[mou] Four Day MN tour

[Jim Williams]

For goodness sakes! Pastor Al is one of this list's most frequent and 
pertinent contributors. While 90 percent of this list's members sit on 
their keyboards (and that's their right), we take Al to task for 
failing to "highlight" certain species in his report?

Jim Williams
who has 12 WOOD DUCKS on his Orono pond (east end)






On May 20, 2007, at 12:28 PM, Mike Hendrickson wrote:

Terry Brashear made a good point on his posting about rarities being 
buried in postings and this is a good example.

*BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER is a tough bird to find migrating along 
the northshore of Duluth and it should of been highlighted in this 
posting by Al.
*KENTUCKY WARBLER should of been highlighted even though it has nested 
in Williams Nature Center but other listserv subscribers would probably 
like to know about recent sightings and also direction on where the 
bird was found singing.
*TWO EARED GREBES & WESTERN GREBE along Park Pt!!  That is a incredible 
sighting and I would of love to see these birds plus a Western Grebe!  
Also I am sure the birdathon folks would of liked to know about these 
sightings and also resident birders in Duluth.
*A FURRUGINOUS HAWK at Big Stone Refuge. WHERE exactly was the bird and 
what was the date? This is a casual raptor that even I have yet to see 
in Minnesota. I am sure birders from all over Minnesota would of like 
to know of this raptor rather seeing it listed days ago in this 
posting.
*CLARK'S GREBE should of been highlighted.

I been following Craig Mandel's example by telling readers where I 
birded and then highlighted at the TOP of posting the rare/casual 
sightings, followed by locations/directions.  For example where on Park 
Pt. did you see these grebes? Park Pt. is several miles long! There are 
several places to bird along here and where were these birds? On the 
lake? In the bay?  Where was the Black-throated Blue Warbler found in 
Stoney Pt? Near the stone wall? Near the old cabins?

Also birders should be contacting local birders when they find 
something good in their county or city.  I would never spot a 
curve-billed thrasher at Wood Lake then report on the listserv when I 
got home.  I call Tony Hertzel, Denny Martin and others to spread the 
word. I would call Jeanne Joppru if I was in NW Minnesota, I would call 
John Hockema or Dedrick Benz if I was in SE Minn., I always call Jim 
Lind, Kim Eckert and Peder S. when I spot something good in Duluth or 
in NE Minnesota.  There is always someone to call and I notice this 
isn't happening very much and birders are not reporting these type of 
birds till they get back home.

Take time to understand the range of birds and if you are not sure if 
it's rare or not, call someone and use the MOU directory and spread the 
word.

Michael Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Lake Superior Boat Trips
http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/
----- Original Message ----- From: "Pastor Al Schirmacher" 
<pastoral at princetonfreechurch.net>
To: <mnbird at lists.mnbird.net>; <mou-net at moumn.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 7:24 AM
Subject: [mou] Four Day MN tour


> Took four vacation days to target needed birds and enjoy different 
> environs in Minnesota, traveled Wednesday through Saturday (latter on 
> the MOU trip). 181 species seen and heard, including 29 year and five 
> state birds. Highlights included:
>
> * 24 warbler species.  Highlights were Kentucky (Williams Nature 
> Center), Black-throated Blue (Wood Lake & Stoney Point, north of 
> Duluth), Louisiana Waterthrush (Minneopa), four Hooded and three 
> Cerulean (Murphy Hanrahan). Also interesting were the misses:  
> Orange-crowned, Northern Waterthrush, Connecticut, Bay-breasted and 
> Blackpoll (latter three have not been personally seen or heard all 
> spring).
>
> * 23 shorebird species.  Enjoyed 13 Hudsonian Godwits, 4-6 Marbled 
> Godwits and 12 American Avocets in Lac Qui Parle, Big Stone and 
> adjoining counties; Ruddy Turnstones (Purgatory Creek & Mille Lacs 
> Lake) and Sanderlings (also lakefront), Red-necked & Wilson's 
> Phalaropes (Lac Qui Parle).  Missed Solitary Sandpiper all week; had 
> no shorebirds in Duluth, Two Harbors and along 61.
>
> * 15 waterfowl, nothing unusual.
>
> * Five grebes - thought the mix of two Eared, one Western and one 
> Red-necked was unique on Park Point.  Nice but distant looks at the 
> Clark's on Thielke (Big Stone).
>
> * Nine hawks - far & away the highlight was the Ferruginous in Big 
> Stone Refuge.
>
> * Eight flycatchers, only the Olive-sided (Sherburne NWR) was of 
> interest. Missed Western Kingbird in Lac Qui Parle & Big Stone, 
> Acadian in Murphy Hanrahan.
>
> * Four vireos, including Philadelphia at Murphy.
>
> * 12 sparrows, including Lark at Sherburne NWR.
>
> * 10 blackbirds - the Bobolinks, Yellow-headed and Western Meadowlarks 
> are incredibly numerous in Lac Qui Parle and Big Stone.
>
> * Probable Neotropic Cormorant at Diamond Lake.  Not questioning the 
> posting, rather, my own abilities to discern.
>
> Happy to share locations on any specific birds or species.  However, 
> Bill Unzen may be a better source for the western portion of the trip. 
>  Thanks to Mark Junghans, Bill Unzen, Nathan and all those who helped 
> or accompanied.
>
> Back to "reality".
>
> Al Schirmacher
> Princeton, MN
> Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties