = nice.

Alyssa DeRubeis

Golden Valley, Hennepin=20 Co.

------=_NextPart_000_0011_01C6F9EF.DCDBCC50-- From sweston2@comcast.net Sat Oct 28 16:13:58 2006 From: sweston2@comcast.net (Steve Weston) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 10:13:58 -0500 Subject: [mou] About the metro Message-ID: <001401c6faa5$75b4aa40$d69b7618@Weston72505> A couple of days ago I passed a probable Rough-legged Hawk along I-35e about a mile south of I-35 split near Forest Lake. The hawk was right next to the road perched on the twigs of a very small tree. I received more reports of other birders finding the dark eagle by Black Dog. I still haven't had a definitive ID. The lack of comments by experienced birders, leads me to suspect that it might have just been an immature Bald Eagle. There is a family of what looks like Trumpeter Swans on the north side of I-494 bridge. Hopefully they will stay through the CBC count. I am still finding smashed Possums, most recently in Eagan and Apple Valley. This isn't as significant as finding them in wild areas away from the civilization where they can provide the important service of guiding lost hikers back to the nearest road (where they can fulfill their destiny). Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net From rdunlap@gac.edu Sat Oct 28 20:25:30 2006 From: rdunlap@gac.edu (rdunlap@gac.edu) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 14:25:30 -0500 Subject: [mou] Eurasian Collared-Dove, Blue Earth County Message-ID: <20061028142530.st4vugj5s0s8ssss@webmail-1.gac.edu> This morning I found a Eurasian Collared-Dove in the town of Mapleton in southern Blue Earth County. The bird was perched on a powerline directly over Hwy. 22 on the north end of town. I don't know if this is a new location for this species, as they have been seen elsewhere in Blue Earth County in the past few years. Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County From natester166@hotmail.com Sat Oct 28 21:00:00 2006 From: natester166@hotmail.com (Nathan Schirmacher) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 16:00:00 -0400 Subject: [mou] Mille lacs lake ,Seven plover year Message-ID: --_a665b6fc-4dea-43a7-9ca8-943061ab1024_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Today birding on the lake was great.At Hill Crest there was a flying Red-Th= roated Loon with two Commons.On the beaches were county road 35 curves into= 169 there was a American Golden-Plover.At the fish pull of in Garrison the= re was a Little Gull.I have had a great year so far but espcially the plove= rs (Killdeer,Snowy,Piping,Wilsons,Semipalmated,Black-Bellied, and American= -Golden plovers) in MN.In all seven plovers this was not a goal until the W= ilsons showed up on Mille Lacs lake in Aug.This sort of made it a goal whic= h now with the Golden plover i have reached my goal.Good birding to all.Nat= han SchirmacherPrinceton,MN _________________________________________________________________ Check the weather nationwide with MSN Search: Try it now! http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=3Dweather&FORM=3DWLMTAG= --_a665b6fc-4dea-43a7-9ca8-943061ab1024_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Today birding on the lake was great.= At Hill Crest there was a flying Red-Throated Loon with two Commons.On the = beaches were county road 35 curves into 169 there was a American Golden-Plo= ver.At the fish pull of in Garrison there was a Little Gull.

I have = had a great year so far but espcially the plovers (Killdeer,Snowy,Pip= ing,Wilsons,Semipalmated,Black-Bellied, and American-Golden plovers) in MN.= In all seven plovers this was not a goal until the Wilsons showed up on Mil= le Lacs lake in Aug.This sort of made it a goal which now with the Golden p= lover i have reached my goal.Good birding to all.

Nathan Schirmacher=
Princeton,MN

Try the next generation of se= arch with Windows LiveT Search today! Try it now! = --_a665b6fc-4dea-43a7-9ca8-943061ab1024_-- From benzdedrick@hotmail.com Sat Oct 28 23:50:20 2006 From: benzdedrick@hotmail.com (Dedrick Benz) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 22:50:20 +0000 Subject: [mou] Townsend's Solitaire, Cook County (Croftville Rd) Message-ID: Saturday. A couple of groups have found a Townsend's Solitaire this afternoon along the Croftville Rd, which is a couple miles upshore from Grand Marais. It was seen at mile markers 1460, and 1479. I understand the Knife River solitaire was seen again today, as well as several at Stony Point near Duluth. The Scoter scene has been slim in Cook County, but there is one White-winged Scoter that has been in the Grand Marais Inner Harbor (ie, by the fish shacks) for several days. Dedrick Benz Winona County _________________________________________________________________ Try the next generation of search with Windows Live Search today! http://imagine-windowslive.com/minisites/searchlaunch/?locale=en-us&source=hmtagline From leodwm@comcast.net Sat Oct 28 23:51:19 2006 From: leodwm@comcast.net (Leo) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 17:51:19 -0500 Subject: [mou] Tentative report at Lake Byllesby Message-ID: <4543DEE7.50006@comcast.net> Hello everyone. My dad went out alone to Lake Byllesby on this overcast day and asked if I would post his findings. The main thing was he is /pretty /sure he spotted 3 American Golden Plovers, but it was hard to tell. It would be great if anyone nearby could try to verify it. It was on the fact that they were about twice the size of the Least Sandpipers and had the plover-bill. (Short and stout) So, he's not 100% sure, but it's probable. He also spotted about 8 Dowitchers. (Tentatively leaning to short-billed, though it was hard to tell.) - Leo WM From smithville4@charter.net Sun Oct 29 01:02:58 2006 From: smithville4@charter.net (Mike Hendrickson) Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:02:58 -0500 Subject: [mou] Northshore Birding! Message-ID: <002c01c6faed$988b7fb0$6400a8c0@FAMILYCOMPUTER> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0029_01C6FAC3.AEFB9D90 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable What a day! Highlights: - White-winged Scoter in the harbor at Grand Marais. - 4 Northern Three-toed Woodpeckers. 3 females behind the lighthouse in = Two Harbors and a male at Good Harbor Bay rest area. -8 Black-backed Woodpeckers. 5 migrating along the shore at various = locations north of Grand Marais along Hwy. 61 and 3 behind the = lighthouse in Two Harbors. -Townsend's Solitaire seen at the Good Harbor Bay rest area at 8:15am. -Red Crossbills in good numbers migrating down the shore. -White-winged Crossbills in fair numbers as well. -Common Redpolls were moving down the shore in good numbers! -Pine Grosbeaks were also seen migrating down the shore as well. -Evening Grosbeaks in fair numbers. -Bohemian Waxwings in Grand Marais and Beaver Bay. -Red-bellied Woodpecker in Beaver Bay. -2 Northern Cardinals in Lake County. -4 Gray Jays but they were all seen in Cook County. In my opinion the = big push of Gray Jays is pretty much done along the northshore. Seen about 45 species today. The weather today was cold with very gusty = winds from the NW. I bumped into Jim Lind and Denny & Barb Martin who were participating in = the annual Swedish Raisin Rye Toast Bird Trip to Grand Marais. They = informed me that the group spotted 3 Townsend's Solitaires. The group = spotted two solitaires together at Stoney Point and I forgot where the = other was found. I just read Dedrick's report and notice another = solitaire was found along the Croftville Rd. in Cook County, so that = makes 5 townsend's solitaires discovered today along the northshore! =20 I have some decent photos of the White-winged Scoter in the Grand Marais = harbor and will be posting these photos tonight on my website under = recent sightings. Michael Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ ------=_NextPart_000_0029_01C6FAC3.AEFB9D90 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

What a day!

Highlights:

- White-winged Scoter in the = harbor at=20 Grand Marais.

- 4 Northern Three-toed = Woodpeckers. 3=20 females behind the lighthouse in Two Harbors and a male at Good Harbor = Bay rest=20 area.

-8 Black-backed Woodpeckers. = 5 migrating=20 along the shore at various locations north of Grand Marais along Hwy. 61 = and 3=20 behind the lighthouse in Two Harbors.

-Townsend's Solitaire seen at = the Good=20 Harbor Bay rest area at 8:15am.

-Red Crossbills in good = numbers migrating=20 down the shore.

-White-winged Crossbills in = fair numbers=20 as well.

-Common Redpolls were moving = down the=20 shore in good numbers!

-Pine Grosbeaks were also = seen migrating=20 down the shore as well.

-Evening Grosbeaks in fair=20 numbers.

-Bohemian Waxwings in Grand = Marais and=20 Beaver Bay.

-Red-bellied Woodpecker in = Beaver=20 Bay.

-2 Northern Cardinals in Lake = County.

-4 Gray Jays but they were = all seen in=20 Cook County. In my opinion the big push of Gray Jays is pretty much done = along=20 the northshore.

Seen about 45 species today. = The weather=20 today was cold with very gusty winds from the NW.

