UP Rare Bird Report for March 27, 2008

[theowlranch at aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for March 27, 2008

 

 

It has been a while since I updated this report, mostly due the scarcity of bird sightings in the last couple of months. Winter is reluctant to relinquish its hold on the Upper Peninsula, but the last few weeks have seen a trickle of migrants returning to the UP. Recent migrants include Canada Goose, Ring-billed Gull, American Crow, American Robin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Red-winged Blackbird. Finches mostly abandoned the region this winter with Pine Grosbeaks typically being the only species seen in decent numbers. There were small flocks of Redpolls, Goldfinches & Evening Grosbeaks, but Purple Finches, Siskins and Crossbills were primarily absent. There have been a few scattered reports of Hoary Redpolls in the last few months. Caution is always warranted when identifying Hoary and Common Redpolls as there are frequently individuals with overlapping characteristics. Northern owls really didn’t seem to materialize this winter, though there apparently was a small movement of Boreal Owls south with recent reports from two counties in the UP and a few additional reports from Wisconsin. I just started the 2008 photo gallery at www.UPBirders.org with photos of Boreal Owl & Gyrfalcon. 

 

 

Highlights

 

AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER*

Golden Eagle

Gyrfalcon

Great Gray Owl

Boreal Owl

Black-backed Woodpecker

Townsend’s Solitaire

Varied Thrush

Bohemian Waxwing

Hoary Redpoll

 

 

Keweenaw County

Max Henschell found a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE in Copper Harbor on March 9th. Max also reported a good eagle flight with 22 BALD & 2 GOLDEN EAGLES from the Bumbletown hill on the 24th. An AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER* was found on Isle Royale in late January was the only report this winter of this species. Also notable is the Keweenaw’s first overwintering record of a FOX SPARROW in Eagle River.

 

Houghton County

A BOREAL OWL was observed at the home of Ann Pace & John Slivon in Hancock on March 26th. 

 

Baraga County

Joe Youngman snow-shoed into the Baraga Plains/Covington burn on January 27th, and recorded a total of 33 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS. Joe noted some woodpeckers were already pairing off for the breeding season.

 

Marquette County

Most of the interesting birds that were over-wintering in Marquette have not been seen since late February including the adult GYRFALCON, and the TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE at Matteson Park. A handful of interesting gulls along the waterfront include regular sightings of GLAUCOUS GULLS, while no sightings of ICELAND GULL have been made since late February. Small flocks of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were reported in Marquette in February, but there have been no recent reports. Erik Enbody & Craig Bateman had 7 BOREAL CHICKADEES & 2 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the Peshekee Grade on March 22nd. 

 

Delta County

Dee Miller reported an amazingly early pair of SANDHILL CRANES at the MSU Tree Research Farm on February 13th, made for a rare winter report of this species in the UP. 

 

Alger County

A VARIED THRUSH spent the winter coming to the feeders of Janet Eckstrom along the North Basin, though it has not been reported since mid-February. Scott Hickman reported that SHARP-TAILED GROUSE had begun to dance on a lek in the Hiawatha National Forest on March 21st.  

 

Chippewa County

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory started their Hawk Count & Owl Banding seasons on March 15th. Few birds have recorded so far, but on the Hawk Count, Calvin Brennan has had 18 GOLDEN EAGLES, along with 96 BALD EAGLES, and 4 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, as well as TURKEY VULTURE, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, RED-TAILED HAWK and MERLIN. Calvin also notes that good numbers of PINE GROSBEAKS have been near-daily migrants and a flock of 27 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on March 21st. An early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was recorded on March 26th. After such a long owl-less winter, it is encouraging that Nova Mackentley & Chris Neri have already banded 3 BOREAL OWLS & 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS. For more detailed reports from Whitefish Point Bird Observatory go to www.WPBO.org 

Elsewhere in Chippewa County, Joe Nault found the winter’s only GREAT GRAY OWL near Pickford on February 12th. Steve Baker relocated this bird on February 25th, but there have been no further reports. 

 

 

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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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