UP Rare Bird Report for April 2, 2007

[theowlranch@aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for April 2, 2007
 
 
It’s been an early spring in the UP and many migrants have been recorded in the last two weeks. Recent arrivals to the UP include Tundra & Mute Swans, most of the common dabbling & diving ducks, Red-necked Grebe, Double-crested Cormorant, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Red-shouldered & Red-tailed Hawks, Eastern Phoebe, Horned Lark, Winter Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark and Fox Sparrow. A few other signs of an early spring include the emergence of Spring Peepers, Green Frog & Painted Turtles as well as a few species of butterflies. However, it should be noted that there is an encroaching winter storm with over a foot of snow predicted that could set spring back a bit.
 
 
Highlights
 
ROSS’S GOOSE
Greater White-fronted Goose
Spruce Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse
Golden Eagle 
Snowy Owl
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Iceland Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Western Meadowlark
 
Exotics
Chaffinch
 
 
Keweenaw County
Joe Kaplan had a 1st year GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL west of Copper Harbor on March 24th. I believe this is only the 2nd county record of this species.
 
Houghton County
Joe Youngman & Max Henschell had 3-4 SHORT-EARED OWLS at Arnheim Wildlife Area on March 26th, and have been seen often in the last week. Joe also had a pair of early BLUE-WINGED TEAL. 12 TUNDRA SWANS were at the mouth of the Sturgeon River in Chassell on April 2nd. 
 
Baraga County
12 CANVASBACKS were at the head of the Keweenaw Bay, with 2 more at the Baraga Sewage Ponds on March 31st. 
 
Marquette County
2 first-winter ICELAND GULLS were at the mouth of the Dead River in Marquette on March 28th. 1 was seen again on the 29th. Ryne Rutherford found a WESTERN MEADOWLARK at the Bog Walk at Presque Isle Park on March 29th, and it was seen again on the 31st. Ryne also had an adult GOLDEN EAGLE at Wetmore Pond north of Marquette on March 27th. A 1st year GLAUCOUS GULL was in Marquette’s Lower Harbor on March 31st. 
 
Delta County
A flock of 53 TUNDRA SWANS were observed flying over the center of the Stonington Peninsula on March 31st. Also on the 31st, was a 1st year GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Peninsula Point. 
 
Alger County
Scott Hickman found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE on March 26th at the Chatham MSU Research Farms. Also on the 26th, 3 TUNDRA SWANS were in a flooded field north of M-94 in Rumley. Jude Holloway reported 5 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE along Doe Lake Road south of Munising on March 29th. 
 
Schoolcraft County
Rod Planck had a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at Seney National Wildlife Refuge on March 25th. 
 
Chippewa County
Brian Johnson & Lena Ulsk found a ROSS’S GOOSE at the mouth of the Charlotte River at the Dunbar MSU Forest on April 1st. Brian also reported a SNOWY OWL along Centerline Road in Rudyard. Kirk Zulfelt & Dave Bell found a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE at the mouth of the Tahquamenon River on March 31st. Rick Baetsen reported 2 SPRUCE GROUSE along M-123 near the headquarters of Tahquamenon Falls State Park on March 23rd. Rick also reported that there are currently large numbers of RED CROSSBILLS along M-123 west of Paradise. 
Birds seen at Whitefish Point this week include a male CHAFFINCH at the feeders on March 29th. Calvin Brennan reported from the Hawk-watch that 240 BALD EAGLES and 33 GOLDEN EAGLES have been recorded for the season. Good numbers of SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and RED-TAILED HAWK have also been recorded with smaller amounts of NORTHERN GOSHAWK, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Calvin also reports a BOHEMIAN WAXWING on March 27th, and that an impressive 1700 COMMON REPOLLS, and 1000 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were counted along with a BOREAL CHICKADEE on the 30th. A SHORT-EARED OWL was observed on April 2nd. Chris Neri reports that 270 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS & 27 LONG-EARED OWLS have been banded so far this season. 
 
Mackinac County
Louie Dombroski had 4 TRUMPETER SWANS in a flooded field on Dollarville Road on March 29th. 
 
 
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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