Hello Jason, These kind of events happen in early spring fairly regularly. Aerial insectivores like swallows (and especially Purple Martins) are susceptible to death by starvation due to stretches of cold, rainy weather after their arrival on the breeding grounds (or while they are migrating). Tree Swallows are pretty tough and will even feed on fruit/berries to make it through, but they don't always make it. Purple Martins are very susceptible and mass die offs happen some years, which can have an effect on the local population.
A doubt that they fell from the sky, most likely they landed on the road on purpose as it is more dry than the surrounding vegetation. They are looking for the warmest driest spot they can find when under duress, and roads are often it. Sometimes they recover, sometimes, unfortunately, they don't. However, this is normal and happens. Birds that get back early get first dibs on territories, but are more vulnerable to events like this. Andy Forbes, Dakota Co. On 4/26/17, MOU-NET automatic digest system <[email protected]> wrote: > There are 13 messages totaling 491 lines in this issue. > > Topics of the day: > > 1. Strange Robin > 2. Killdeer (4) > 3. Long-tailed Duck - Hennepin Co. (2) > 4. FOY Rose-breasted Grosbeak > 5. Mysterious Tree Swallow Mortality Event > 6. Arbor Day Tree Planting at Carlos Avery WMA > 7. Carver county - some shorebirds > 8. Duluth Birding Report - 4/25/2017 > 9. Laura Erickson to speak at MRVAC on Thursday > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2017 23:22:52 -0600 > From: [email protected] > Subject: Strange Robin > > (Posted by Jim Egge <[email protected]> via moumn.org) > > At the Lake Camelot site on Thursday, 2 Robins landed in front of the car. > One was normally > marked, but the other had usual fieldmarks plus a strong black V-shaped > stripe on the chest, > similar to a Varied Thrush. I wonder if anyone else saw the bird and/or > took a photo for > verification. > > Jim Egge 612-827-7629 > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:13:18 -0500 > From: Gail Wieberdink <[email protected]> > Subject: Killdeer > > Where are all the killdeer? I have only seen and heard one so far this > season. > > > Gail Wieberdink > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:17:42 +0000 > From: Janet Brown <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Killdeer > > I've seen and heard several in Arden Hills. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Gail Wieberdink" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 7:13:18 AM > Subject: [mou-net] Killdeer > > Where are all the killdeer? I have only seen and heard one so far this > season. > > > Gail Wieberdink > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:17:42 -0500 > From: "Bernard P. Friel" <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Killdeer > > Haven't seen any killdeer, but I have wood ducks and bluebirds nesting at > my home in Mendota Hts. > -- > Bernard P. Friel > > Motivational Program: > A Change of Heart-Taking Charge of Your Health > Member: > North American Nature Photography Association > International Society of Aviation Photography > The Explorers Club MN¹ 10 > Grand Canyon River Guides > Web Pages at: > http://www.wampy.com > > > > >> From: Gail Wieberdink <[email protected]> >> Reply-To: Gail Wieberdink <[email protected]> >> Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:13:18 -0500 >> To: <[email protected]> >> Subject: [mou-net] Killdeer >> >> Where are all the killdeer? I have only seen and heard one so far this >> season. >> >> >> Gail Wieberdink >> >> ---- >> Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net >> Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 15:25:25 +0000 > From: Holly Peirson <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Killdeer > > There were PLENTY of killdeer, more arriving every day, on our week-long > trip to SW Minnesota last week. The cccoool weather didn't seem to stop > migration - we had ruby-crowned kinglets every day, as well as N. Harrier > pairs... And many other great species. 2 warbler sp.: YRWA and NAWA. > > > If I was to write down all the species we saw last week, they would cover 94 > lines of email!! If anyone is interested, I can photo the list and send it > to you back-channel. I kept a list for each day for the general area we were > in: beginning with the Mankato area, going all the way up the MN River (to > Ortonville), then down the western edge of MN, and meandering across the > southern and next to southern tiers of counties. > > > Great trip! > > > Holly Peirson > > SE Anoka Co > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 10:28:26 -0500 > From: Conny Brunell <[email protected]> > Subject: Long-tailed Duck - Hennepin Co. > > This morning at 7:30 I observed a handsome adult male Long-tailed Duck > out in the middle of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Hennepin County. This > male was in winter plumage white crown and neck, gray face with a dark ear > patch. He was diving continuously, making it difficult to locate. A very > nice surprise here in the Metro! > > Conny Brunell > Richfield, Hennepin