Michigan RBA--3 March 2005

[Jonathan Wuepper]

--RBA

*Michigan
*Statewide
*March 3rd, 2005
*MIST030305
-Transcript

hotline: Michigan
number: 269/471-4919
to report: 269-556-9510 or wuepperj at hotmail.com
compiled: 3 Mar 2005
compiler: Jon Wuepper

Species mentioned:

Spruce Grouse (Luce County)
Golden Eagle (Berrien County)
American Woodcock (Berrien County)
Iceland Gull (Wayne County)
Glaucous Gull (Wayne, Berrien cos)
Lesser-black Backed Gull (Wayne, Berrien cos)
Long-eared Owl (Wayne County)
Northern Hawk Owl (Chippewa County)
Great Gray Owl (Chippewa County)
Black-backed Woodpecker (Luce County)
Gray Jay (Chippewa County)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Berrien County)
Bohemian Waxwing (Chippewa County)
Townsend’s Solitaire (Marquette County)
Varied Thrush (Alger County)
Brown Thrasher (Berrien County)
Pine Grosbeak (Oscoda County)

This is the Michigan Statewide Bird Report for Thursday, March 3rd, 2005. It 
is being sponsored by Sarett Nature Center, located 1 mile north of Twelve 
Corners, Michigan (5 miles northeast of Benton Harbor). See their website 
www.sarett.com

**THANK YOU, AGAIN!** The response to the call for photographs has been 
excellent! Should anyone have photographs of the reported birds, for 
possible publication in “Michigan Birds and Natural History”, please see the 
notice near the end of this message. Thank you!

Once again, several reports of weekend trips were received from Michigan’s 
Upper Peninsula.

In CHIPPEWA COUNTY—

NORTHERN HAWK OWL: 1 on February 26th (Tom Mulder), on Riverside Road, 
between 22 Mile Road & 21 Mile Road. “This bird spent the entire afternoon 
in the same tree, west of Riverside Road.”; 1 on February 27th, at 20 Mile 
Road and Riverside Road intersection.

GREAT GRAY OWL: 2 on February 28th (Caleb Putnam), foraging quite near each 
other just southwest of the intersection of Ridge Road and 15 Mile Road, 
from about 8:00am, through 10:00am. Caleb suggests: “Park on 15 Mile Road, 
about 1/4-1/3 mile west of Ridge Road and scan the fence lines in the field 
to the south.”; A “new” location for GREAT GRAY OWL, was 1 on February 26th, 
at the corner of Prairie Road and Duff Road, reported by Todd Palgut (sp?). 
1 GREAT GRAY OWL on February 26th, seen by Keith Taylor and Dan Minock. The 
owl was perched over the river at Riverside Road and 20 Mile Road.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING: 1 on February 27th, “on the outskirts” of Sault Sainte 
Marie (Saylor & Minock).

GRAY JAY: 3 on February 27th, Hulbert Bog.

In LUCE COUNTY, Rick Baetsen & others spent time tracking boreal forest 
birds from February 27th through March 1st. One highlight (date[s]?) were 
SPRUCE GROUSE: 1 male, on Homestead Lake Road, displaying both in the snow, 
and on Jack-pine tree branches, for a female that was perched
high in a nearby Jack pine tree. Rick & co. also located on Swamp Lakes 
Road, a male bird perched in a Jack-pine. On March 1st, Rick and son Justin 
Baetsen located a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, along Luce County Road 423, .4 
miles north of the junction with County Road 414.

In ALGER COUNTY on February 26th, Tom Tucholski viewed the previously 
reported VARIED THRUSH, off Sand River Road.

In MARQUETTE COUNTY on February 26th, Tom Tucholski relocated the TOWNSEND’S 
SOLITAIRE, n the front yard of 1308 Northrop Street, in Marquette (corner of 
Fair and Northrop Streets).

In OSCODA COUNTY on February 27th, Steve Santner found a slock of 10 PINE 
GROSBEAKS, along Kneeland Road, near the junction with Richardson Road.

In ALLEGAN COUNTY, February 27th, Rick Brigham reported 2 PURPLE SANDPIPERS, 
which flew by Oval Beach at Saugatuck. (See SW-19 in “A Birder’s Guide To 
Michigan”).

In WAYNE COUNTY, February 26th, Don and Robyn Henise reported, 2 first 
winter GLAUCOUS GULL, 1, first winter ICELAND GULL and 1 adult LESSER 
BLACK-BACKED GULL at Grace Lake, off of Tyler Road at the Visteon complex. 
Also on February 26th, the 8 previously reported LONG-EARED OWLS remained at 
roost, at Lake Erie Metropark. They were viewed in the usual location: on 
the nature trail across from the museum entrance, on the left side of the 
trail, between the wooden bridge and the dog statue. On February 26th and 
27th, 1-2 ICELAND GULLS were reported by Andy Dettling. They were seen at 
Belleville Lake, off Rawson Road.

In BERRIEN COUNTY on February 26th, Cory Gregory reported a 2nd-year GOLDEN 
EAGLE, seen near the north end of Warren Dunes State Park (west of Floral 
Lane). On February 28th, Jane Pedersen and Gabriella Meredith reported an 
immature GOLDEN EAGLE, off Minnich Road, just south of Wee-chik Road, near 
the Galien River. On February 26th, I re-located 1 of 2 previously reported 
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, at Sarett Nature Center’s Brown Sanctuary. (I had 
seen 2 of the species at almost precisely the same location on January 1st). 
On February 27th, I located a 1st-winter GLAUCOUS GULL, off Krueger road, 
just east of Mill Road. 1 adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL remained at Three 
Oaks Wastewater Ponds through at least February 26th. AMERICAN WOODCOCKS 
have been observed peenting at dusk last week along McCoy’s Creek, among 
other location(s).

**BIRD PHOTOS WANTED**--Michigan Birds and Natural History (MBNH) is seeking 
bird photographs for publication in the Michigan Bird Survey seasonal 
reports. Digital photos (jpeg format), photographs or transparencies can be 
submitted to the MBNH editor Jim Granlund at granlund at chartermi.net or 6253 
N. Westnedge Kalamazoo MI 49009 or to the seasonal survey compiler for the 
appropriate season. Photos of common birds as well as rarities are 
encouraged. Please include the name of photographer, species depicted in the 
image, date location and a brief statement giving MBNH permission to 
reproduce the image. All photographs used will have appropriate 
acknowledgement. Birds photographed within Michigan only, please.
The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, March 10th, 
2005. To report your sightings, please leave a message at the sound of the 
tone or call Jon Wuepper at 269-556-9510. Thanks for calling and good 
birding.


MICHIGAN BIRDS & NATURAL HISTORY, Volume 12, Number 1
(A publication of the Michigan Audubon Society, Jim Granlund, editor)
**Volume 12, Number 1 at printer**

Papers, short-notes, photographs submitted by the Michigan birding community 
are encouraged! Contact Jim Granlund, editor, granlund at chartermi.net

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $25/1 year (5 issues); $5 single issue. (Subscription covers 
current calendar year.)
Contact <http://www.michiganaudubon.org/mbnh/mbnh_home.html>

Michigan Audubon Society, 6011 West St. Joseph Hwy, Suite 403. P.O. Box 
80527. Lansing, MI. 48908-0527
(Tel: 517-886-9144)


Also of interest:


Michigan Bird Records Committee website: 
http://www.umd.umich.edu/dept/rouge_river/MBRChome.html

“North American Birds”, a quarterly journal, published by the American 
Birding Association: http://americanbirding.org/publications/nabgen.htm