UP Rare Bird Report for December 17, 2006

[theowlranch@aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for December 17, 2006
 
Sorry for the delay in reports as of late, being that it is winter, I’ll be updating this report when there is a high enough volume of sightings received as opposed to a weekly report. I’m sure spring or a late season push of winter owls will get things flowing again. The results from the first round of Christmas Bird Counts are in, and counters are just having a blast with many counts recording record breaking totals this year. Certainly the mild winter and lack of snows are helping to keep lingering birds in the Yoop this year. I have posted a quickie shot of the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch up in the 2006 photo gallery of www.UPBirders.org. I hope to have a few more pictures of this bird as well as a few other photos from December up tomorrow.
 
 
Highlights
 
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH
Red-throated Loon
Thayer’s Gull
Iceland Gull
Snowy Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Townsend’s Solitaire
Northern Mockingbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Hoary Redpoll
 
 
Keweenaw County
David Pavlik, Mark Hubinger & Zach Gayk went to the Keystone Bay Burn on December 9th and had 1 female AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER and 4 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS. They also reported 2 TOWNSEND’S SOLITIARES in Copper Harbor on the 9th as well. 
 
Houghton County
The Houghton CBC on the 16th turned up MUTE SWAN, CANVASBACK, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-NECKED GREBE, and a very late INDIGO BUNTING. 
 
Baraga County
The second annual Keweenaw Bay CBC struck gold today with a GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH that was found in L’anse on the 17th. The bird was feeding in an alley behind an apartment building in between Main Street and Bayshore Drive. Other highlights included multiple NORTHERN SHRIKES, REDHEAD, RED CROSSBILL and 2 HOARY REDPOLLS. 
 
Marquette County
Highlights from the Marquette CBC on the 16th included the town’s “resident” GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE (present now for over 2 months!), 2 BLACK SCOTERS, 1 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-THROATED LOON, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (present since the 7th at the home of Rob & Chris Yuill).  A ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen at Mike Stefonic’s feeders in Harvey on the 13th, and was reported to be present for about a week. 2 THAYER’S GULLS, 1 ICELAND GULL and 5 GLAUCOUS GULLS were seen in Sands Township on the 13th. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS have been reported in a few locations in the last week including the Chocolay Bayou, Trowbridge Park & Negaunee.
 
Delta County
A SNOWY OWL was reported in the Gladstone area on the 14th. There was a report of a SNOWY OWL in the Gladstone area in early December as well. 
 
Alger County
The Au Train CBC was held on December 17th and noted the following highlights, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (originally found by Nancy Cihak on the 3rd), 5 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 2 RED-BELLIED WODPECKERS and both RED & WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. Scott Hickman & I had 1 BLACK & 2 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 1 BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Munising on the 15th. Scott Hickman had a pair of BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the 10th in the Hiawatha National Forest. Kathy Sendak reported a late GREAT BLUE HERON on Huber Creek in Kiva on the 12th. 
 
Schoolcraft County
Ron Annelin reported a GLAUCOUS GULL and an unidentified BLACK-BACKED GULL species in Manistique on the 13th. Tony Block also reported a GLAUCOUS GULL in Manistique on the 17th. 
 
Chippewa County
Kirk Zulfelt reported 2 THAYER’S GULLS, 1 ICELAND GULL, 4 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 4 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS at the Dafter Dump on December 8th. Doug Munson reported 2 SNOWY OWLS on 20 Mile Road, west of Centerline Road in Rudyard on the 15th. Doug also reports that there are many ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS in that area as well.
 
 
To report rare birds please email me at TheOwlRanch at aol.com or to Birdnet at UPBirders.org if you are a subscriber. If you are not on the net, call the Marquette Hotline at (906) 225-3886. For more information on Birdnet, or UP birds, please visit www.UPBirders.org
 
Till next time,
 
~Skye Haas
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