UP Rare Bird Report for October 4, 2006

[theowlranch@aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for October 4, 2006
 
 
September has slipped into October, and color change in the UP has come early this fall. New changes in the composition of passerine flocks have been noted as well. American Tree Sparrows have suddenly flooded into the area with good numbers reported from several locations. Warblers have been pretty much reduced to Yellow-rumps and Palms, and the only thrush one is likely to see from here on out is a Hermit. While it is still a little too early to see what finches will be around this winter, some autumnal movements have been seen. Large numbers of Pine Siskins have been reported along the Lake Superior shoreline and along the Wisconsin border. The large flocks of Red Crossbills that were present in late summer have not been quite as noticeable lately but there are still reports of both species around. Large numbers of White-winged Crossbills were apparently present in the Peshekee Grade area of Marquette & Baraga Counties in early September, but have since departed.
I have updated the 2006 bird photo gallery at www.UPBirders.org with a large backlog of pictures that have been sent to me. A few highlights include photos of Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and Sabine’s Gull.
 
 
Highlights
 
POMARINE JAEGER
AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
Harlequin Duck
Red-throated Loon
Phalarope Species
Jaeger Species
Great Grey Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Bohemian Waxwing
Harris’s Sparrow
 
 
Keweenaw County
Joe Kaplan, Keren Tischler, Louie Dombroski, Joe Youngman & I were all out at Manitou Island over the weekend. Birding was excellent and several notable species were found including a male AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, 2 HARRIS’S SPARROWS, 3 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 1 RED-THROATED LOON, several hundred PINE SISKINS and 2 HOUSE SPARROWS (a very rare Keweenaw bird!) on October 1st. Highlights from September 30th included an adult SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER, 3 unidentified JAEGER SPECIES, 1 HARRIS’S SPARROW, 2 RED-THROATED LOONS, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER (also seen on the 29th), and on the boat ride out from Copper Harbor we had a female-type HARLEQUIN DUCK on the 29th. The HARLEQUIN DUCK remained in Copper Harbor through the 4th. A LE CONTE’S SPARROW and a HARRIS’S SPARROW were reported from the Westcott Fields in Copper Harbor on the 4th. Also on the 4th, 2 HARRIS’S SPARROWS were found in Eagle Harbor. Zach Gayk reported having a BOREAL CHICKADEE and both RED & WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS in Bay de Grie on the 29th. 
 
Marquette County
David Pavlik had a flock of 7 BLACK SCOTERS fly by Presque Isle Park on September 28th.  A RED-THROATED LOON was seen flying past Presque Isle on October 3rd. A large flight of waterbirds were recorded at Presque Isle on the 4th including 1 RED-THROATED LOON, 59 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 5 BLACK SCOTERS & 13 SURF SCOTERS were seen at Presque Isle Park on the 4th. A HARRIS’S SPARROW remained at the Moosewood Nature Center at Presque Isle Park until the 28th. 2 SURF SCOTERS remain present in the Upper Harbor as of the 3rd.
 
Delta County
Jude Holloway & Jean Carpenter had an adult & juvenile RED-HEADED WOOPECKERS at Peninsula Point on October 2nd. Also present were SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS & STILT SANDPIPERS. Jude also noted 3 TRUMPETER SWANS on Bar Lake on the 1st. 
 
Alger County
4 SURF SCOTERS were noted flying past Shelter Bay on the 3rd. 
 
Chippewa County
Waterbird counter Tom Auer reported a juvenile POMARINE JAEGER on both October 2 & 3rd. An unidentified PHALAROPE SPECIES (presumably a Red or Red-necked Phalarope) was seen on the 3rd, as were 36 RED-THROATED LOONS. Other highlights this week include a large duck flight including 3 CANVASBACKS, 288 SURF SCOTERS, 311 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 17 BLACK SCOTERS on the 4th; 30 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and a HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 3rd;  2 FORSTER’S TERNS, 1 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO and a HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 2nd; 15 NORTHERN  SAW-WHET OWLS and 1 HARRIS’S SPARROWS on the 1st;  2 BLACK SCOTERS, 2 unidentified JAEGER SPECIES and 2 HARRIS’S SPARROWS on the 30th. Large numbers of PINE SISKINS have been present all week long at WPBO. Jacob Job found a GREAT GREY OWL in Taquamenon Falls State Park 8.5 miles west of Paradise along M-123 on September 30th. 
 
 
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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