UP Rare Bird Report for October 28, 2006

[theowlranch@aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for October 28, 2006
 
 
Winter continues to knock at the door. Ponds and marshes in the Michigamme Highlands have started to freeze, and most of the avifauna of the Upper Peninsula is quickly clearing out. A few hardy passerine migrants are still around with HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and CHIPPING SPARROWS still being reported, but for the most part, winter species like ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, NORTHERN SHRIKE, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, SNOW BUNTINGS and the season’s first PINE GROSBEAKS are becoming more prevalent. Winter finches being seen include COMMON REDPOLLS, RED CROSSBILLS and large numbers of PINE SISKINS. Over 700 siskins were reported from WPBO on the 19th of October. Lake watches on Superior have being seeing typical end-of-season migrants such as LONG-TAILED DUCKS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEADS and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. Finally, it continues to be a stellar season in the UP for western vagrants. Pictures of the recent Vermilion Flycatcher and Green-tailed Towhee can be found in the 2006 photo gallery of www.UPBirders.org 
 
 
Highlights
 
VERMILION FLYCATCHER
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE
Spruce Grouse
Black-legged Kittiwake
Jaeger Species
Great Grey Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Harris’s Sparrow
 
 
Houghton/Baraga Counties
Max Henschell and Sarah Freitag had 1-2 SHORT-EARED OWLS, 9 SNOW GEESE and 7 CACKLING GEESE at Arnheim unit of Sturgeon River Sloughs on October 19th. 
 
Marquette County
A brightly colored 1st year VERMILION FLYCATCHER has been present in Big Bay since October 11th, and seen at least through the 28th. The bird is located at the end of the KBC/KD Road by the headwaters of the Iron River. This sighting represents the 3rd State record of Vermilion Flycatcher. The GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE at Louie Taccolini’s feeders was present as of the 28th. For updated information on this bird email Louie at ltaccoli at nmu.edu  A HARRIS’S SPARROW continued at Louie’s feeders until the 21st. 5 BLACK SCOTERS were in the Lower Harbor of Marquette on the 28th. 
 
Delta County
Ryne Rutherford & I found a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on County Road 513, two miles north of Peninsula Point on the Stonington Peninsula on the 20th of October. Efforts to refind the bird since then have been unsuccessful. 
 
Alger County
Scott Hickman had an unidentified JAEGER SPECIES at Laughing Whitefish River Point on October 24th. 
 
Luce County
Rick Baetsen reported 3 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS at the Swamp Lakes on the 26th. Rick also reported 2 BOREAL CHICKADEES, 2 GREY JAYS and 2 SPRUCE GROUSE in the Swamp/Pike Lake areas. 
 
Chippewa County
WPBO’s waterbird counter Tom Auer reported BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE on October 22 & 23rd. Other highlights this week from Whitefish Point include a SPRUCE GROUSE, 3 AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, 1 GREAT GREY OWL, 1 LONG-EARED OWL and 24 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS on the 27th; GREAT GREY OWL and 24 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS on the 26th; SPRUCE GROUSE and 3 NORTHERN SHRIKES on the 25th; over 5000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and 9 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on the 24th and an unidentified JAEGER SPECIES on the 22nd and 19th. Also on the 19th, a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was reported. Duck migration continues, with high counts of RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS along with smaller numbers of BLACK, WHITE-WINGED & SURF SCOTERS. A few RED-THROATED LOONS are still being seen.
Elsewhere in Chippewa County, the GREAT GREY OWL 7 miles west of Paradise on M-123 was most recently reported on 21st, and 2 GREY JAYS were a mile north of Eckerman on the 25th. 
 
 
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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