[Mich-listers] UP Rare Bird Report for November 15, 2009

Mon Nov 16 09:17:10 EST 2009

*UP Rare Bird Report for November 15, 2009*
**
**
*Highlights*

*KING EIDER**
*WESTERN GREBE**
Gyrfalcon
Black-legged Kittiwake
Thayer's Gull
Iceland Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Snowy Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Black-backed Woodpecker
Boreal Chickadee
Townsend's Solitaire
Northern Waterthrush
Harris's Sparrow
"Oregon" Junco
Western Meadowlark

*Keweenaw County*
Max Henschell had a HARRIS'S SPARROW at Westcott Fields in Copper Harbor on
November 8th as well as the latest Keweenaw record of TURKEY VULTURE.

*Houghton County*
Joe Youngman reported a MUTE SWAN on Pike Bay in Chassel on November 15th.
Joe also reported a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at his home, also on the 15th.
There have been second-hand reports of this bird for a few weeks now, but
the first confirmed sighting. Lynn Murphy had a GRAY JAY at the Arnheim
Wildlife Area on the 14th. 7 CACKLING GEESE were along South Portage Road on
the 10th.

*Baraga County*
5 BOREAL CHICKADEES and 2 GRAY JAYS were along the Peshekee Grade on
Novemeber 14th. Constituting a late record for the Keweenaw Peninsula was a
NORTHERN HARRIER at the Baraga Sewage Ponds on the 12th. A CANVASBACK was at
the Baraga Sewage Ponds on the 1st.

*Marquette County*
Melinda Stamp had a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at her home along the Chocolay
River in Harvey on November 9th. A male BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, 4 BOREAL
CHICKADEES and 3 GRAY JAYS were seen in or near the McCormick Track on
the14th. Late for the UP was a INDIGO BUNTING  at Van Riper State Park on
the 2nd. Also late for the UP was a WESTERN MEADOWLARK and CLAY-COLORED
SPARROW from the Presque Isle Bogwalk on the 7th. Also on the 7th, Greg
Cleary found a SNOWY OWL at the mouth of the Dead River. A male OREGON JUNCO
was observed at a private feeder on the 3rd and 5th. J.D. Phillips reported
a late TURKEY VULTURE from Harvey on the 8th. Greg Cleary and Zach Gayk had
7 BOREAL CHICKADEES on the Yellow Dog Plains on the 8th. Cassie Spence
reported 2 GRAY JAYS at her feeders on the 2nd in Ely Township. 50+ BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS were at the Michigamme cemetery on the 12th. 32 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
were in between Lakes LaVasser and Kawbagum on the 4th. 1 TUNDRA SWAN was at
Lake Independence on the 1st.

*Delta County*
Very late for the UP was a COMMON TERN at Aronson Island marina, found by
Demetri Lafkas on November 5th. Demetri also reported 3 TUNDRA SWANS at
Ludington Park on the 2nd and 12th, as well as a late PALM WARBLER on the
10th. Laurie Johnson had a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Peninsula Point on the
7th. Demetri Lafkas had a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Escanaba on the
10-12th, and 3 GRAY JAYS at the Birch Farm, Hiawatha NF on the 6th.

*Alger County*
Scott Hickman had a NORTHERN HAWK OWL at the mouth of the AuTrain River on
November 7th. Mark and Joanie Hubinger had a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER in
their yard on the 4th. David Kronk had a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Munsing on
November 2nd. Scott Hickman had a very late INDIGO BUNTING at his feeders on
the 3rd. Scott also reported singles each of THAYER'S, ICELAND and GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULL at the Munising Harbor on November 13th. Mark and Joanie
Hubinger had a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in Munising on the 12th and 5th.
Scott Hickman reported 200+ BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS from AuTrain on the 15th, 103
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS by AuTrain Lake on the 8-10th as well as 19 BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS from the Bay Furnace Campground on the 6th. Scott also reported 2
TRUMPETER SWANS from the Cleveland Cliffs Basin on the 8th. 3 CACKLING
GEESE were at the Munsing marina on the 3rd, and 2 CACKLING GEESE were at
the AuTrain Basin on the 5th.

*Schoolcraft County*
Bruce Ventura and Tina Hall had a very late NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH Gemini Lake
on November 1st.

*Luce County*
Joyce Peterson had 20 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Soo Junction on November 7th as
GRAY JAYS there on the 7th and 8th. Joyce also had 3 SPRUCE GROUSE on
Skyline Road on the 8th. Jim and Jody Patton had 12 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS just
north of the Tahquamenon River along CO RD 415 near McMillian on the 6th.
Jim and Jody also reported 3 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE on the Daneher Plains on
the 2nd.

*Chippewa County*
Kirk Zulfelt found a 1st year *KING EIDER** at the mouth of the Tahquamenon
River on November 6th along with 4 TUNDRA SWANS, as well as a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE at Whitefish Point and a male SPRUCE GROUSE on Farm Truck Road.
The *KING EIDER** was seen again on the 7th. Kirk also reported a good
selection of gulls from Dafter Dump on the 12th, including THAYER'S,
ICELAND, GLAUCOUS and GREAT BLACK-BACKED. Hedi Doman and Craig Robson
photographed an adult grey-morph GYRFALCON at the intersection of 9 Mile and
Riverside Dr.south of Sault Ste. Marie on the 3rd. I recieved a second-hand
report of an additional sighting of this bird along 5 Mile Road. Hedi and
Craig also reported 48 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS along 8 Mile Road on the 3rd. Jason
Bojczyk reported 100+ TUNDRA SWANS and 150+ BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS from Dunbar on
the 7th, as well as a late BARN SWALLOW south of the Soo.
Whitefish Point Bird Observatory wrapped up the Fall 2009 season on the 15th
with a juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE. Other highlights from WPBO include 1
NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 14th; 1 NORTHERN HAWK OWL on the 12th; 1 late BARN
SWALLOW on the 10th; 27 SNOW GEESE and 1 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the 4th;
1 unidentified JAEGER SPECIES on the 3rd; 12 CANVASBACKS on the 2nd; and the
previously reported *WESTERN GREBE** on the 1st. Other sightings at the
point in recent weeks include SPRUCE GROUSE, SHARP-TAILED GROUSE,
RED-THROATED LOON, GLAUCOUS GULL, GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL, and BOHEMIAN
WAXWING. For pictures and a more complete season wrap-up, go to www.wpbo.org

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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://michiganaudubon.org/research/records_committee.html
To report rare birds, please email me at the TheOwlRanch at gmail.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<http://www.upbirders.org/>

Till next time,

~Skye Haas
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