UP Rare Bird Report for October 3, 2007

Thu Oct 4 09:20:33 EDT 2007

UP Rare Bird Report for October 3, 2007

Strong south winds have been prevalent in the last week, and migration has been a bit on the slow side. Still birds continue to move thorough the UP, some in good numbers (see the WPBO Surf Scoter report!). Harris’s Sparrows continue to be reported in better then average numbers this fall with reports of 35+ birds now. I have finally gotten a few updates in the UPBirders.org photo gallery, including a picture of the Spotted Towhee. The photos can be found in the 2007 bird gallery at www.UPBirders.org

Highlights

PACIFIC LOON*

SPOTTED TOWHEE*

Snow Goose

Thayer’s/Iceland Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Short-eared Owl

Black-backed Woodpecker

Grasshopper Sparrow

Harris’s Sparrow

Gogebic County

Nelda Ikenberry reported 3 HARRIS’S SPARROWS at her feeders at the Black River Harbor on October 1st. 

Ontonagon County

Kitt Wolf reports that 3 HARRIS’S SPARROWS were at her feeders on September 26th, with 2 staying until the 28th.

Keweenaw County

Nancy Auer reported a HARRIS’S SPARROW at her home on 7 Mile Point on the 28th. Zach Gayk reports that a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was at Bay de Gries on the 28th, and a HARRIS’S SPARROW was in Westcoat Fields on the 29th. Laurie Binford reports that there have been 2 HARRIS’S SPARROW in Eagle Harbor and 2 HARRIS’S SPARROWS in Copper Harbor in the last week.

Houghton County

Russ Hanson had a HARRIS’S SPARROW at his feeders in Hancock on September 26th. 

Marquette County

A GRASSHOPPER SPARROW was a rare find at the Big Bay Lighthouse on October 3rd. Also seen at the lighthouse was a flyby unidentified JAEGER species. Also on the 3rd, a flock of 32 CACKLING GEESE were along the north shore of Lake Independence. A female-type RUDDY DUCK was present in Marquette’s Lower Harbor on the 3rd. A white-phased SNOW GOOSE, along with 71 CACKLING GEESE were in the fields along Little Lake Road in Beaver Grove on September 30th. An additional 49 CACKLING GEESE were observed in the City of Marquette on the 30th. The HARRIS’S SPARROW at my feeders lingered through the 28th. Another 1st year HARRIS’S SPARROW was at a private residence in east Marquette on October 1st. 

Delta County

An adult HARRIS’S SPARROW was by the parking lot at Peninsula Point on the 29th. Also at the point, a flock of 79 CACKLING GEESE were observed.

Alger County

Scott Hickman hosted a SPOTTED TOWHEE* at his feeders in Shelter Bay on the Laughing Whitefish Point on September 27-28th. If this record is accepted by the MBRC, it will be the 5th State record and 2nd for the Upper Peninsula. Also at Scott’s feeders was an adult HARRIS’S SPARROW. Scott also found another HARRIS’S SPARROW at Sand Point by the old coast guard boat house on the 29th, and an unidentified JAEGER species at Laughing Whitefish Point on October 1st. A HARRIS’S SPARROW was seen in the wetland mitigation area on Laughing Whitefish Point the 3rd. 

Chippewa County

A PACIFIC LOON* seen by Greg Norwood was the most notable sighting from Whitefish Point this last week with one in winging by the waterbird count on September 28th. Other highlights from the Point this week include SHORT-EARED OWL on the 3rd; a somewhat late OSPREY, 1 PARASITIC JAEGER, 1 SHORT-EARED OWL and HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 2nd; PARASITIC JAEGER, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, and HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 1st; 1 THAYER’S/ICELAND GULL, 1 JAEGER species and a HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 29th; 600+ SURF SCOTERS, 1 JAEGER species, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and 3 HARRIS’S SPARROWS on the 28th; and singles each of PARASITIC JAEGER and an unidentified JAEGER species on the 27th. Chris Neri reports that BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been frequently seen and other interesting sightings include BLACK SCOTER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, the first DUNLIN of the season, and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. 

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All birds marked with an asterisk “*” in the report are review species in the State of Michigan and should be documented with photos or a written description. Please send documentation to Adam Byrne at the Michigan Birds Records Committee at either 11771 Rachel LN, Dewitt, MI, 48820 or by email at Byrnea”AT”msu.edu

For further information about the Records Committee, please visit: http://www.michiganaudubon.org/mbrc/mbrc_home.html

To report rare birds, please email me at the 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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