UP Rare Bird Report for November 3, 2006

[theowlranch@aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for November 3, 2006
 
 
Finches are quickly becoming the birds of note in the region. Large numbers of Redpolls & Pines Siskins are being seen at Whitefish Point and have also been found in several other locations across the UP. Other species of finch being seen from multiple locations this week include Pine Grosbeak, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill & Evening Grosbeak. However, even with this recent large movement of birds, it is still a little too early to see how many will actually stick around for the winter. 
I have updated the 2006 photo gallery at www.UPBirders.org with pictures of White-winged Dove & Ancient Murrelet. 
 
 
Highlights
 
ANCIENT MURRELET
WHITE-WINGED DOVE
VERMILION FLYCATCHER
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
Spruce Grouse
Black-legged Kittiwake
Boreal Chickadee
Townsend’s Solitaire
Harris’s Sparrow
Hoary Redpoll
 
 
Keweenaw County
Grant Soehnel found a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE at the trailhead for the Bluffs Trail in Bete Grise on October 29th. Grant also noted flocks of PINE GROSBEAKS at this location.
 
Houghton County
Max Henschell reported a TUNDRA SWAN on Lake Linden on October 31st. 
 
Baraga Counties
At least 1 SHORT-EARED OWL continues to be seen in Arnheim as of October 29th.
Also on the 29th, was a female CANVASBACK was in the Baraga Sewage Ponds.
 
Marquette County
 The VERMILION FLYCATCHER in Big Bay continued to be seen through Friday, November 3rd. The GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE at Louie Taccolini’s feeders in the City of Marquette was seen through November 3rd as well. A HOARY REDPOLL was seen at the Black Rocks at Presque Isle Park on November 1st. A HARRIS’S SPARROW has been coming to the feeders a MooseWood Nature Center from October 29th through November 2nd. Both BLACK SCOTER and RUDDY DUCK have been seen in the Lower Harbor of Marquette this week. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has been coming to the feeders of Gordon & Shirley Rice in Gwinn through at least October 30th. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen in Skandia on the 29th. 14 CACKLING GEESE at the Marquette Golf Course on the November 2nd was a good number for this late in the season. A GRAY JAY was seen in the Peshekee Grade on the 3rd. 
 
Alger County
Nancy Cihak reported a female SURF SCOTER and a CANVASBACK at Au Train Lake on the 29th. Also present was a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. A flock of 400-500 AMERICAN COOTS on Au Train Lake this week was a very high number for the Superior watershed. Jude Holloway had 14 TRUMPETER SWANS on Doe Lake on October 28th. Scott Hickman had a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER in Shelter Bay on the 26th. Scott also had a NORTHERN SHRIKE south of Wetmore on the 31st.
 
Chippewa County
Tom Auer and Ken Mettie Jr. found an ANCIENT MURRELET at the mouth of the Tahquamenon River at the DNR launch site on October 29th. The bird was present for the afternoon before swimming out into Lake Superior and was not relocated the next day. 
Amazingly, another ANCIENT MURRELET was seen flying past the Waterbird Count at Whitefish Point on November 3rd. Certainly, it is possible that it is the same bird from Tahquamenon, however one cannot rule out the possibility that this is a new bird! Erin Burke found a WHITE-WINGED DOVE at the feeders behind the gift shop at Whitefish Point Bird Observatory on November 1st, and had been seen through the 3rd.  Adam Byrne had BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES on both the 28th & 29th at Whitefish Point. Other notable sightings this week from the point include 2188 LONG-TAILED DUCKS on the 3rd; 1 NORTHERN SHRIKE on the 2nd; 5 LONG-EARED OWLS, 26 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 16 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and 600 COMMON REDPOLLS on the 30th; 1 SPRUCE GROUSE, 1 LONG-EARED OWL and a BOREAL CHICKADEE on the 28th. 
Amanda Ingraham had a juvenile blue-phase SNOW GOOSE east of Brimley on November 3rd. 
 
 
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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