2009 was a bit of a quieter species number year for me (260), jusst spent a
few minutes looking over the unexpected misses:
* Greater White-fronted & Ross' Goose - both are unusual here, but had
gotten used to their nearly annual appearances in Sherburne or Mille Lacs
Counties
* White-winged Scoter - missed in Duluth and on Mille Lacs Lake (admittedly,
didn't try very hard, this is usually the easy one)
* Red-necked Grebe - how did that happen!?
* Black-crowned Night Heron - now unusual in Sherburne Refuge
* Yellow Rail - simply did not get up early enough on any of my
spring/summer Aitkin trips
* Black-bellied and American Golden Plovers - bizarre, especially
considering Nate had both in the area
* Great Gray Owl - equally bizarre with the amount of time I spend on Aitkin
18 - did have one 12/08
* Tufted Titmouse - this is a hole I need to fill in the state, after
concluding that the two year mystery bird in Rice Lake is probably a
(variant songster) Baltimore Oriole
* Louisiana Waterthrush - didn't bird far enough south in the state this
year
* Worm-eating Warbler - know that this is a casual species, but missed by ~5
minutes in a Cities park - and still need for a state bird (after seeing
them annually in Wisconsin)
* Spotted Towhee - again, know this is an unusual bird, but I was in a party
of three observers in Big Stone, guess which one of us missed it (life bird
as well)
* Dickcissel - nested in my yard in past years, presume they simply didn't
come this far north in 2009 - and, as mentioned before, didn't bird much
south of here.
How about you?
Good birding - and 2010 year bird starts tomorrow - to all!
Al
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