Co. > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 11:52:20 -0500 > From: John Nelson <[email protected]> > Subject: FOY Rose-breasted Grosbeak > > Our earliest ever Rose-breasted Grosbeak hopped onto a tray feeder this > morning. Bad timing on its part given the nasty weather. > Our annual spring visit by a Brown Thrasher also took place this morning. > > John Nelson > Good Thunder, MN > > Sent from my iPad > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:43:14 -0600 > From: [email protected] > Subject: Mysterious Tree Swallow Mortality Event > > (Posted by Jason Frank <[email protected]> via moumn.org) > > Today at 12:10 PM, I found 21 dead Tree Swallows in the middle of Lac qui > Parle CR 12 at > the south end of Sweetwater State WMA. > > They were all clustered together within 10 yards of each other. > > Here are the facts: > > A few of them were mangled from having been run over by vehicles, but the > majority were > in pristine condition. That is, no evidence of external trauma: no swelling, > no contusions, no > lost feathers or broken bones, no bleeding. > > When I found them they were still soft and warm, so rigor mortis had not set > in yet. > > Every bird's eyes were closed. > > From this, I concluded: > > They must've all died at the same time, and appear to have fallen from the > air collectively, > as a flock. > > So, the question is: What could cause such a thing to happen? > > I cannot reasonably imagine 21 birds simultaneously starving or freezing to > death and > collapsing at a single location together. There were other swallows, and > other insect-eating > birds active, in the immediate vicinity at time of discovery. And if it had > been impact- > related, there should've been signs of trauma. > > I have photos. > > I have never seen anything like this before. > > For several years now there have been reports of large flocks of birds > falling dead from the > sky in similarly concentrated numbers. Has anyone come across such a scene > before? If > anyone has any theories or ideas, please share them with me. I have saved > and frozen 7 > specimens if anyone is interested in running some tests. > > Jason Frank > Lac qui Parle > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 21:24:05 +0000 > From: "Deters, Marshall (DNR)" <[email protected]> > Subject: Arbor Day Tree Planting at Carlos Avery WMA > > Public Tree Planting Days at Carlos Avery WMA > > Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Anoka County has a project to > seed some old farm fields with mixed hardwood tree seedlings. > We will be holding 3 public tree planting days: > -Thursday 4/27 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM > -Friday Arbor Day 4/28 from 9:30 to 2:00 > -Saturday 4/29 from 9:30 till the last seedling is planted. > Volunteers should be able to walk up to ½ mile over uneven ground. Dress > for the weather, we will plant rain, shine or snow: rain is best for the > trees. Volunteers should being their own snacks and drinks. > > There are 3 different sites on the WMA near the intersection of Lexington > Ave. (Co Rd. 17) and 197th Ave. This is on the border of Columbus and > Linwood in NE Anoka County. Signs will be posted at that intersection to > point to the current planting site. > > Please email [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > or leave a message at 651-539-3306 if you are interested or want more > information. > > Thank you > > Marshall Deters > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 16:47:39 -0500 > From: William Marengo <[email protected]> > Subject: Carver county - some shorebirds > > Two shorebird areas are in play this spring in Carver county. > > The Tacoma Avenue area held nearly 700 individual shorebirds this morning. > Virtually all were Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers. Solitary > Sandpipers and Wilson's Snipe were also present. The water level here is > very low. Perhaps the coming rains will keep this area active in the next > few days. This area is located one mile west of the intersection of State > Highway 25 and county road 32. > > Another area nearby are some sod fields just southwest of Waconia along > State Highway 5. While they are close to highway 5, DO NOT stop on this road > to scan. There is no place to pull off and there are no shoulders. A safer > place to scan, although greater distance, is from Orchard Road immediately > to the east. With a good scope and some patience, one should be able to pick > through the shorebirds. This afternoon there were over 200 shorebirds here > with Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers being the most numerous. Also > included we're Dunlin, dowitchers, Greater Yellowlegs and Semipalmated > Plovers. > > Regards,,, > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 18:17:47 -0500 > From: Doug Kieser <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: Long-tailed Duck - Hennepin Co. > > The Long -tailed Duck continues on Lake Harriet, very close to the south > shore with a scaup trio. > Worth a half-hour standing in the rain for 30-foot looks at this beautiful > bird. > > Doug Kieser > Minneapolis > > > On Apr 25, 2017 10:28 AM, "Conny Brunell" <[email