[mou] Four Day MN tour

Sun May 20 14:03:35 EDT 2007

Mike & MOU,

Black-throated Blue Warbler was singing at the southern entrance to Stoney 
Point on Thursday.  Kentucky Warbler was on the right hand trail of Williams 
near the open area after the dense oaks - just as Craig Mandel had 
previously posted.  The Eared Grebes and Western were behind the boathouse 
(or whatever it exactly is) on the lake side on Thursday (this was my first 
spring Duluth visit, and I was unaware of how unusual the Eared & Western 
were - have seen Western in Superior before in September).  Ferruginous Hawk 
was on the southernmost road of Big Stone Refuge on Wednesday, I don't have 
specific directions (not being intimately familiar with the area) - this was 
actually it's second sighting in the area in three days.  The Clark's Grebe 
was in its typical area on Thielke Lake Wednesday.

While appreciating the feedback, this post should have been privately sent 
rather than to MOU as a whole.  Terry's excellent points were suggestions, 
not regulations - and flexibility is allowed in one's posting style.  I was 
away from my work system until this morning, so this was posted at my 
earliest normal opportunity.  I do not carry a lot of birders' numbers on my 
cell phone, but would if someone wants to hear about area sightings.  I 
would not presume to call someone that I'm not in regular contact with about 
birds.  In addition, capitalizing on emails is considered "shouting" - 
effective once or twice, ignored if done too often (IMHO).

Let's be careful with our posts - using someone's sharing to "grind an axe" 
doesn't generally lead to positive results - frankly has already led to 
polarizing emails from others.  This became evident on last week's unoffical 
survey - there are a number of people who do not post anymore because they 
have felt attacked.

However, I will continue to post - and if some of the suggestions become 
rules, will be happy to follow them.

Good birding to all!

Al Schirmacher
Princeton, MN
Mille Lacs & Sherburne Counties

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hendrickson" <smithville4 at charter.net>
To: "MOU-Net" <mou-net at cbs.umn.edu>
Cc: "Pastor Al" <PastorAl at PrincetonFreeChurch.net>
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [mou] Four Day MN tour

> 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
>>
>
> 