[mou] possible Townsend's Warbler

[Eckert K R]

Yesterday morning, May 6, a possible (or probable!) male Townsend's 
Warbler was seen very briefly in Lac Qui Parle County. The location was 
along the W side of Lac Qui Parle Lake, along Co Rd 33, 1.8 mi N of the 
entrance to Lac Qui Parle State Park. There is a small pull-out here, 
and the bird was visible for just a second or two by a few of us in the 
thick cover, which includes some planted pines/junipers on the lake 
side of the road. It promptly disappeared and could not be relocated by 
the Minn Birding Weekends (MBW) group at that time or when some of us 
returned early in the afternoon.

Because we could not find it again and since we did not see it well 
enough for a positive ID, I did not call anyone yesterday to post the 
sighting on mou-net, but in hindsight perhaps I should have: I just 
learned today that vagrant Townsend's Warblers were seen and 
photographed this weekend in Cook County near Chicago and at Rondeau 
Provincial Park in SW Ontario not far from Detroit, suggesting that 
this species has been wandering out of range recently.

The other interesting thing about our sighting is that this is exactly 
the same location where a Townsend's Warbler was seen and documented in 
April 1994 (see The Loon 66:61-62), and another was seen and 
photographed the same day in the western part of the county!

Other birds of note seen by the MBW group this past weekend, May 5-6, 
in and around the Lac Qui Parle & Marsh lakes area included a Blue-gray 
Gnatcatcher along the Louisburg Rd, just N of Lac Qui Parle Co Rd 38; a 
total of 13 (or was it 14?) warbler species, including a very early 
Mourning Warbler; and a Lark Sparrow at the entrance to Lac Qui Parle 
State Park. High winds and frequent rain showers certainly made for 
some difficult birding, but at the same time the weather blew in and 
grounded lots of migrant passerines (especially thrushes).

Kim Eckert


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