Re: [mou-net] Black Guillemot
I noticed a couple of interesting things when viewing the photos of the Black Guillemot that were taken by Erik Bruhnke around 11:30 AM on the 8th. First, they showed the birds eyes to be closed. When we viewed the bird early in the morning on the 8th (around sunrise but with very adequate lighting) the eyes were at least half to two thirds open (more like Kim's photo that is posted on MOU Recently Seen). There were also some who noticed what appeared to be some occasional movement of the eyelids. Second, the photos show the angle of the bird's body/bill to be tipped forward making the bill less than parallel to the water (making it point more down toward the water). Early in the morning the bill appeared to me to be at least parallel or even slightly elevated. The differences may be stages of death or progression through rigor. Congratulations to Kim's MBW group for finding and reporting the bird and to Mike and others for updates. I had a very enjoyable (long) day of birding on the north shore and saw lots of great birds. Bob Ekblad Olmsted County in SE Minnesota http://www.Birding-Minnesota.com -Original Message- From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:mou-...@lists.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Hendrickson Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 10:03 PM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: [mou-net] Black Guillemot Dear all Birders who saw the Black Guillemot this morning 11/8 that the Black Guillemot was indeed dead during the whole time we observed it till it was collected around 11:30am. The bird was in rigor mortis and that is the reason the bill was parallel to the water surface and as we all indicated the bird bounced around like a decoy or a rubber duck in a bath tub in the small harbor. So in my humble opinion the Black Guillemot was most likely deceased when I relocated it in that small area in the harbor. So I am personally not going to add it to my life list, MN list and county list. I would also like to reply Eric Harrold's comments: There are many aspects to birding that many people get involve with and today those who went to see the Black Guillemot came to see it because that is one of the aspects of birding they enjoy = bird listing. Also those who were there to see the Black Guillemot for their list or curiosity are also the same birders I know who are involve in bird conservation as well. Some of the North Americans top bird listers ( Kenn Kaufmann and others I know like him ) are also very active in bird conservation. Also when a bird such as a Black Guillemot shows up and people flock there to come to see it, the scene is also sort of like a reunion where birders we have not seen in some time can get together to get caught up with each other. I enjoyed seeing all the folks today who I have not seen in sometime. To make one other point the majority of people who were up along the north shore who discovered the sighting were from a MOU sponsored field trip that poured some needed money into lodging and restaurants estabolishments in Grand Marais. So rare birds can also be a gift to local business in Tofte or Grand Marais from us birders. Well it was a great day with great people! I do not regret a thing about traveling 85 miles to see a dead bird because I learned a lot of stuff about Guillemots and got to back to Tofte where I use to live. Mike Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ 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
[mou-net] Black Guillemot
Good Morning: Any idea or thoughts on why it died? Looked healthy in the pictures taken saturday. Did any of the birders seeing it saturday think the bird was hurting or ill? What does a bird like that eat? I believe its an ocean bird so can it live on fresh water? Robert Jessen Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Black Gullimot
It has been interesting to read the responses from differen Greetings: It has been interesting to read the responses from different birders I didn't hear about the Guillemot until late Susday evening.. When a person dies and they are not sure how or when or why, they send the body to some place where they can make detailed examinations to try to determine the answers to those questions. As I understand the decisions made, thus far, they have sent the body of the Guillemot to such a research place to try to find answers to those questions. So we need patience to wait for the answers. Rev. Forest V. Strnad Faribault, Mn. Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] E Screech Owl, not present, Minnetonka, MN
The owl was not in the box this morning. George Skinner 15330 Lynn Terrace Minnetonka, MN Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] [mou-rba] Black Guillemot Recovery
In response to some of Mike's questions about recovery: Greetings Everyone, Erik Brunkhe and I made the decision to remove the bird from the water around 11:30am on Sunday Nov. 8th. When the bird was collected, it was essentially in the same exact position it had been in since we arrived at 8:45am Sunday morning. The head was up, the wings were folded in, and the legs were out behind the bird. In my opinion, the bird was no longer alive when we arrived at 8:45am, but there is no way to say for sure. I was told that the bird was seen via use of flashlights/spotlights at some point in the early morning but I was not told what state it was in during those sightings. After discussion with the other birders on site, we came to the conclusion that this was an excellent specimen and should be recovered if it was indeed dead. Erik and I removed it from the water at approx. 