I bumped into Jim Lind and = Denny &=20 Barb Martin who were participating in the annual Swedish Raisin Rye = Toast=20 Bird Trip to Grand Marais. They informed me that the group spotted 3 = Townsend's=20 Solitaires. The group spotted two solitaires together at Stoney = Point and I=20 forgot where the other was found. I just read Dedrick's report and = notice=20 another solitaire was found along the Croftville Rd. in Cook = County, so=20 that makes 5 townsend's solitaires discovered today along the=20 northshore!

I have some decent photos of = the=20 White-winged Scoter in the Grand Marais harbor and will be posting these = photos=20 tonight on my website under recent sightings.

Michael = Hendrickson
Duluth,=20 Minnesota
http://webpages.chart= er.net/mmhendrickson/

------=_NextPart_000_0029_01C6FAC3.AEFB9D90-- From crossbill7200@yahoo.com Sun Oct 29 12:54:49 2006 From: crossbill7200@yahoo.com (Shelley Steva) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 04:54:49 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] Yellow-Rumps in Pennington Co. Message-ID: <20061029125449.7169.qmail@web31013.mail.mud.yahoo.com> On Saturday, October 28th, I saw a Yellow-rumped warbler. According to my records, I have never seen one in November, so this is definitely a late date for this bird. Sorry for the late posting. Shelley Steva Pennington Co. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail (http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/) From BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM Sun Oct 29 14:40:06 2006 From: BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM (Williams, Bob) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:40:06 -0600 Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable This morning about 7:30am I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker along = the trail that leads south from the visitor's center at Afton State Park = in Washington County. Take the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on = trail map) and take the trail to the east into the woods. This trail = then loops around to the south and then back to the west into a stand of = very tall red pines. Ths bird was working very hard on one of these = pines about 30 yards past the blue arrow along the path. I observed the = bird for several minutes and saw all of the distinguishing marks. The = bird also called several times. The people at the office were notified and I left a map with the = location of the bird there in case these directions are confusing. Bob Williams, Bloomington ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This morning about 7:30am I found a female = Black-backed =0A= Woodpecker along the trail that leads south from the visitor's center at = Afton =0A= State Park in Washington County. Take the trail south 0.5 = kilometers(as =0A= shown on trail map) and take the trail to the east into the woods. = This =0A= trail then loops around to the south and then back to the west into a = stand of =0A= very tall red pines. Ths bird was working very hard on one of = these pines =0A= about 30 yards past the blue arrow along the path. I observed the = bird for =0A= several minutes and saw all of the distinguishing marks. The bird = also =0A= called several times.

=0A=

The people at the office were notified = and I left a =0A= map with the location of the bird there in case these directions are =0A= confusing.

=0A=

Bob Williams, =0A= Bloomington

------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620-- From blanich@emily.net Sun Oct 29 14:43:27 2006 From: blanich@emily.net (Steve & Jo Blanich) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 08:43:27 -0600 Subject: [mou] Crow Wing County Little Gull Message-ID: <001a01c6fb68$98810280$7b64a8c0@hppav> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FB36.4DA36F00 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The Little Gull was not seen yesterday, Saturday, at the Ironton sewage = ponds. ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FB36.4DA36F00 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

The Little Gull was not seen yesterday, = Saturday,=20 at the Ironton sewage ponds.

------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FB36.4DA36F00-- From BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM Sun Oct 29 16:33:49 2006 From: BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM (Williams, Bob) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 10:33:49 -0600 Subject: [mou] RE: [mnbird] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County In-Reply-To: <28099462.1162132876452.JavaMail.root@sniper57> References: <28099462.1162132876452.JavaMail.root@sniper57> Message-ID: <36A348EA-C9FB-4351-B8FB-152A79C30296@mimectl> ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I went back after reporting this bird at the office of the park and it was = not at it's original location. I was there at about 9am for about 15 minut= es and did not see or hear it. I hope that it can be relocated in the park= . According to the MOU Checklist a Black-backed Woodpecker was seen in Was= hington County on Oct. 28 of 1964 and again in January of 1973 and January = of 1983. =20 Bob Williams, Bloomington From: Williams, Bob Sent: Sun 10/29/2006 8:40 AM To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net Subject: [mnbird] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington C= ounty This morning about 7:30am I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker along th= e trail that leads south from the visitor's center at Afton State Park in W= ashington County. Take the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on trail map= ) and take the trail to the east into the woods. This trail then loops aro= und to the south and then back to the west into a stand of very tall red pi= nes. Ths bird was working very hard on one of these pines about 30 yards p= ast the blue arrow along the path. I observed the bird for several minutes= and saw all of the distinguishing marks. The bird also called several tim= es. The people at the office were notified and I left a map with the location o= f the bird there in case these directions are confusing. Bob Williams, Bloomington ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I went back afte= r reporting this bird at the office of the park and it was not at it's orig= inal location. I was there at about 9am for about 15 minutes and did = not see or hear it. I hope that it can be relocated in the park. = ; According to the MOU Checklist a Black-backed Woodpecker was seen in Wash= ington County on Oct. 28 of 1964 and again in January of 1973 and January o= f 1983.

Bob Williams, Bloomington=

From: Williams, Bob
Sent: Sun= 10/29/2006 8:40 AM
To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Cc: mnbird@= lists.mnbird.net
Subject: [mnbird] Black-backed Woodpecker at Aft= on State Park, Washington County

This morning about 7:30am = I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker along the trail that leads south f= rom the visitor's center at Afton State Park in Washington County. Tak= e the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on trail map) and take the trail = to the east into the woods. This trail then loops around to the south= and then back to the west into a stand of very tall red pines. Ths b= ird was working very hard on one of these pines about 30 yards past the blu= e arrow along the path. I observed the bird for several minutes and s= aw all of the distinguishing marks. The bird also called several time= s.

The people at the office were notified and= I left a map with the location of the bird there in case these directions = are confusing.

Bob Williams, Bloomington

------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB68.206B7620-- From sweston2@comcast.net Sun Oct 29 17:50:37 2006 From: sweston2@comcast.net (Steve Weston) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 11:50:37 -0600 Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County References: Message-ID: <001301c6fb82$c4fb94a0$d69b7618@Weston72505> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6FB50.73080A20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable One of the things to watch for with Black-backed Woodpeckers (and = Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in the area. Look = for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped with the fresh = bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will strip bark = (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and they don't = tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am = sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County two = years ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never = located. =20 Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Williams, Bob=20 To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu=20 Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net=20 Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 8:40 AM Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington = County This morning about 7:30am I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker = along the trail that leads south from the visitor's center at Afton = State Park in Washington County. Take the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as = shown on trail map) and take the trail to the east into the woods. This = trail then loops around to the south and then back to the west into a = stand of very tall red pines. Ths bird was working very hard on one of = these pines about 30 yards past the blue arrow along the path. I = observed the bird for several minutes and saw all of the distinguishing = marks. The bird also called several times. The people at the office were notified and I left a map with the = location of the bird there in case these directions are confusing. Bob Williams, Bloomington ------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6FB50.73080A20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

One of the things to watch for with = Black-backed=20 Woodpeckers (and Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in = the=20 area. Look for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped = with the=20 fresh bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will strip = bark=20 (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and they don't = tend to=20 hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am sure = that we=20 had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County two years ago in = December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never located. =20

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, = MN
sweston2@comcast.net

----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Williams, Bob

To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu

Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net =

Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 = 8:40=20 AM

Subject: [mou] Black-backed = Woodpecker at=20 Afton State Park, Washington County

This morning about = 7:30am I found a=20 female Black-backed Woodpecker along the trail that leads south from = the=20 visitor's center at Afton State Park in Washington County. Take = the trail=20 south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on trail map) and take the trail to the = east=20 into the woods. This trail then loops around to the south and = then back=20 to the west into a stand of very tall red pines. Ths bird was = working=20 very hard on one of these pines about 30 yards past the blue arrow = along the=20 path. I observed the bird for several minutes and saw all of the = distinguishing marks. The bird also called several = times.

The people at the office were = notified and I left=20 a map with the location of the bird there in case these directions are = confusing.

Bob Williams,=20 Bloomington

------=_NextPart_000_000E_01C6FB50.73080A20-- From BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM Sun Oct 29 17:57:45 2006 From: BXWilliams@CBBURNET.COM (Williams, Bob) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 11:57:45 -0600 Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County In-Reply-To: <15280058.1162144333664.JavaMail.root@sniper31> Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB83.BCF56204 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable The bird I saw this morning was definitely stripping bark from the tree it was in. I saw several pieces fall to the ground. =20 It remained in the same tree the whole time I observed the bird. Bob Williams, Bloomington =20 -----Original Message----- From: mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Weston Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 11:51 AM To: Williams, Bob; mou-net@cbs.umn.edu Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net Subject: Re: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County =20 One of the things to watch for with Black-backed Woodpeckers (and Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in the area. Look for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped with the fresh bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will strip bark (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and they don't tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County two years ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never located. =20 =20 Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Williams, Bob =20 To: mou-net@cbs.umn.edu=20 Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net=20 Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 8:40 AM Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County =20 This morning about 7:30am I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker along the trail that leads south from the visitor's center at Afton State Park in Washington County. Take the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on trail map) and take the trail to the east into the woods. This trail then loops around to the south and then back to the west into a stand of very tall red pines. Ths bird was working very hard on one of these pines about 30 yards past the blue arrow along the path. I observed the bird for several minutes and saw all of the distinguishing marks. The bird also called several times. The people at the office were notified and I left a map with the location of the bird there in case these directions are confusing. Bob Williams, Bloomington ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB83.BCF56204 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

The bird I saw = this morning was definitely stripping bark from the tree it was in. I saw several pieces fall to the = ground.

