[mou] Mountain Bluebird- Hawk Ridge

[Karl Bardon]

A Mountain Bluebird passed by Hawk Ridge this morning during a good flight of other songbirds. This bird was first identified by flight call, then by back color when it dropped below treeline.

Despite the general lack of birds in Northeastern Minnesota this fall, it continues to be a great fall for songbird migration at Hawk Ridge (over 150,000 non-raptors counted thus far). For example, today's non-raptor flight totalled 3127 birds including 2 Black-backed Woodpeckers (one of which had no tail!), 2 Northern Shrikes, 249 American Crows, 920 American Robins, 8 Bohemian Waxwings, 1 Cedar Waxwing, 722 Snow Buntings, 4 Red-winged Blackbirds, 83 Rusty Blackbirds, 1 Common Grackle, 1 Pine Grosbeak, 364 Purple Finches, 2 Red Crossbills, 431 White-winged Crossbills, 1 Common Redpoll, 147 Pine Siskins, and 10 American Goldfinches.

The number of White-winged Crossbills and Purple Finches moving daily over the ridge continues to be impressive: 2056 White-winged Crossbills have been counted in the last week (!), and 3590 Purple Finches have been counted in the last two weeks.

Karl Bardon
Hawk Ridge counter


      
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