11:30 am. At that point, the bird had sunk lower in the water but maintained the same position it held the entire morning. The body was quite stiff and completely cold when we recovered it. We brought the bird on shore to show the other birders. This was truly a beautiful bird. There were no visible injuries or signs of trauma. The Bell Museum was very excited to hear that we were able to recover it and they will be taking it. This was my first time going out to sight a rare bird and it was certainly a learning experience. If I receive any information from the museum, I will pass it along to everyone. Thank you to Andrew Longtin for transporting the specimen down to the museum and a huge thank you to all of the other birders who made the morning interesting and informative! Cheers, Sarah Glesner St. Louis County Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Black Guillemot photos
Here is the link: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-guillemot-photos.html Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Northern Shrike
Listened to a Northern Shrike sing this morning. Two thoughts: * This is the first time I've heard them sing in the fall - the few times in the past have been late winter, early spring. * Just a few seconds of listening convinced me why they don't sing more often. Tortuous! Mixture of bad brakes and bad rap. Good birding to all from Solitaire-ville (wondering if there is any chance they bred at Ann Lake this year, since two were present last March), Al Schirmacher Princeton, MN Mille Lacs Sherburne Counties Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Northern Hawk Owl, Great Black-backed Gull, finches (11/8) - Cook County
Yesterday (11/8), for our last survey of fall 2009 - out of Hovland - Heidi Seeland was kept company by a hunting Northern Hawk Owl. The bird was present for much of the day, still being seen up until she left (~845 - 1430). More specifically, this location was off the Arrowhead Trail, in a clear-cut on the left, just past Jackson Lake Road. From my vantage point, off of nearby Moose Valley Road, I was able to see a distant dark-mantled gull. Passing eagles put it up multiple times along with a group of Herring Gulls (HERG), and despite being approximately 1.5 miles away, it looked to be an adult-type Great Black-backed Gull (larger and broader-winged than the circling HERGs, with a very dark mantle/upperwings). Needless to say, however, I could not make out the specifics to be absolutely certain of the identification. Also, among other distant waterbirds, I could see a single male Long-tailed Duck at similar range. Aside from those, a nice finch flight kept things interesting, until it shut off at 1230: Pine Grosbeak - 57 Red Crossbill - 22 White-winged Crossbill - 351 Common Redpoll - 135+ Strangely, while essentially all other finches were southbound, every single one of the Pine Grosbeaks was seen heading up the shore (!?). This was my first triple-digit day for both White-winged Crossbill and Common Redpoll. Good Birding, Cameron Rutt Duluth, St. Louis County Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Guillemot correction
Hi everyone, As one of the parties who viewed the guillemot after dark, I wanted to clear up the misconception that flashlights or spotlights were used. To my knowledge, no one used a light other than the headlamps of their vehicles. In our case, we parked at the top of the long boatramp and kept our distance, searching with our scopes, keeping in mind not to disturb or alarm the bird. I assume others did the same. Before dawn on Sunday, we were mistakenly, and rudely, accused of scaring the bird away, even though others had seen it long after we did, and the bird hadn't left the area anyway. Hearing from all the others who had seen the bird with their lights, the bird was alive and moving around, and at no time did the bird seem agitated or disturbed. From all accounts, the bird was bothered more by the activity of two beavers in the bay. I want to thank Mike Hendrickson for all the updates and great information on the guillemot, and especially for relocating it on Sunday morning! You rule Mike! Good birding! Dave Bartkey Faribault,MN greathornedd...@hotmail.com _ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft's powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Black Guillemot photos
Mike: 1,200-1,500 miles away from the event the bird in your photographs could be sleeping. As you probably saw more than what is in your pictures, you are the best person to judge as to whether the bird was alive or dead when you saw it. Onward! Steve Stevan Hawkins San Antonio TX -Original Message- From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:mou-...@lists.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Michael Hendrickson Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 11:21 AM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: [mou-net] Black Guillemot photos Here is the link: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-guillemot-photos.ht ml Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ 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
Re: [mou-net] Black Guillemot photos
This is beginning to sound a bit like Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch. Bill Kahn Fam. Mimic Birderidae, Homo sapiens sapiens var. Minneapolitan Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Acorn Woodpecker at Crow Wing SP
Hi, Doug Backlund of Pierre SD is camping at Crow Wing State Park and just called me to say he just took positive ID photos of an Acorn Woodpecker there. He has no access to MOU birds, so asked me to post. His phone is 605-280-6642 and he says he welcomes calls. He will be there for a while. Doug Chapman Sioux Falls, SD Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Acorn Woodpecker specifics
