BEST WISHES on that, Steve !!! Having been on the summer bird-banding team at Sugarloaf Cove, and experienced a Cook County (record, I believe) female Painted Bunting, I can appreciate the excitement....and be grateful for those who "keep the faith" , birding, banding, documenting, researching, protecting habitat, etc . Birds may always deliver surprises that keep hope alive. Linda Whyte
On Mon, Aug 28, 2023, 11:02 AM Steve Weston <[email protected]> wrote: > Almost exactly twenty-four years ago I was bird watching in Miesville > Ravine County Park, in the southeast corner of Dakota county. In a > beautiful little wet meadow up trout brook I found a hummingbird feeding on > the jewelweed that did not look like the expected Ruby-throated > Hummingbird. After a couple of days of checking the internet, I identified > it as a female Black-chinned Hummingbird. The females of these closely > related species are difficult to separate. And, it had never been reported > in Minnesota. I didn't have a camera and without a photo, it would never be > accepted as a new species. Although the hummer was around for the next five > days, I could not get anyone down there with a camera until after the bird > had flown off. One dean of the state birding community even stated that it > was impossible to separate the females of the two species. > Every year at this time, I lead a bird hike to Miesville Ravine. This year > on August 20th, there was more spotted jewelweed flowering than I have seen > in years and the flowers were attracting a swarm of hummingbirds. As we > approached that meadow, I was talking about finding the hummingbird that > has never had an accepted sighting in Minnesota. As I explained what to > look for to find a Black-chinned: a hummer with a light crown that makes it > appear as if it has a black mask, Richard Gotz was clicking away on his > camera at a nearby hummer. He said, "Like this?" > I have attached a couple of his photos of a first year male Black-chinned > Hummingbird to my Facebook page and am hoping to be able to post one to > MOU's Recently Seen page, although I have to get it added to the list > before I can. Now I have to fill out the paperwork to submit the sighting > for MOURC review for a first Minnesota record. > Steve Weston > On Quigley Lake in Eagan, MN > [email protected] > > ---- > General information and guidelines for posting: > https://moumn.org/listservice.html > Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html > > During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social > distancing, and continue to bird responsibly. > ---- General information and guidelines for posting: https://moumn.org/listservice.html Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html During the pandemic, the MOU encourages you to stay safe, practice social distancing, and continue to bird responsibly.
