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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *August 16, 1996 *MNST9608.16 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: August 16, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday August 15th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
Bill Litkey reports that on August 10th, a SNOWY EGRET was observed at Red Rock Lake, just north of the town of Newport in Washington County.
Slowly but surely Fall shorebird migration continues across the state. On August 10th, the St. Paul Audubon Society visited the mudflats just west of New Germany in Carver County and found eleven species of shorebirds. These include KILLDEER, SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, LEAST, SEMIPALMATED, SOLITARY, PECTORAL, STILT, WHITE-RUMPED and BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. Paul Budde reports that on the 11th, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were also among them. Look especially along Yancy Avenue, south of County road 30. Karol Gresser found fifteen BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS on August 14th in a field near the Scott County Fairgrounds. Another good shorebird spot is in Hennepin County just north of county road 10 along county road 116. LESSER YELLOWLEGS, PECTORAL, LEAST, BAIRD'S, SPOTTED, and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS were found here recently by Don Wanschura.
Mark Ochs observed two WESTERN KINGBIRDS August 6th, 3/4 of a mile east of U.S. 52 on 140th street in Dakota County. And Al Batt found four LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES, north of state highway 55 along Fahey Avenue, near the town of Hastings on August 7. He also reports LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES from Steele County, and Freeborn County. And Ray Glassel found a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER in Lebanon Hills in Dakota County on August 15th.
In Kanabec County, Craig Menze, from the town of Mora, reports that among the migrating warblers in that area he found AMERICAN REDSTART, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, NASHVILLE, BLACKBURNIAN, GOLDEN-WINGED, BLACK-AND-WHITE and YELLOW WARBLER. NASHVILLE WARBLERS were also reported from Hennepin and Hubbard Counties.
We may be in for a major WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL invasion this winter. In the previous invasion of 1989-1990, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS began showing up in the northern counties in early August. This year they are showing similar tendencies, being reported from Hubbard County along county road 3 near the Lake Alice Bog, and more consistently from Hawk Ridge in Duluth. I would appreciate any reports of WHITE-WINGED and RED CROSSBILLS. Speaking of RED CROSSBILLS, an immature RED CROSSBILL was seen in Lakeville on August 9th.
Finally, though similar in appearance to a wild Greater White- fronted Goose, the bird reported at Loring Park in Minneapolis last week appears most likely to be an escaped domesticated goose.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday August 22nd. If you have birds to report, please leave your name and phone number plus a brief but specific message which includes the name of the county where your sighting took place.