I just called Doug Backlund via Doug Chapman's post to inquire on more specifics. Apparently the bird was last seen about an hour ago working on some tree stumps at Campsite #6 in the park. Doug is confident in his i.d. and has photos of the bird. I myself am not familiar with this state park and have no idea where in the park the campground is, but hopefully others with knowledge of the park will find this information useful. Bob Dunlap, Nicollet County -- Bob Dunlap Naturalist, Linnaeus Arboretum Manager, Nobel Hall Greenhouse Gustavus Adolphus College 800 West College Ave. Saint Peter, MN 56082 507-933-7199 Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Acorn Woodpecker at Crow Wing SP
Haven't seen one of these since I left California; very hard to mistake them. First Black Guillemots and now Acorn Woodpeckers. It appears someone is Shanghaiing birds and bringing them to Minnesota for some nefarious scheme to boost incidental sightings. I guess a storm or the jet stream might have delivered them, but perhaps a drug and alcohol panel should be done on the BG. Bill Kahn Bill Kahn Sub-Fam. Mimic Birders, Homo sapiens sapiens var. Minneapolitan Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] 2009/10 Northern Hawk Owl Map update
There are now 16 reports of Northern Hawk Owls this late fall season and we still have not even reached winter yet! All Northern Hawk Owl reports are all from northeastern Minnesota and none yet from northwestern and north central Minnesota. To see map: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ Mike Hendrickson Duluth, Minnesota Website: http://webpages.charter.net/mmhendrickson/ Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/ Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Acorn Woodpecker at Crow Wing SP
Sorry. I meant to include that Crow Wing State Park is south of Brainerd. Doug Chapman BTW, Doug Backlund is one of SD's premier birders, as many of you may know. On Nov 9, 2009, at 3:23 PM, douglas chapman wrote: Hi, Doug Backlund of Pierre SD is camping at Crow Wing State Park and just called me to say he just took positive ID photos of an Acorn Woodpecker there. He has no access to MOU birds, so asked me to post. His phone is 605-280-6642 and he says he welcomes calls. He will be there for a while. Doug Chapman Sioux Falls, SD 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
Re: [mou-net] Black Guillemot photos
Or the Tasker's Selferious Duck (decoy) adventure in the movie Rare Bird (based in eastern Newfoundland and starring William Hurt Molly Parker). We certainly gave a boost to the local economy. Bob Ekblad Olmsted County in SE Minnesota http://www.Birding-Minnesota.com -Original Message- From: Minnesota Birds [mailto:mou-...@lists.umn.edu] On Behalf Of Bill Kahn Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 3:23 PM To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU Subject: Re: [mou-net] Black Guillemot photos This is beginning to sound a bit like Monty Python's Dead Parrot sketch. Bill Kahn Fam. Mimic Birderidae, Homo sapiens sapiens var. Minneapolitan 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
[mou-net] unknoewn greb
Hi Folks: I could not find the original post about the unknown grebe but from what I know it looks like a winter plumage Red necked grebe. Jim Fitzpatrick Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] More Spruce Grouse in Cook County
This morning at about 7:30 I found a Spruce Grouse on Cook Co. Rd. 2 north of Tofte just south of where Forest Road 170 heads east towards Baker Lake. I think this is about 16 miles from Tofte. I then turned onto FR 170 and within a mile of the intersection I found what appeared to be a family of Spruce Grouse feeding in the road. There was a male displaying and what appeared to be an adult female carefully watching 6 younger birds. Bob Williams, Bloomington Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net]
I had to chuckle while reading the accounts of the much discussed bird found in the Duluth area. One comment made suggested that perhaps now someone would claim seeing a Vermillion Flycatcher in the area. Well, last summer on the bike trail around Lake Shetek in Murray County that is exactly what I saw. No doubt about its coloring, size etc. It was the Flycatcher! SuEllen Hafner Slayton, MN Murray County Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
Re: [mou-net] Turtle L., Ramsey County
Hello all, I wanted to post a response to these questions, as I haven't seen much discussion on the list about the two birds photographed. The bird photographed by Gail Wieberdink is, to my eye, clearly a winter-plumage Horned Grebe. The relevant marks are most visible in this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gailw/4083957590/. Note especially the short bill (for a grebe), the relatively short neck, and the clear line dividing the dark cap from the light cheek and front of the neck. Western/Clark's Grebes would have a much longer bill, a blockier head, and a proportionately longer neck. These species (Horned and Western/Clark's) can look very similar, except for the shape of the head and neck, and the shape and color of the bill. Here's a photo of a Western Grebe in a similar posture to the photo above: http://www.badbirder.com/images/new/may5n6/wegr.jpg. The pattern and shape of the head and neck on Gail's bird also rule out Red-necked and Eared Grebes. The bird photographed by Erik Collins isn't conclusively