It remained in = the same tree the whole time I observed the bird.

Bob Williams, = Bloomington

-----Original = Message-----
From: = mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu [mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Weston
Sent: = Sunday, October 29, = 2006 11:51 AM
To: Williams, Bob; mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
Cc: = mnbird@lists.mnbird.net
Subject: Re: [mou] = Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State = Park, = Washington County

One of the things to watch = for with Black-backed Woodpeckers (and Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in the area. Look for trees that the bark has been = extensively stripped with the fresh bark at the base of the trees, while other = woodpeckers will strip bark (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary = style, and they don't tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am sure that we had a Black-backed at = Spring = Lake = Park in = Dakota = County two years ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never = located.

Steve Weston on = Quiggley = Lake in = Eagan, = MN=
sweston2@comcast.net

----- Original Message = -----

From: Williams, Bob

To:<= /font> mou-net@cbs.umn.edu

Cc:<= /font> mnbird@lists.mnbird.net

Sent: Sunday, October 29, = 2006 8:40 AM

Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton = State Park, = Washington = County

This morning about 7:30am I found a female Black-backed Woodpecker along the trail that leads south = from the visitor's center at Afton = State Park in Washington County. Take the trail south 0.5 kilometers(as shown on = trail map) and take the trail to the east into the woods. This trail then = loops around to the south and then back to the west into a stand of very tall = red pines. Ths bird was working very hard on one of these pines about = 30 yards past the blue arrow along the path. I observed the bird for = several minutes and saw all of the distinguishing marks. The bird also = called several times.

The people at the office = were notified and I left a map with the location of the bird there in case = these directions are confusing.

Bob Williams, = Bloomington

=00 ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FB83.BCF56204-- From rdunlap@gac.edu Sun Oct 29 19:23:47 2006 From: rdunlap@gac.edu (rdunlap@gac.edu) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 13:23:47 -0600 Subject: [mou] Bohemian Waxwing, Watonwan County Message-ID: <20061029132347.hl31e4bpsc8s48s8@webmail-0.gac.edu> This morning I found a Bohemian Waxwing northwest of the town of Madelia in Watonwan County. The bird was sitting on a low telephone wire in front of someone's yard. It sat there for about a minute, allowing me to take some photos. The bird flew off behind the house and I could not relocate it. Interestingly, there were no other waxwings in the area. This is the third Bohemian Waxwing I have found in southern Minnesota at the end of October in the past five years. The others were in Carver County in 2001 and Scott County in 2002. Those birds, however, were with flocks of Cedar Waxwings, so I was surprised by today's solitary bird. Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County From tiger150@comcast.net Sun Oct 29 22:18:28 2006 From: tiger150@comcast.net (alyssa) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 16:18:28 -0600 Subject: [mou] Northern Shrike, Hennepin Co. Message-ID: <001e01c6fba8$29593ef0$6401a8c0@A2400T2482> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01C6FB75.DE6DC8C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There was an adult Northern Shrike perched in a sapling along the = General Mills Park Reserve trail (aways off of Winnetka in Golden = Valley.) He flew to the eastern part of the park. There was also a small = flock of 5-6 Hooded Mergansers in the north end of the pond. And, to add = to Shelley Steva's report, there was a flock of 5-6 Yellow-rumped = Warblers here as well (on the west end of the trail.) There was also a = flock of White-throated Sparrows, several small grackle flocks, and a = monsterous flock of crows (numbering in the hundreds!) E-mail for more = specific directions. Today was an excellent day, I hope everyone got = outside! It is said to be 62 and somewhat sunny tommorrow, but that will = be all of the warm weather :( Alyssa DeRubeis ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01C6FB75.DE6DC8C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

There was an adult Northern Shrike = perched in a=20 sapling along the General Mills Park Reserve trail (aways off of = Winnetka in=20 Golden Valley.) He flew to the eastern part of the park. There was = also a=20 small flock of 5-6 Hooded Mergansers in the north end of the pond. And, = to add=20 to Shelley Steva's report, there was a flock of 5-6 Yellow-rumped=20 Warblers here as well (on the west end of the trail.) There was = also a=20 flock of White-throated Sparrows, several small grackle flocks, and = a=20 monsterous flock of crows (numbering in the hundreds!) E-mail for more = specific=20 directions. Today was an excellent day, I hope everyone got outside! It = is said=20 to be 62 and somewhat sunny tommorrow, but that will be all of the warm = weather=20 :(

Alyssa DeRubeis =

------=_NextPart_000_001B_01C6FB75.DE6DC8C0-- From crossbill7200@yahoo.com Sun Oct 29 22:54:34 2006 From: crossbill7200@yahoo.com (Shelley Steva) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 14:54:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks Message-ID: <20061029225434.52425.qmail@web31006.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Seeing ring-necked ducks and a couple of lesser scaup are not unusual on October 29, but it sure is fun to see them when they are right off your river bank and they don't notice you when you go into the yard to see them better. It was an unexpected treat on such a nice day. Shelley Steva Pennington Co. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Low, Low, Low Rates! Check out Yahoo! Messenger's cheap PC-to-Phone call rates (http://voice.yahoo.com) From Paul.Budde@us.benfieldgroup.com Sun Oct 29 23:40:20 2006 From: Paul.Budde@us.benfieldgroup.com (Paul Budde) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:40:20 -0600 Subject: [mou] Cackling Geese in Mendota Hts, Dakota Message-ID: <244BB0A2242EF0489D8FFB420E3F3C5A01A212B8@MINSCEXM01A.americas.benfieldglobal.net> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FBB3.987ABE46 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 4 Cackling Geese were among the 1000+ Canada Geese on the east side of Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights today. All the geese were near the pond at the entrance off of Lexington Ave. Paul Budde Minneapolis ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FBB3.987ABE46 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Cackling Geese in Mendota Hts, Dakota

4 Cackling Geese were among the 1000+ Canada = Geese on the east side of Resurrection Cemetery in Mendota Heights = today. All the geese were near the pond at the entrance off of = Lexington Ave.

Paul = Budde

Minneapolis

------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FBB3.987ABE46-- From patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu Mon Oct 30 00:18:37 2006 From: patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu (patrick.beauzay@ndsu.edu) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 18:18:37 -0600 (CST) Subject: [mou] Clay Co. Townsend's Solitaire Message-ID: <1347.134.129.73.84.1162167517.squirrel@webmail.ndsu.nodak.edu> Hello all, Today I found an adult Townsend's Solitaire near Bluestem SNA southeast of Glyndon. The bird was perched near a grove of pine and ash at a farm about 1/2 mile west on 17th Ave from the junction with CR23. This is about 1.5 miles north of the landfill. About 300 or so Ring-billed Gulls and 3 Franklin's Gulls that I saw in a field just northeast of the landfill as a farmer was disking corn stubble, but I could not locate the California Gull reported from last Sunday. Other than that, Clay County was very quiet. After reading this weekend's North Shore postings, I'm definitely envious! Good Birding! Pat Patrick Beauzay Department of Entomology 217 Hultz Hall, Bolley Drive North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 58105 701-231-9491 Patrick.Beauzay@ndsu.nodak.edu http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/entomology/ http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/tigerbeetles/index.htm http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndsu/beauzay/Mounting_Chalcidoidea/Chalcmount.htm From drbenson@cpinternet.com Mon Oct 30 02:26:18 2006 From: drbenson@cpinternet.com (David Benson) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:26:18 -0600 Subject: [mou] Grand Marais Grasshopper Sparrow, etc. Message-ID: Late this morning, on one of the Fall Migration Birding Festival Trips, Steve and Cindy Broste spotted a bird that turned out to be a Grasshopper Sparrow in Grand Marais. The bird was moving between the little grass island in front of the Super America and the lawn of the Mangy Moose Motel, back-and-forth across Hwy 61 east of the stoplight. A Black-backed Woodpecker and an American Three-toed Woopecker were in the large spruce immediately trees behind the office of the North House Folk School in Grand Marais this morning. The Croftville Townsends' Solitaire, reported yesterday by Dedrick Benz, was seen again today. At dusk today, two female American Three-toed Woodpeckers and a female Black-backed Woodpecker were all in the same tree on the lakewalk in Two Harbors, right at the point where the trail turns away from the lake, heads past the quarry and runs downhill back to the parking lot. No doubt, quite a few other woodpeckers were seen along the shore by others today. Dave Benson Duluth From kreckert@cpinternet.com Mon Oct 30 02:43:05 2006 From: kreckert@cpinternet.com (Kim R Eckert) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:43:05 -0600 Subject: [mou] North Shore update Message-ID: in addition to other North Shore reports posted by Dave Benson, Dedrick Benz, and Mike Hendrickson, here are some additional sightings, most of these from the 26 participants on the so-called annual Muffin Trip. In all yesterday, Oct 28, the group had a composite total of 91 species, with a few new additions today. In addition to the following highlights, it is likely there were some other sightings of note recorded on the Oct 27-29 Grand Marais Birding Festival which I'm not aware of. - 2 Ross's Geese / still present Saturday at the golf course in Two Harbors, near the clubhouse - probable Pacific Loon / at dusk today at Paradise Beach, but the light was too poor for positive ID - imm Golden Eagle / migrating over Knife River Saturday - 2 Am Golden-Plovers / both Saturday, 1 at the cemetery in Two Harbors, the other on the campground side of the Grand Marais harbor - 3rd-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull / ID by Paul Egeland et al. Friday at Canal Park in Duluth Am Three-toed Woodpecker / 7 individuals (5 Saturday + 2 today), plus 2 reported by others = 9 total: 1 - Alseth Rd, just N of Scenic Hwy 61 2-4 Lighthouse Pt, Two Harbors (3) 5-6 - Good Harbor Bay (2) 7 - Grand Marais campground 8 - Hwy 61, mile marker 121 9 - Paradise Beach Black-backed Woodpecker / 28 individuals (22 Saturday + 6 today), plus others?: 1-2 - Scenic Hwy 61, W of McQuade Rd (2) 3-9 - Stoney Point (7) 10 - Knife River 11 - Two Harbors cemetery 12-16 - Lighthouse Pt, Two Harbors (5) 17 - Encampment River 18 - Hwy 61, mile marker 41 19 - Beaver Bay 20-21 - Tofte Park (2) 22-24 - Grand Marais campground (3) 25-26 - Artists Point, Grand Marais (2) 27 - Croftville Rd 28 - Paradise Beach Townsend's Solitaire / 7 individuals (3 Saturday + 4 today), plus 3 reported by others = 10 total: 1 - Alseth Rd, just N of Scenic Hwy 61 2-3 - W side of Stoney Point (2) 4 - Two Harbors, 4th Ave & 2nd St 5 - Good Harbor Bay 6-7 - Croftville Rd (2) 8-10 - Hwy 61 at Colville (3) - Mountain Bluebird / the female in Duluth at Bayfront Park still present this afternoon, mostly on the W side in the vicinity of Railroad St & 7th Ave West - 2 Gray Catbirds / both Saturday, 1 at Tofte Park, the other at Lutsen Sea Villas - Black-throated Green Warbler / Saturday in Knife River, ~300 yards W of the marina - Field Sparrow / on the W side of the cemetery in Two Harbors Saturday - Hoary Redpoll / Artists Point in Grand Marais today Kim Eckert From blanich@emily.net Mon Oct 30 02:46:04 2006 From: blanich@emily.net (Steve & Jo Blanich) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:46:04 -0600 Subject: [mou] cackling gese in Aitkin & Crow Wing Counties Message-ID: <000a01c6fbcd$8b68b380$9364a8c0@hppav> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6FB9B.40712F60 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable About 2 dozen Cackling Geese were seen among a flock of about 40+ Canada = Geese in Mille Lacs lake at Malmo in Aitkin County today, Cackling Geese = were also seen in Serpent Lake in Crow Wing County among a large flock = of Canada Geese. Also at Malmo were snow buntings & 2 Greater = Yellowlegs. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6FB9B.40712F60 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

About 2 dozen Cackling Geese were seen = among a=20 flock of about 40+ Canada Geese in Mille Lacs lake at Malmo in Aitkin = County=20 today, Cackling Geese were also seen in Serpent Lake in Crow Wing County = among a large flock of Canada Geese. Also at Malmo were snow = buntings & 2 Greater Yellowlegs.

------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C6FB9B.40712F60-- From JELLISBIRD@aol.com Mon Oct 30 03:13:49 2006 From: JELLISBIRD@aol.com (JELLISBIRD@aol.com) Date: Sun, 29 Oct 2006 22:13:49 EST Subject: [mou] Rothsay birds & others Message-ID: Saturday saw 3 Rough-legged Hawks (only 2 Red-Tails and 3-4 N. Harriers,) as well as hundreds of Longspurs, Laplands in every plumage variation. The easy ones to ID were in recently plowed or disked cornfields and were all Laplands. The hard to see ones were in short hay and grass stubble and all I could ID were also Laplands. Lots of Horned Larks mixed in as were C. Redpolls and Snow Buntings. Redpolls and Snow Buntings were also seen in separate flocks. Saw 41 Prairie Chickens sunning in a tree (others were flushed) and flocks of 72 and approx. 150 Sandhills. Salt Lake had many waterfowl and a few shorebirds, Lake Christina had lots of Am. Wigeon, Gadwall, GWTeal and divers mixed in with the tens of thousands of Coot. Nice weekend! John Ellis, St. Paul From hjw_forest@yahoo.com Mon Oct 30 14:27:57 2006 From: hjw_forest@yahoo.com (Howard Weinberg) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 06:27:57 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] Interesting Yardbirds (Two Harbors) Message-ID: <20061030142757.47823.qmail@web57714.mail.re3.yahoo.com> --0-188670480-1162218477=:47188 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit It was an interesting weekend for yardbirds. Black-backed Woodpeckers and Gray Jays were among the visitors (the jays have taken over the suet feeder and are just ripping through it), but a very exciting visitor was the Goshawk. I was pulling into the driveway Saturday afternoon as a Goshawk was closing in on a flock of pigeons in front of the barn (the pigeons nest/roost in the barn). As they flew past the barn, the gos turned sharply from the main flock and swooped behind the barn, popping up seconds later with a pigeon in her talons. The gos then continued on into the woods. What a moment! Howard (Two Harbors, MN) --------------------------------- We have the perfect Group for you. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups. --0-188670480-1162218477=:47188 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

It was an interesting weekend for yardbirds. Black-backed Woodpeckers and Gray Jays were among the visitors (the jays have taken over the suet feeder and are just ripping through it), but a very exciting visitor was the Goshawk. I was pulling into the driveway Saturday afternoon as a Goshawk was closing in on a flock of pigeons in front of the barn (the pigeons nest/roost in the barn). As they flew past the barn, the gos turned sharply from the main flock and swooped behind the barn, popping up seconds later with a pigeon in her talons. The gos then continued on into the woods. What a moment!

Howard (Two Harbors, MN)

We have the perfect Group for you. Check out the handy changes to Yahoo! Groups. --0-188670480-1162218477=:47188-- From SnoEowl@aol.com Mon Oct 30 14:40:31 2006 From: SnoEowl@aol.com (SnoEowl@aol.com) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 09:40:31 EST Subject: [mou] River & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival Message-ID: -------------------------------1162219231 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit This sent for the good of all at the request of Ric Zarwell. Would you like to enjoy a relaxing, inexpensive, nearby, family-oriented, 3-day birding festival that has grown in size for 4 consecutive years? Participants will enjoy views of waterfowl concentrations that are difficult for even seasoned birders to imagine. We typically have 15,000 to 18,000 elegant and noisy Tundra Swans, and 250,000 to 350,000 other waterfowl congregating on nearby sections of the Mississippi River during our birding festival. Some years these figures for ducks and geese get considerably higher than this; and the swans tend to be concentrating further south on the river year after year. ( These data are from weekly aerial surveys by the Fish & Wildlife Service. ) Our field trip leaders will help visitors experience these and many other species with half-day field trips to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The cumulative list of different kinds of birds observed on this weekend over just 4-years is now 114 species. We strive to provide stimulating educational programs, boat tours in large heated boats for close-up views, vendors with inviting and useful products, special homemade sourdough pancake breakfasts, a live auction with live music on Saturday night, gift certificates and door prizes plus silent auction, and various other activities that match the magnificence of our very special avian visitors. Our event has given great pleasure to birders and their families, and to a variety of other groups, for the past 4-years. Last year 281 persons attended. Visitors have come from 21 states (including states on all 3 coasts), Washington D.C. and Canada. The waterfowl spectacle right on our doorstep, is truly a national attraction! The 5th Annual Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival, Nov. 10, 11 & 12th is headquartered at Lansing, in beautiful Allamakee County. This waterfowl extravaganza takes place on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge, and the primary sponsor of the event is the now the new Friends of Pool 9. Many co-sponsors from near and far assist with this festival. Please see all of the details for this excellent but inexpensive event at this link: http://www.lansingiowa.com/birdfest2006.html . For a list of local accommodations, please send an email to the address shown below. Reservations should be made soon. At this writing the festival is just 14-days away. We hope to see many IA-BIRD subscribers at this year's 5th Annual Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival!!! Best wishes, Ric Ric Zarwell, Co-Organizer Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival 2nd Weekend of November P.O. Box 299 Lansing, Iowa 52151-0299 Email: Ric.Zarwell@mchsi.com Birding Festival Website: www.lansingiowa.com/birdfest2006.html Mission: To BRING MORE people to nature through birding; and especially, to MOVE MORE birders to effective conservation action." SHOW UP.....SPEAK UP.....ANTE UP..... for Birds and all Biodiversity -------------------------------1162219231 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

This sent for the good of all at the request of Ric Zarwell.