protected]> wrote: > > This morning at 7:30 I observed a handsome adult male Long-tailed Duck > out in the middle of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, Hennepin County. This > male was in winter plumage white crown and neck, gray face with a dark ear > patch. He was diving continuously, making it difficult to locate. A very > nice surprise here in the Metro! > > Conny Brunell > Richfield, Hennepin Co. > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 19:35:57 -0500 > From: Jim Lind <[email protected]> > Subject: Duluth Birding Report - 4/25/2017 > > This is the Duluth Birding Report for April 25th, 2017 sponsored by > the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. > > A EURASIAN WIGEON was found on the 16th by Butch Ukura northeast of > the town of Aitkin on the rice paddies along 430th Street, about 1.5 > miles east of CR 1. It was last reported on the 23rd. > > JG Bennett saw a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD on the 22nd on the 6800 block > of East Superior Street. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was found on the > 25th by John Richardson at the Park Point Recreation Area. The > EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE is still being seen between 11th Street and > 36th Street on Park Point. > > The EURASIAN TREE SPARROW in Two Harbors was still present on the > 22nd at the ground feeder at South Avenue and Waterfront Drive near > the Do North pizzeria. > > Jan and Larry Kraemer saw an early OVENBIRD on the 24th at Forest > Hill in the Woodland neighborhood of Duluth. Other recent spring > arrivals include AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN and OSPREY on the 12th, BROWN > THRASHER on the 13th, BROAD-WINGED HAWK, AMERICAN BITTERN, AMERICAN > COOT, and SAVANNAH SPARROW on the 15th, BONAPARTE´S GULL and PINE > WARBLER on the 19th, SORA on the 22nd, VESPER SPARROW and LINCOLN´S > SPARROW on the 23rd, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER on the 24th, and BARN > SWALLOW on the 25th. > > The next scheduled update of this report will be on or about Monday, > May 1st. > > This report is compiled from MOU-net postings, local eBird > checklists, various Facebook group pages (some of which may require > joining), and personal contacts. Please follow the links below for > the most up-to-date information: > > MOU-net: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > eBird: http://ebird.org/ebird/places > Facebook group pages: > Minnesota Ornithologists Union: > https://www.facebook.com/groups/moumn.group/ > Minnesota Birding: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mnbirding/ > Minnesota Rare Bird Alert: > https://www.facebook.com/groups/1570731239835376/ > Northeast Minnesota Birding: > https://www.facebook.com/groups/177159692431348/ > Sax-Zim Bog: https://www.facebook.com/groups/saxzimbog/ > Duluth Phenology: https://www.facebook.com/groups/duluthphenology/ > > Information about bird sightings may be sent to the Duluth Rare Bird > Alert at [email protected] > > The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota > Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more > information > on the MOU, write us c/o the Bell Museum, e-mail us at [email protected], > or visit > the MOU web site at moumn.org. > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2017 23:58:20 -0500 > From: Steve Weston <[email protected]> > Subject: Laura Erickson to speak at MRVAC on Thursday > > Due to an unforeseen development, our announced speaker has been forced to > postpone his presentation and we have had the good fortune to find a > replacement: > > *More than You Thought You Wanted to Know about Chickadees* > *Presented by Laura Erickson* > *Thursday, April 27 @ 7:30 pm* > > If Laura Erickson was trapped on the proverbial desert island with only one > bird species for company, no other contender could displace the > Black-capped Chickadee for her. Come find out why. > > Laura Erickson is the Duluth based 2014 recipient of the American Birding > Association's Roger Tory Peterson Award, author of 11 books about birds, > former science editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, radio > personality, and...more. > > *When:* Please join us from 7:00-7:30 pm to socialize over cookies. A brief > business meeting and the featured speaker begin at 7:30 pm. The meeting > will conclude before 9:00 pm. > > *Where:* Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center 3815 > American Blvd E, Bloomington. Enter through the staff door in the middle of > the building. From Hwy 494 to 34th Ave – S to American Blvd; turn left and > go 2 blocks. Center will be on your right. Also accessible via the Hiawatha > Light Rail line; exit at the American Blvd. stop. > > *All MRVAC meetings are free and open to the public.* > Steve Weston > On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN > [email protected] > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > ------------------------------ > > End of MOU-NET Digest - 24 Apr 2017 to 25 Apr 2017 (#2017-98) > ************************************************************* > ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