identifiable from the photos. To my eye, it looks more like a Western/Clark's Grebe than anything else - note the very long neck and the bulky look of the head in this photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikcollins/4081166725/. But unfortunately, since the bird didn't stick around, we'll never know. Lastly, telling Western from Clark's grebes in winter is an underappreciated ID problem. In Washington state, where I used to live, and where both species are regular in winter (though Clark's is uncommon to rare), it causes a lot of controversy. The most extreme Clark's are obvious (white on the face extending above the eye, and bright orange bill), as are the most extreme Westerns (dusky face and dingy yellowish-green bill), but there are a decent number of intermediate birds that can't be solidly identified in winter. Thanks to both Gail and Erik for posting their photos! Good birding, Matt Dufort Minneapolis Gail Wieberdink wrote: I wonder if this might be the same bird seen by Erik yesterday on Turtle Lake. We saw this bird on Lake Gervais in Little Canada around 1:15 this afternoon. I'm afraid my photo attempts are not much better than Erik's, but I've posted what I got on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gailw/sets/72157622755132040/ Take a look. Gail I - Erik Collins suee...@msn.com wrote: | This afternoon I found an interesting, very distant bird on Turtle Lake in Ramsey County. Its long white neck and dark back made me think it was perhaps a Western Grebe, but the bird was so far away they were the only details I could see. I wish there had been a nearby duck or gull to get a better estimate of its size. | | | | I attempted to take some pictures by holding a digital camera up to my scope. Here are two crops of the same photo. They're pretty bad. | | | | http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikcollins/4081166725/ | | | | http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikcollins/4081921884/ | | | | I hesitated posting with such little information and poor pictures, especially because it will probably turn out to be something not that exciting, but I thought it might be interesting to see what others thought. | | | | Erik Collins | | Shoreview | | _ | Find the right PC with Windows 7 and Windows Live. | http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/pc-scout/laptop-set-criteria.aspx?cbid=wlfilt=200,2400,10,19,1,3,1,7,50,650,2,12,0,1000cat=1,2,3,4,5,6brands=5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16addf=4,5,9ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen2:112009 | 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
[mou-net] [mou-rba] MOU RBA 9 November 2009
-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *November 9, 2009 *MNST0911.09 -Birds mentioned -Transcript Hotline: Minnesota Statewide Date: November 9, 2009 Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org Reports: (763) 780-8890 Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (r...@moumn.org) This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Monday, November 9th 2009. I have a secondhand report of an font color = redACORN WOODPECKER/font color that was reported this afternoon at Crow Wing State Park in western Crow Wing County and just south of the town of Brainerd. The bird was seen working the trees at campsite #6 in the park's primary campground. The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, November 12th 2009. Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
[mou-net] Canal Park gull photos and gull ID question
Here's some gull photos I snapped today, from both sunrise and sunset (I did a little hawkwatching in the middle of the day). Ring-billed Gulls http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233693 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233698 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233692 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233695 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233697 http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233696 Herring Gull http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233694 Lighthouse http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233699 Here's a gull that I believe is a Herring Gull. This individual is showing several transitions at one time (based on eye color, bill color, plumage, and mantle). All of these transitions that I am mentioning and noticing are characteristic of Herring Gulls. http://www.pbase.com/birdfedr/image/119233691 In case it is hard to read the tidbits about this bird on my photo site (in green and blue), here it is on this email... From the heavy bill, and overall impression of the bulkiness of this bird, my first impression was Herring Gull. After trying to age this bird, I am confused by the field marks of this bird. 1. It has the dark eyes of a 1 year old bird 2. The bill, being mostly pink with a black band near the end, is characteristic of either a 1st summer or 2nd winter Herring Gull. 3. The head is pale in the front, with light detailing throughout the back end of the head. This is characteristic of 3 year old birds, and more pale in adult non-breeding. 4. The pale mantle with dirty outer edges of the folded wings are characteristics of the 3rd winter Herring Gull. 5. Primary tips look all dark like a non-adult Herring Gull Let me know if you have any thoughts about this gull. Any help is appreciated :) Good birdwatching, Erik Bruhnke Duluth, MN NATURALLY AVIAN - Guided bird hikes and bird photography birdf...@gmail.com www.pbase.com/birdfedr/naturallyavian Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