Would=20= you like=20 to enjoy a relaxing, inexpensive, nearby, family-oriented, 3-day birding=20 festival that has grown in size for 4 consecutive years?=20

Participants will enjoy views of waterfowl concentrations that= are=20 difficult for even seasoned birders to imagine. We typically=20 have 15,000 to 18,000 elegant and noisy Tundra Swans, and 250,000 to=20 350,000 other waterfowl congregating on nearby sections of the Mississippi= =20 River during our birding festival. Some years the= se=20 figures for ducks and geese get considerably higher than this; and= the=20 swans tend to be concentrating further south on the river year after year. ( These data are from weekly aerial=20 surveys by the Fish & Wildlife Service.=20 )

Our field tr= ip leaders=20 will help visitors experience these and many other species with half-day fie= ld=20 trips to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. The cumulative list of different kin= ds=20 of birds observed on this weekend over just 4-years is now 114=20 species.

We strive to provide stimul= ating=20 educational programs, boat tours in large heated boats for close-up views,=20 vendors with inviting and usefu= l=20 products, special homemade sourdough pancake breakfasts, a live auction with live music on Saturday= =20 night, gift certificates and door prizes plus silent auction, and various oth= er=20 activities that match the magnificence of our very special avian visitors.=20

Our event has given great pleasure to= =20 birders and their families, and to a v= ariety=20 of other groups, for the past 4-years. Last year 281 persons attended. Visitors have com= e from=20 21 states (including states on all 3 coasts), Washington D.C. and Canada. Th= e=20 waterfowl spectacle right on our doorstep, is truly a national=20 attraction!

The 5th Annual Rivers & Bluffs Fall Bi= rding=20 Festival, Nov. 10, 11 & 12th is headquartered at Lansing, in beautiful Allamakee County. This=20 waterfowl extravaganza takes place on the Upper Mississippi River Natio= nal=20 Wildlife & Fish Refuge, and the primary sponsor of the event is the= now=20 the new Friends of Pool 9. Many co-sponsors from near and far assist with th= is=20 festival. Please see all of the details for this excellent but=20 inexpensive event at thi= s=20 link: = http://www.lansingiowa.com/birdfest2006.html<= FONT=20 face=3DArial size=3D2> .

For a=20= list of=20 local accommodations, please send an email to the address shown below. Reservations should be made soon. At this writing= the=20 festival is just 14-days away.

We hope to see many IA-BIRD subscribers at th= is=20 year's 5th Annual Rivers & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival!!!

Best wishes,

Ric

Ric Zarwell, Co-Organizer

Rivers=20 & Bluffs Fall Birding Festival

2nd Weekend of=20 November

P.O. Box 299

Lansing, Iowa 52151-0299=

Email: Ric.Zarwell@mchsi.com

B= irding=20 Festival Website:

www.lansingiowa.com/birdfest2006.html<= /SPAN>

Mission: To BRING MORE= =20 people to nature through birding;

and especially, to MOV= E=20 MORE birders to effective conservation action."

SHOW UP.....SPEAK UP..= ...ANTE=20 UP.....

for Birds and all=20 Biodiversity

-------------------------------1162219231-- From swanny66@charter.net Mon Oct 30 19:40:30 2006 From: swanny66@charter.net (Jon Swanson) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:40:30 -0600 Subject: [mou] townsend's solitaire Message-ID: <003001c6fc5b$428e3fc0$6401a8c0@Swanny> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_002D_01C6FC28.F715A4C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I had one in my back yard today for about a half hour. I live in Apple = Valley. Jon Swanson ------=_NextPart_000_002D_01C6FC28.F715A4C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I had one in my back yard today for = about a half=20 hour. I live in Apple Valley.

Jon Swanson

------=_NextPart_000_002D_01C6FC28.F715A4C0-- From mike_kb0to@yahoo.com Mon Oct 30 19:36:51 2006 From: mike_kb0to@yahoo.com (Mike Butterfield) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 11:36:51 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] BIRDS 10/28 Message-ID: <20061030193651.8416.qmail@web34905.mail.mud.yahoo.com> --0-776445003-1162237011=:8407 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Greetings, Went to 2 HARBORS and DULUTH Saw in 2 Harbors 1 3 Toed WP 1 Blackbacked WP at Stony Point Road about 60+ Lapland Longspurs overhead 1 Cardinal by the spot next to the lake. In DULUTH 1 MERLIN in DECC parking lot by wood playground - with a lunch of Lapland Longspur where there was about a 100+ in the gravel in same area by 7th ave. 1 SHORT EARED OWL in the small pine trees directly in front of band shelter at Bayfront-just about plowed into me when I went up to the trees to inspect - It flew above me for a minute or so and then flew over the DECC bldg. 30+ Golden eyes in the bay opposite the ball field Good birding Mike Butterfield LM NYA MN --------------------------------- Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited Try it today. --0-776445003-1162237011=:8407 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Greetings,

Went to 2 HARBORS and DULUTH

Saw

in 2 Harbors

1 3 Toed WP

1 Blackbacked WP

at Stony Point Road

about 60+ Lapland Longspurs overhead

1 Cardinal by the spot next to the lake.

In DULUTH

1 MERLIN in DECC parking lot by wood playground - with a lunch of Lapland Longspur

where there was about a 100+ in the gravel in same area by 7th ave.

1 SHORT EARED OWL in the small pine trees directly in front of band shelter at Bayfront-just about plowed into me when I went up to the trees to inspect - It flew above me for a minute or so and then flew over the DECC bldg.

30+ Golden eyes in the bay opposite the ball field

Good birding

Mike Butterfield LM NYA MN

Access over 1 million songs - Yahoo! Music Unlimited Try it today. --0-776445003-1162237011=:8407-- From tiger150@comcast.net Mon Oct 30 21:48:22 2006 From: tiger150@comcast.net (alyssa) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:48:22 -0600 Subject: [mou] Wood Ducks (Hennepin Co.) Message-ID: <000e01c6fc6d$1f0a95a0$6401a8c0@A2400T2482> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C6FC3A.D4289550 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I am unsure how late this is for southern MN, but I discovered a flock = of 5 Wood Ducks at a pond off of Laurel Ave in Golden Valley (western = pond.) Looking back to last year's dates, I only found a late northern = report, which was the same as today, 10/30. They were mostly females, = but there was at least one female and a male in non-breeding plumage. = Has anyone else seen wood ducks for a while?? I was pretty sure these = were all gone, too... Alyssa DeRubeis ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C6FC3A.D4289550 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I am unsure how late this is for = southern MN, but I=20 discovered a flock of 5 Wood Ducks at a pond off of Laurel Ave in Golden = Valley (western pond.) Looking back to last year's dates, I only = found a=20 late northern report, which was the same as today, 10/30. They were = mostly=20 females, but there was at least one female and a male in non-breeding = plumage.=20 Has anyone else seen wood ducks for a while?? I was pretty sure these = were all=20 gone, too...

Alyssa = DeRubeis

------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C6FC3A.D4289550-- From swanny66@charter.net Mon Oct 30 18:45:24 2006 From: swanny66@charter.net (Jon Swanson) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:45:24 -0600 Subject: [mou] townsend's solitaire Message-ID: <000601c6fc53$9303e930$6401a8c0@Swanny> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6FC21.44CEC640 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I had one in my backyard in Apple Valley today. Was here for about an = hour. Jon Swanson ------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6FC21.44CEC640 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

I had one in my backyard in Apple = Valley=20 today. Was here for about an hour.

Jon Swanson

------=_NextPart_000_0003_01C6FC21.44CEC640-- From rdunlap@gac.edu Mon Oct 30 22:20:43 2006 From: rdunlap@gac.edu (rdunlap@gac.edu) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:20:43 -0600 Subject: [mou] Red Crossbills, Nicollet County Message-ID: <20061030162043.kd0q5numf40s888g@webmail-1.gac.edu> Around 4:00 this afternoon I found a flock of about 15 Red Crossbills feeding on cones among the spruce and pine trees on campus here at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. I first saw the flock fly, and immediately I heard the "jip jip" calls that I have heard up north. I followed the flock to its next stop, and had decent views of the birds feeding. I know there have been a few reports of this species south of Duluth already, but I don't know if any have been seen south of the Twins Cities yet. Pretty cool...can't recall a Red Crossbill invasion in southern MN in recent years. Hmm. With a Bohemian Waxwing yesterday and Red Crossbills today, it's beginning to feel a bit like northern Minnesota down here... Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County From connybrunell@earthlink.net Mon Oct 30 22:36:41 2006 From: connybrunell@earthlink.net (Conny Brunell) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 16:36:41 -0600 Subject: [mou] Merlin, Minneapolis ~ Hennepin County Message-ID: <380-2200610130223641688@earthlink.net> ------=_NextPart_637511307062223641688 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII This afternoon between 3:00 - 3:30pm I watched a Merlin at Lake Calhoun in Minneaplis, Hennepin County. It was perched in a tree lakeside and preened the entire time, and did not have any bands on its legs. Conny Brunell Richfield, Hennepin Co. ------=_NextPart_637511307062223641688 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII

This afternoon between 3:00 - 3:30pm I watched a Merlin at Lake Calhoun in Minneaplis, Hennepin County.

It was perched in a tree lakeside and preened the entire time, and did not have any bands on its legs.

Conny Brunell

Richfield, Hennepin Co.

------=_NextPart_637511307062223641688-- From corax6330@yahoo.com Tue Oct 31 01:48:10 2006 From: corax6330@yahoo.com (fred lesher) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:48:10 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] Pool 8 Highlights, Oct.30 Message-ID: <20061031014810.17499.qmail@web56009.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Horned Grebe Am. W. Pelican Double-crstd. Corm. Canada Goose Tundra Swan---------800-1000 Wood D. Gadwall MALL No. Pintail---------50+/- Green w. Teal Canvasback Bufflehead Hooded Merg. Ruddy D. Bald Eagle----------77 Wilson's Snipe-------9 Ring-b. Gull No. Flicker Pileated Woodpecker E. Bluebird Except for the snipe, view these species from the new deck & parking lot under construction near/at Mile Marker 11 south of Brownsville on Hwy 26. DO NOT DRIVE ONTO THE SOFT SAND SURFACE. Enough shoulder to park on without getting stuck. Scope out the distant rafts for probable additional divers I missed: Redhead, both scaup, scoters, goldeneye, Common Merganser. Snipe were at the delta of Wildcat Creek from Hwy. 26 just south of Brownsville. Fred Lesher LaCrosse, Wis. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Cheap Talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates (http://voice.yahoo.com) From dbmartin@skypoint.com Tue Oct 31 03:29:59 2006 From: dbmartin@skypoint.com (Dennis/Barbara Martin) Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 21:29:59 -0600 Subject: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County References: <001301c6fb82$c4fb94a0$d69b7618@Weston72505> Message-ID: <019901c6fc9c$dbabb980$b32f56c7@oemcomputer> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hairy Woodpeckers have a very common practice of stripping bark from = conifers just like black-backs and three-toeds. It is impossible to = tell the tree markings apart. We have seen tree stripping in just about = every conifer planting in the state when there is a dead or dying tree = in the group. And we have watched a hairy strip bark multiple times in = multiple places. =20 In the last couple of weekends Barb and I probably watched 15-20 = black-backs and three-toeds strip bark from conifers on the North Shore. = On at least one of those occasions there was a downy peeling bark just = down from two three-toeds and on another occasion there was a hairy = peeling bark just up from a black-backed. We suspect that this tendency is not related to the species but more so = to the prey that they are trying to get at to eat. Pine Bark Beetles or = whatever you call them are just under the bark and by simple peeling the = bark the woodpecker can get to the insect. Perhaps an entomologist (Pat = ?) can correct me on the exact species name. While this prey species is = more common in northern Minnesota, home to the unusual woodpeckers, it = is also common in conifer plantations in southern Minnesota. Thus you = see evidence of bark peeling in southern Minnesota. Our normal = woodpeckers in southern Minnesota would have a hard time peeling the = bark off a typical hardwood tree, unless the tree or parts of it had = been dead for awhile. Bottom line is that you have to actually see the bird (as Bob did in = Afton SP) to identify a possible northern woodpecker anywhere in the = state. Denny=20 Dennis and Barbara Martin dbmartin@skypoint.com ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Steve Weston=20 To: Williams, Bob ; mou-net@cbs.umn.edu=20 Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net=20 Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 11:50 AM Subject: Re: [mou] Black-backed Woodpecker at Afton State Park, = Washington County One of the things to watch for with Black-backed Woodpeckers (and = Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in the area. Look = for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped with the fresh = bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will strip bark = (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and they don't = tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. I am = sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County two = years ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never = located. =20 Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net ------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hairy Woodpeckers have a very common practice of = stripping=20 bark from conifers just like black-backs and three-toeds. It = is=20 impossible to tell the tree markings apart. We have seen tree = stripping in=20 just about every conifer planting in the state when there is a dead or = dying=20 tree in the group. And we have watched a hairy strip bark multiple = times=20 in multiple places.

In the last couple of weekends Barb and I = probably=20 watched 15-20 black-backs and three-toeds strip bark from conifers = on the=20 North Shore. On at least one of those occasions there was a downy = peeling=20 bark just down from two three-toeds and on another occasion there = was a=20 hairy peeling bark just up from a black-backed.

We suspect that this tendency is not related to the = species=20 but more so to the prey that they are trying to get at to = eat. Pine=20 Bark Beetles or whatever you call them are just under the bark and by = simple=20 peeling the bark the woodpecker can get to the insect. Perhaps an=20 entomologist (Pat ?) can correct me on the exact species = name. While=20 this prey species is more common in northern Minnesota, home to the = unusual=20 woodpeckers, it is also common in conifer plantations in southern=20 Minnesota. Thus you see evidence of bark peeling in southern=20 Minnesota. Our normal woodpeckers in southern Minnesota would have = a hard=20 time peeling the bark off a typical hardwood tree, unless the tree or = parts of=20 it had been dead for awhile.

Bottom line is that you have to actually see the = bird (as Bob=20 did in Afton SP) to identify a possible northern woodpecker anywhere in = the=20 state.

Denny

Dennis and Barbara Martin
dbmartin@skypoint.com

----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Steve=20 Weston

To: Williams, Bob ; mou-net@cbs.umn.edu

Cc: mnbird@lists.mnbird.net =

Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2006 = 11:50=20 AM

Subject: Re: [mou] Black-backed = Woodpecker at Afton State Park, Washington County

One of the things to watch for with = Black-backed=20 Woodpeckers (and Three-toeds) is the evidence that they are feeding in = the=20 area. Look for trees that the bark has been extensively stripped = with=20 the fresh bark at the base of the trees, while other woodpeckers will = strip=20 bark (the Pileated and Hairy) this is not their primary style, and = they don't=20 tend to hit as many trees or chisel the bark as systematically. = I am=20 sure that we had a Black-backed at Spring Lake Park in Dakota County = two years=20 ago in December from the bark stripping, but the bird was never = located. =20

