UP Rare Bird Report for May 27, 2008

[theowlranch at aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for May 27, 2008

 

 

It has been a very cold spring in the UP, and snow squalls were recorded in various locations in the western UP on May 26th. As one might expect migration has been running on the late side with high numbers of flycatchers, vireos, thrushes, & warblers only just being recorded in the last few days. It would not be surprising if migration continues into June this year. Effects of the previous winter finch flight can still be observed with recent reports of straggling Common Redpolls at both Whitefish Point and the Keweenaw. A couple of recent photo highlights have been added to www.UPBirders.org

 

 

Highlights

PACIFIC LOON*

AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER*

ROCK WREN*

LARK BUNTING*

LARK SPARROW*

EURASIAN TREE SPARROW*

American White Pelican

Marbled Godwit

Red Knot

Wilson’s Phalarope

Jaeger species

Franklin’s Gull

Blue-winged Warbler

“Brewster’s” Warbler

WORM-EATING WARBLER

Connecticut Warbler

Summer Tanager

Western Meadowlark

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Orchard Oriole

 

 

Gogebic County

Beth Rodgers reported 4 TRUMPETER SWANS in the impoundment near the mouth of the Montréal River on May 22nd. Accidently left out of the last report was a sighting of a YELLOW-THROATED VIREO in the Sylvania Tract Wilderness Area by Ryne Rutherford on May 14th.  

 

Keweenaw County

John Heneghan provided a rare spring report from Isle Royale- highlights included an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER*, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and 2 WHIMBRELS from along the Stoll Trail on May 17th. David Flaspohler reported a WHIMBREL at Hermit’s Cove north of Gay on May 25th. Zach Gayk reported a WHIMBREL in Bête Gries on May 26th. 

 

Houghton County

The previously reported LARK BUNTING* at the home of Art Weaver was seen through May 19th, but has not been seen since. Tom Auer found a ROCK WREN* at the Arnheim unit of the Sturgeon River Sloughs on May 22nd. This is the first documented spring record for Michigan, and the 3rd over-all for the Keweenaw! Tom also reported a WILSON’S PHALAROPE at the Atlantic Mine Sewage Ponds on May 19th. 

 

Baraga County

Joe Kaplan found a pair of FRANKLIN’S GULLS at the head of the Keweenaw Bay on May 27th. Tom Auer & Jake Musser had a female BLACK SCOTER in the Keweenaw Bay from Ojibwa Point on May 24th. Zach Gayk reported that there were 15 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS in the Baraga/Covington burn on May 27th. 

 

Dickinson County

Greg Cleary found a CONNECTICUT WARBLER near the gravel pits near Little Fumee Lake on May 26th. Greg also reported 4 YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS from the Fumee Lake area. 

 

Marquette County

Gary Stacy found a PACIFIC LOON* at the Shiras Park/Picnic Rocks in the City of Marquette on May 26th. Presumably the same bird was relocated by Skye Haas east of the Marquette lower harbor on the evening on May 27th. Also on the 27th, 7 RED-THROATED LOONS and 2 BLACK SCOTERS were observed migrating past the Black Rocks of Presque Isle Park. Sue Hewson had a 1st year male SUMMER TANAGER at her feeders from May 18-23rd. Jen Anderson found an adult male CONNECTICUT WARBLER at the Presque Isle Bogwalk on May 26th. 

 

Menominee County

A great total of 118 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were observed in the City of Menominee on May 20th. Also on the 20th, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON was in the John Hines Park. 4 YELLOW-THROATED VIREOS were recorded in the Shakey Lakes area on May 21st. 

 

Delta County

Recent highlights from Peninsula Point include 5th UP record of WORM-EATING WARBLER on May 20th; 1 MARBLED GODWIT, 1 “BREWSTER’S” WARBLER and 2 ORCHARD ORIOLES on the 25th; 5 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, 1 WILSON’S PHALAROPE and 1 ORCHARD ORIOLE on May 27th; and 4 RED KNOTS and a BLUE-WINGED WARBLER on the 27th. WHIMBRELS have been near daily at this location for the last week with a peak of 38 on May 25th. A MARBLED GODWIT was at Portage Marsh from May 16th-20th; a new MARBLED GODWIT was observed at Portage Marsh on May 25th. Ryne Rutherford had 1 male WILSON’S PHALAROPE on May 24th. 2 female WILSON’S PHALAROPES were recorded on May 25th. Also at Portage Marsh, Laurie Johnson reported a WHIMBREL on May 22nd. A WESTERN MEADOWLARK was observed singing in a cow pasture on the east/west section of County Road 511 on the Stonington Peninsula on May 27th. RYNE RUTHERFORD reported BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER in the Stonington burn with 3 birds on the 23rd, and 2 on the 25th. Ryne also had 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS at Ogantz Bay on May 22nd. Also at Ogantz were 2 GREAT EGRETS present on May 27th. 

 

Alger County

An adult LARK SPARROW* was present at the feeders of Evelyn Wood in Grand Marais from May 21-22nd. Also in Grand Marais, Jean Carpenter made a very encouraging report that there are 13 PIPING PLOVERS with 5 pairs along the shoreline. Jean also reported that there were 3 WHIMBREL on May 26th. Ross Iho reported a male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at her feeders in Trenary on May 20th. Scott Hickman has had a number of interesting shorebird reports in the last week including 1 WILLET at Sand Point, Munising on May 27th, 1 WHIMBREL at the Chatham Sewage Ponds on May 26th, 1 WILLET at the mouth of the Au Train River on May 24th, and 3 WILSON’S PHALAROPES at the Chatham Sewage Ponds on May 22nd, 

 

Chippewa County

Recent highlights from Whitefish Point Bird Observatory include another male EURASIAN TREE SPARROW* from May 25-26th; 1 CAROLINA WREN and 1 female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD on the 26th, 1 LARK SPARROW* and an unidentified JAEGER species on May 25th; and 1 male ORCHARD ORIOLE on May 24th. RED-THROATED LOONS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS & WHIMBREL have been recorded near daily. Running on the late side was a juvenile GOLDEN EAGLE on May 24th.  Good warbler fallouts were noted on both May 24th & 27th with 20 & 23 species recorded respectively. Owls continue to be banded at the point with now over 1100 birds captured! Recent species include LONG-EARED, GREAT HORNED & NORTHERN SAW-WHET. Finally, a presumed exotic, a female COMMON CHAFFINCH continues to be seen near the Gift Shop feeders. 2 Singing CONNECTICUT WARBLERS were reported from their traditional spot along County Road 3344 in Trout Lake on May 24th. Also on the 24th, Christen & Austin WALKER report 2 SPRUCE GROUSE on Vermilion Road. 





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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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