UP Rare Bird Report for October 16, 2008

[theowlranch at aol.com]

UP Rare Bird Report for October 16, 2008

 




Migration continues on in the Upper Peninsula, with most shorebird and warbler species all but gone save for the expected late season migrants. Many observers have reported that migration has been particularly uninspiring this fall, and waterbird migration at Whitefish Point has been surprising slow. However this has shaped up to be a good fall for Black-backed Woodpeckers with individuals or small flocks being found along lakeshores or in appropriate boreal habitat. A few species of winter finch have also been staging an influx into the region with large numbers of Pine Siskins, White-winged Crossbills, along with Purple Finches being observed. Lower numbers of Evening Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills have been seen as well. And finally the most exciting birding news, Boreal Owls have made a modest showing this fall with several individuals being banded at Whitefish Point. Time will tell if this movement will expand to other northern owl species. 

 




Highlights

PACIFIC LOON*
RED PHALAROPE*

AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER*

Sabine’s Gull

Little Gull

Thayer’s Gull

Parasitic Jaeger

Boreal Owl

Black-backed Woodpecker

Boreal Chickadee

Harris’s Sparrow

 

 

Keweenaw County

Zach Gayk had single BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS in Bête Grise on October 3rd & 4th. Zach also had a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER in Copper Harbor on the 5th. 

 

Houghton County

Joe Youngman reported 1 SHORT-EARED OWL at Arnheim on Oc
tober 14th. 

 

Baraga County

David Pavlik had 2 female SPRUCE GROUSE on October 4th, and a male on the 5th at Craig Lake State Park. 2 TUNDRA SWANS were at Ojibwa Beach on the 16th. Also on the 16th were 4 BLACK SCOTERS at the head of the Keweenaw Bay.

 

Iron County

An AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was photographed on 2 0October 3rd, at the Crystal Falls Golf Course for a rare inland record. Greg Cleary reported 3 GRAY JAYS at Dawson Lake Park on the 12th. 

 

Marquette County

Rick Baetsen reported a male AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER* in a small wetland along the Ford Road west of the Cliff River on October. Ryne Rutherford reported 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, 3 GRAY JAYS & 4 BOREAL CHICKADEES on October 4th, and 2 more BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the 5th on the Mulligan Plains. Kyle Waite found a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the Hogsback Mt. Trail on the 4th. 3-4 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were observed on a canoe trip down the Iron River in Big Bay on the 12th. A juvenal THAYER’S GULL and 1st winter GLAUCOUS GULL were on the south beach in the City of Marquette on the 10th. 3 THAYER’S GULLS and the GLAUCOUS GULL were observed in Marquette on the 14th. David Pavlik reported 1 RED-THROATED LOON in Big Bay and 4 BLACK SCOTERS in Marquette’s upper harbor on the 14th. Zach Gayk reported 3-4 BOREAL CHICKADEES and 16 GRAY JAYS in the McCormick Track on the 11th. 

 

Delta County

Jen Anderson found a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at Peninsula 
Point on October 11th . An adult GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Peninsula Point on the 10-11th was notable. 

 

Alger County

Jude Holloway reported 6 TRUMPETER SWANS at Doe Lake on October 13th. 

 

Chippewa County

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory has recorded a number of excellent sightings including a basic plumaged RED PHALAROPE* and SABINE’S GULL on October 5th, and an alternate plumaged PACIFIC LOON* and a 1st winter LITTLE GULL on October 3rd. Other notable sightings include 1 BOREAL OWL on the 14th; 14 RED-THROATED LOONS on the 12th; 8 RED-THROATED LOONS, 1 PARASITIC JAEGER, and 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the 11th; 2300 SCAUP, 10 RED-THROATED LOONS, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and a HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 10th; 7 BOREAL OWLS, 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and a HARRIS’S SPARROW on the 9th; 3 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and 1 PARASITIC JAEGER on the 7th; 1 PARASITIC JAEGER on the 6th; 1 PARASITIC JAEGER, 1 LONG-EARED OWL, and 3 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS on the 4th; There have been small flights of BLACK SCOTERS recorded in the last couple of wee ks.

 

 

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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”AT8
0msu.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. For more informat ion on Birdnet, or UP birds, please visit www.UPBirders.org

 

Till next time,

 

~Skye Haas



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