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in = Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net ------=_NextPart_000_0196_01C6FC6A.8D4E7520-- From sweston2@comcast.net Tue Oct 31 06:50:22 2006 From: sweston2@comcast.net (Steve Weston) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:50:22 -0600 Subject: [mou] About the Metro Message-ID: <002601c6fcb9$cd873f60$d69b7618@Weston72505> Denmark Twnshp, across the Misssissippi from Lake Rebecca in Hastings: Sanderlings (18-25+) in juvenile plumage. Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN sweston2@comcast.net From Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com Tue Oct 31 14:53:46 2006 From: Mark.Alt@bestbuy.com (Alt, Mark) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 08:53:46 -0600 Subject: [mou] FW: [BIRDWG01] Aging Gray Jays #2 using photos Message-ID: <53C2BE278DA0704BA0CC0F271E0158CBC1CEFA@dsp65mail.na.bestbuy.com> Good tips (pun intended) on assessing age of gray jays in the field. -----Original Message----- From: NBHC ID-FRONTIERS Frontiers of Field Identification [mailto:BIRDWG01@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jean Iron Sent: Monday, October 30, 2006 8:44 PM To: BIRDWG01@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [BIRDWG01] Aging Gray Jays #2 using photos This is more information including 5 photos to the post of 28 October=20 2006 about aging first year (first basic plumage) and adult=20 (definitive basic plumage) Gray Jays. Today, Dan Strickland and his=20 wife Madeleine Pageot live trapped and photographed several=20 known-aged Gray Jays near Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Provincial Park=20 about 175 miles (245 km) north of Toronto, Ontario. These birds are=20 part of Dan's long-term study. They are uniquely color-banded and=20 also banded with standard aluminum bands issued by the Canadian=20 Wildlife Service. Dan reported today: " The 'pointed' rectrices of=20 the first year bird are clearly different from the 'truncated'=20 rectrices of the two adults but I don't see any convincing difference=20 in their wing coverts." Allow a few seconds to download photos. Note=20 detailed information in the photo captions. Thanks to Jean Iron for=20 putting Dan's photos on her website. See http://www.jeaniron.ca/2006/GrayJays.htm Ron Pittaway & Jean Iron Minden & Toronto ON Copied below is Post #1 on 28 October 2006. Mark Alt of Minnesota asked about aging Gray Jays so I asked Dan=20 Strickland who has been color banding and studying Grays Jays since=20 the 1960s in Ontario's Algonquin Provincial Park and in Quebec. Dan=20 is the senior author of the Birds of North America account. Dan said:=20 Determining the age (first year versus older) of the Gray Jays=20 involved in the flight would be an excellent thing to do, but it's a=20 little tricky to describe in words and you have to get a good look at=20 the tail from below. Adult (i.e. one and a half years old or older=20 birds seen at this time of year) have rectrices that are broader than=20 those of first year birds and they are "truncated" i.e., sort of=20 "squared off" compared to the "pointier" shape of the usually thinner=20 rectrices of first year birds. Also, because they are older (grown in=20 April-May in first year birds as opposed to July in adults) the=20 rectrices of first year birds seen in fall are usually much rattier=20 and more heavily worn than those of "adults". Trouble is, of course,=20 that one needs a diagram or photos more than a mere verbal=20 description, and even then it's best to have a bit of practice. I then asked Dan about the pale tips on the wing coverts. Is there a=20 different between first year birds and adults? He said: Good question=20 and something I should look at. Years ago Henri Ouellet told me you=20 could tell first year jays by the shape of the wing coverts. But when=20 I tried to see what he was talking about with specimens at the=20 National Museum (and with Henri right there) I couldn't see anything=20 and he didn't try to defend his earlier statement. I just sort of=20 gave up on the idea at that point and then had no way to tell first=20 year birds from AHY birds because I didn't become aware of the=20 rectrix shape until much later. Regarding the color inside the bill, Dan said: One of Pyle's books,=20 by the way, says you can tell by looking for white patches inside the=20 bill of first year birds. It is true that some first year birds do=20 have this feature and sometimes on the outside of the bill as well,=20 but it isn't a sure thing. Some HY birds have all black bills inside=20 and out and some AHY birds have light areas. Almost all individuals,=20 whatever their age, have a small, pale (usually "horn-coloured")=20 patch on the inside of the upper bill, just at the tip. Ron Pittaway Minden ON jeaniron@sympatico.ca At 08:16 AM 10/27/2006, Alt, Mark wrote: >We are experiencing a significant irruption/migration of Gray Jays, >Black-backed Woodpeckers, and Three-toed woodpeckers into Northern >Minnesota this fall. Are there any tips for identifying first year >plumage in these birds without having bird in hand? > >Mark Alt >Brooklyn Center, MN >Mark.alt@bestbuy.com Join or Leave BIRDWG01: http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=3Dbirdwg01 Archives: http://listserv.arizona.edu/archives/birdwg01.html From hjw_forest@yahoo.com Tue Oct 31 15:16:07 2006 From: hjw_forest@yahoo.com (Howard Weinberg) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:16:07 -0800 (PST) Subject: [mou] Beetle tidbits Message-ID: <20061031151607.42865.qmail@web57701.mail.re3.yahoo.com> --0-1994553848-1162307767=:42410 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit In refernce to woodpecker/beetles, here are some tidbits that i recall: One common group of bark beetles here belong to the "Ips" genus. The Pine Engraver (Ips pini) is one of the species. They are in the Scolytidae family. They are small (~1/4 inch), dark, and have a hunched-over neck/head. They are one of the species that carve out those cool looking galleries on the tree just under the bark. Eggs are laid in those galleries (in brood galleries). When eggs hatch, the larva move away, creating new tunnels that get bigger as they grow. There are other species as well, and no shortage of wood boring insects too. The trees around my house for example, have many round exit holes about the width of a pencil, which i think is pretty indicative of a cerambycid (Long-Horned Beetles), the Pine Sawyer. They are dark, about an inch long, have very long antenna, and have a white dot on their back at the base of the wings. Eggs are laid in the bark and the larva bore into the tree. That's about all i remember from from my college days. Howard --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail. --0-1994553848-1162307767=:42410 Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

In refernce to woodpecker/beetles, here are some tidbits that i recall:

One common group of bark beetles here belong to the "Ips" genus. The Pine Engraver (Ips pini) is one of the species. They are in the Scolytidae family. They are small (~1/4 inch), dark, and have a hunched-over neck/head. They are one of the species that carve out those cool looking galleries on the tree just under the bark. Eggs are laid in those galleries (in brood galleries). When eggs hatch, the larva move away, creating new tunnels that get bigger as they grow. There are other species as well, and no shortage of wood boring insects too. The trees around my house for example, have many round exit holes about the width of a pencil, which i think is pretty indicative of a cerambycid (Long-Horned Beetles), the Pine Sawyer. They are dark, about an inch long, have very long antenna, and have a white dot on their back at the base of the wings. Eggs are laid in the bark and the larva bore into the tree. That's about all i remember from from my college days.

Howard

Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail. --0-1994553848-1162307767=:42410-- From jadrake@arvig.net Tue Oct 31 15:20:44 2006 From: jadrake@arvig.net (Jeff and Amy Drake) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 09:20:44 -0600 Subject: [mou] rough legged hawk, Ottertail Cty. Message-ID: <001a01c6fd00$2f623370$90be81d8@D807P3B1> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FCCD.D7EFF3C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Richville, MN: Ottertail county, north end of Walker Lake We had a rough legged hawk hanging out at the edge of our forest last = night. It flew up the driveway and out across the yard as we drove up = to the house. I haven't seen it this morning. Also, I've been seeing several Northern Shrikes on the power lines along = cty #14 & along hwy. #78 just N. of Battle Lake. Amy Drake ------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FCCD.D7EFF3C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Richville, MN: Ottertail county, = north end of=20 Walker Lake

We had a rough legged hawk hanging out = at the edge=20 of our forest last night. It flew up the driveway and out across = the yard=20 as we drove up to the house. I haven't seen it this = morning.

Also, I've been seeing several Northern = Shrikes on=20 the power lines along cty #14 & along hwy. #78 just N. of = Battle=20 Lake.

Amy Drake

------=_NextPart_000_0017_01C6FCCD.D7EFF3C0-- From MLinck@threeriversparkdistrict.org Tue Oct 31 16:40:08 2006 From: MLinck@threeriversparkdistrict.org (Madeleine Linck) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:40:08 -0600 Subject: [mou] FW: Missing red-tailed hawk at Richardson Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FD0B.3A85AA06 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----_=_NextPart_002_01C6FD0B.3A85AA06" ------_=_NextPart_002_01C6FD0B.3A85AA06 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable From: Richardson Nature Center, Three Rivers Park District Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 10:06 AM Subject: Missing red-tailed hawk at Richardson A captive red-tailed hawk from Richardson Nature, one of the center's resident education raptors used for display and programming, has gone missing.=20 =20 Late in the day yesterday, it snapped its leash and flew off. Area TV and radio stations have been notified so they can alert the general public to assist in locating and capturing this raptor by phoning Richardson immediately if they see it.=20 =20 The bird will be easily identifiable by the leather straps (jesses) and swivel attached to its feet. It cannot hunt on its own and might likely be spotted near highways. =20 If you should see the bird, please contact Tom Moffat, Richardson Nature Center, at 763-694-7681. Thank you. =20 Information sent in by Madeleine Linck, Wildlife Technician Three Rivers Park District 763-694-7851 mlinck@threeriversparkdistrict.org=20 ------_=_NextPart_002_01C6FD0B.3A85AA06 Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Clear Day

From: Richardson Nature Center, Three Rivers Park=20 District

Sent: Tuesday, October 31, = 2006 10:06=20 AM
Subject: Missing red-tailed hawk at=20 Richardson

A captive=20 red-tailed hawk from Richardson Nature, one of the center's resident education = raptors used=20 for display and programming, has gone=20 missing.

Late in the=20 day yesterday, it snapped its = leash and flew off. = Area TV = and radio=20 stations have been notified so they can alert the general public to = assist in=20 locating and capturing this raptor by phoning Richardson = immediately if=20 they see it.

The bird=20 will be easily identifiable by the leather straps (jesses) and swivel = attached=20 to its feet. It cannot hunt on its own and might likely be spotted = near=20 highways.

If you should see the = bird,=20 please contact Tom Moffat, Richardson Nature Center, at=20 763-694-7681.

Thank=20 you.

Information sent in=20 by

Madeleine Linck, Wildlife=20 Technician

Three Rivers Park=20 District

763-694-7851

mlinck@threeriverspark= district.org

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------_=_NextPart_001_01C6FD0B.3A85AA06-- From hpeirson@pclink.com Tue Oct 31 17:32:55 2006 From: hpeirson@pclink.com (Holly Peirson) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:32:55 -0600 Subject: [mou] Carlos Avery Bird Info Needed In-Reply-To: <003001c6fc5b$428e3fc0$6401a8c0@Swanny> Message-ID: This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C6FCE0.4EE01520 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hello Birders: Carlos Avery is one of the many places that are being considered as IBA’s in Minnesota. An IBA, for those who don’t know, is an Important Bird Area, a national and international designation. National Audubon is the U.S. partner of BirdLife International, the group that began selecting and working to preserve important bird places around the world based on several criteria (ranging from importance as migration stopovers to places that harbor endangered species). Carlos, as many of you know, but for those who don’t, is one of the largest pieces of open, undeveloped land close to the cities. Its 33,000 acres of pools, woods, and marshes provides beautiful scenery for visitors, and wonderful migratory stopover and home nesting habitat for many species of birds. It’s located in Northeastern Anoka and Southwestern Chisago Counties. Since I live close to Carlos, Audubon Minnesota has asked me to compile some info on birds seen in the area, in preparation for beginning the cycle of IBA paperwork necessary. I appeal to all those who bird this general area regularly: If you keep lists (or could compile one) for this area, please respond to me privately, so I may begin to gather copies of them. We think Carlos Avery will be a “no-brainer” IBA, but we do need the data to prove it!! We will also be working with maps from the DNR, and other data. Thank you very much for your time and consideration, Holly Peirson Columbus (the newest MN town), Anoka Co ------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C6FCE0.4EE01520 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hello Birders:

Ca= rlos Avery is one of the many places that are being considered as IBA’s = in Minnesota. An IBA, for those who don’t know, is an Important Bird = Area, a national and international designation. National Audubon is the U.S. = partner of BirdLife International, the group that began selecting and working to = preserve important bird places around the world based on several criteria (ranging from = importance as migration stopovers to places that harbor endangered = species).

Ca= rlos, as many of you know, but for those who don’t, is one of the largest = pieces of open, undeveloped land close to the cities. Its 33,000 acres of pools, woods, = and marshes provides beautiful scenery for visitors, and wonderful migratory = stopover and home nesting habitat for many species of birds. It’s located in = Northeastern Anoka and Southwestern Chisago = Counties.

Si= nce I live close to Carlos, Audubon Minnesota has asked me to compile some info on = birds seen in the area, in preparation for beginning the cycle of IBA = paperwork necessary.

I = appeal to all those who bird this general area regularly: If you keep lists (or = could compile one) for this area, please respond to me privately, so I may = begin to gather copies of them. We think Carlos Avery will be a = “no-brainer” IBA, but we do need the data to prove it!! We will also be working with maps from = the DNR, and other data.

Th= ank you very much for your time and = consideration,

Ho= lly Peirson

Co= lumbus (the newest MN town), Anoka Co

------=_NextPart_000_00A5_01C6FCE0.4EE01520-- From Robert.Fashingbauer@dnr.state.mn.us Tue Oct 31 20:43:37 2006 From: Robert.Fashingbauer@dnr.state.mn.us (Robert Fashingbauer) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 14:43:37 -0600 Subject: [mou] Carlos Avery Message-ID: <45476119020000B000000CD5@co5.dnr.state.mn.us> --=__PartB692B969.0__= Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Holly: My name is Bob Fashingbauer and I am the Assistant Manager here at Carlos Avery WMA. A former DNR employee made a checklist of the birds of Carlos Avery. I have some copies here if you would like. Bob 651-296-5290 --=__PartB692B969.0__= Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: HTML

Hi Holly:

My name is Bob Fashingbauer and I am the Assistant Manager here at Carlos Avery WMA. A former DNR employee made a checklist of the birds of Carlos Avery. I have some copies here if you would like.

Bob

651-296-5290

--=__PartB692B969.0__=-- From two-jays@att.net Tue Oct 31 21:54:07 2006 From: two-jays@att.net (Jim Williams) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:54:07 -0600 Subject: [mou] Beetle tidbits In-Reply-To: <20061031151607.42865.qmail@web57701.mail.re3.yahoo.com> References: <20061031151607.42865.qmail@web57701.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Message-ID: The Pine Sawyer beetles were the main attraction several years ago at a=20= Red Pine plantation burn in central Douglas County, Wisconsin.=20 Black-backed Woodpeckers were plentiful for several months after the=20 fire was out, feeding on the larvae of this beetle. Three-toed=20 Woodpeckers also were seen on the burn, although in much smaller=20 numbers. Someone on a WDNR burn crew told me that the beetles often=20 arrived before a fire was out. The woodpeckers also, apparently,=20 followed the smoke. I don't know how else so many of them would have=20 located that particular beetle-infested site. Perhaps some of you recall a fire some years ago near Thunder Bay that=20= also attracted large numbers of these two woodpecker species,=20 particularly Black-backed. This fire covered several tens of thousands=20= of acres. A woodpecker count was taken in one area, that total=20 extrapolated over the entire burn. As I recall, it was estimated that=20 as many as 20,000 Black-backed Woodpeckers could have been present if=20 the saturation of the entire burn matched that of the count area. An aside: when the larvae hatched and the beetles were chewing their=20 way out of the pines, you could clearly hear the munching sound they=20 made. You also could see small piles of sawdust, from the beetles=20 excavation efforts, at the base of the trees from which they had=20 emerged. Jim Williams Wayzata On Oct 31, 2006, at 9:16 AM, Howard Weinberg wrote: In refernce to woodpecker/beetles, here are some tidbits that i recall: =A0 One common group of bark beetles here belong to the "Ips" genus.=A0 The=20= Pine Engraver (Ips pini) is one of the species.=A0 They are=A0in the=20 Scolytidae family.=A0 They are small (~1/4 inch), dark, and have a=20 hunched-over neck/head.=A0 They are one of the species that carve out=20 those cool looking galleries on the tree just under the bark.=A0 Eggs = are=20 laid in those galleries (in brood galleries).=A0 When eggs hatch, the=20 larva move away, creating new tunnels that get bigger as they grow.=A0=20= There are other species as well, and no shortage of wood boring insects=20= too.=A0 The trees around my house for example, have many round exit = holes=20 about the width of a pencil, which i think is pretty indicative of=20 a=A0cerambycid (Long-Horned Beetles), the Pine Sawyer.=A0 They are=20 dark,=A0about an inch long,=A0have very long antenna, and have a white = dot=20 on their back at the base of the wings.=A0 Eggs are laid in the bark and=20= the larva bore into the tree.=A0 That's about all i remember from from = my=20 college days.=A0=A0 =A0 Howard=A0 Do you Yahoo!? Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.= From deanne.endrizzi@juno.com Tue Oct 31 21:37:47 2006 From: deanne.endrizzi@juno.com (deanne.endrizzi@juno.com) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 21:37:47 GMT Subject: [mou] Black-backed woodpecker - Cass Cty. Message-ID: <20061031.133756.760.639140@webmail60.nyc.untd.com> ----__JWM__J41c6.167eS.2781M Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/plain Hi Everyone: I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to see a fema= le black-backed woodpecker. She wasn't finding the food she wanted in t= he pines in my front yard up north so she was headed to the monoculture = of red pines on the property next door. This woodpecker was spotted in = Longville, MN on October 29. I also found a fox sparrow in the monocult= ure of red pines along the shrubby edge. Deanne Endrizzi, Burnsville MN & Longville, MN = ----__JWM__J41c6.167eS.2781M Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Content-Type: text/html

Hi Everyone:

I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to see&nbs= p;a female black-backed woodpecker. She wasn't finding the food sh= e wanted in the pines in my front yard up north so she was headed to the= monoculture of red pines on the property next door. This woodpeck= er was spotted in Longville, MN on October 29. I also found a fox = sparrow in the monoculture of red pines along the shrubby edge.

Deanne Endrizzi, Burnsville MN & Longville, MN

----__JWM__J41c6.167eS.2781M-- From connybrunell@earthlink.net Tue Oct 31 23:13:02 2006 From: connybrunell@earthlink.net (Conny Brunell) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:13:02 -0600 Subject: [mou] Lesser Black-backed Gull ~ Dakota County Message-ID: <380-220061023123132860@earthlink.net> ------=_NextPart_3207411312380823132860 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII This afternoon from 3:30 until 4:15 pm I enjoyed watching a Lesser Black-backed Gull on the west end of Black Dog Lake in Burnsville, Dakota County in the chilly sunshine with a hundred or so Ring-billed and Herring Gulls. Conny Brunell Richfield, Hennepin Co. ------=_NextPart_3207411312380823132860 Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII

This afternoon from 3:30 until 4:15 pm I enjoyed watching a Lesser Black-backed Gull

on the west end of Black Dog Lake in Burnsville, Dakota County in the chilly sunshine

with a hundred or so Ring-billed and Herring Gulls.

Conny Brunell

Richfield, Hennepin Co.

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