UP Rare Bird Report for March 27, 2009

[Skye Haas]

UP Rare Bird Report for March 27, 2009




Spring is usually slow to arrive in the North Woods and even as I write this preamble, it has begun to snow yet again here in Marquette. Still the ice is beganining to break up on the Great Lakes and inland rivers, and there has been a modest movement of migrants back to the Upper Peninsula. Here is a list of first arrival dates of recent arrivals. Thanks to all who contributed their sightings. If you have an earlier date for one of the species below, please send me an email with the date.

Spring arrivals- Species, Date, County
Mute Swan- 14th Mackinac;   Northern Pintail- 20th Marquette;    American Wigeon- 14th Alger;    Northern Shoveler- 25th Marquette;    Ring-necked Duck- 17th Alger;    Lesser Scaup- 25th Marquette;    Hooded Merganser- 20th Baraga;     Great Blue Heron- 27th Mackinac;    Turkey Vulture- 18th Houghton;    Northern Harrier- 15th Delta;     Sharp-shinned Hawk- 27th;    Red-shouldered Hawk- 21st Luce County;    Golden Eagle- 14th Marquette;    American Kestrel- 20th Mackinac;    Merlin- 16th Delta;    Killdeer- 15th Marquette;    American Woodcock- 14th Delta;    Eastern Bluebird- 15th Chippewa;    Eastern Towhee- 27th Scoolcraft;    Song Sparrow- 14th Marquette;    Eastern Meadowlark- 20th Dickinson;    Red-winged Blackbird- 13th D
elta;    Common Grackle- 14th Marquette;    Brown-headed Cowbird- 17th Schoolcraft


Highlights
Golden Eagle
Gyrfalcon
Northern Hawk Owl
Boreal Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Bohemian Waxwing
Orange-crowned Warbler
Hoary Redpoll


Keweenaw County
Joe Youngman had a nice movement of eagles on Lookout Mountain near Eagle Harbor with 71 BALD EAGLES and 6 GOLDEN EAGLES on March 15th. Max Henschell had an immature GOLDEN EAGLE from the Bumbletown Hill on the 20th. 

Iron County
Beth Rogers and Dave Tiller  had a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL north of M-73 on Match 14th. 

Marquette County
A subadult GOLDEN EAGLE was seen at Compeau Creek north of Marquette on March 14th. Also on the 14th, 8 BOREAL CHICKADEES and a GRAY JAY were observed along the Peshekee Grade. Scot Stewert reported a flock of 250 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS along with CEDAR WAXWINGS on Mesnard Street in the City of Marquette on the 26th. A number of smaller mixed species flocks of WAXWINGS have been seen in Marquette in the last couple of weeks. 1 HOARY REDPOLL remains intermittent at the MooseWood Nature Center feeders. 4-5 HOARY REDPOLLS were seen at a private residence in Marquette on the 21st. Lou & Pri Chappell report that the ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER has weathered the worst of winter and is still coming to their feeders. Some recent notable gull sightings in Marquette in the last couple of weeks include the lingering 1st year ICELAND GULL, 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS and 2 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Vicki B
ennon reports that 3 GRAY JAYS and 2 HOARY REDPOLLS are still coming to her feeders in Diorite.

Alger County
Scott Hickman found 4 BOREAL CHICKADEES near Wetmore on Chaberlain Road on March 14th. Scott also reported 2 TRUMPETER SWANS and an early AMERICAN WIGEON at Furnace Lake in Christmas; a GRAY JAY jest west of Deerton on 19th; and 1 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL calling near Deerton on the 15th. 

Luce County
Dixie Stewart had a NORTHERN HAWK OWL by the gift shop at Soo Junction on March 23rd. Dixie reports that the road into Soo Junction is not passeble without 4x wheel drive, and even then a bit dicey. Rick Baetsen reported 2 GRAY JAYS and 2 calling NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS at Pike Lake on the 16th. Rick also had a female BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER here on the 17th. 

Chippewa County
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory kicked off their season on the 15th of March. Already over 50 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS have been captured by the banding team. The first BOREAL OWL was banded on March 23rd. A LONG-EARED OWL was heard from the hawk deck on the 26th. At the hawk count, 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 5 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, and 3 GOLDEN EAGLES were seen on the 26th; 2 GOLDEN EAGLES on the 23rd; 3 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS on the 20th; 5 GOLDEN EAGLES on the 18th, and a single GOLDEN EAGLE and 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK on the 15th. Notable passerines to WPBO include BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and HOARY REDPOLLS. The WPBO Sprig Fling will be held on April 24-26th. For more information on WPBO sightings visited www.wpbo.org
De
spite recent reports of nether SNOWY or HAWK OWLS in the Soo/Rudyard/Pickford areas, notable sightings are still to be had. Steve Baker and Ed Pike saw an adult gray-morph GYRFALCON in Rudyard along Hantz Road on March 27th. Steve also reported an influx of ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS to the area, as well as several other expected raptor species. 

Mackinac County
Rick Baetsen reported 3 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE near Allenville on March 16th. Gerald Vork and Steve Baker had two small flocks of SHARP-TAILED GROUSE near Moran on March 21st. Gerald also reported a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL in the gull colony at Pt. Labarbe. This is a known area for Great Black-backs for nesting, including hybridizing with Herring Gulls.  



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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. For more information on Birdnet, or UP birds, please visit www.UPBirders.org

 

Till next time,

 

~Skye Haas




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