2012 Wabasha - Winona - Houston Counties MBWeekend
WABASHA - WINONA - HOUSTON CO's MBW SUMMARY / April 6-7-8, 2012
As you can see, that Brown Pelican was still there in Red Wing waiting for us on Sunday , as this third-state-record individual represents species #357 on the all-time MBWeekends composite list! (Note that the most recent compilation, which some of you have a copy of, lists 355 species – besides this pelican, we had added Glaucous-winged Gull during the January 2012 MBWs in Duluth.)
Obviously, this was by far the rarest bird on this MBW's list of 90 species, a respectable number given that unbelievably warm weather in March had prompted most waterfowl to head north prematurely. Note there were only two sites with good concentrations of birds (Reno and Weaver); we found only one Tundra Swan; Canvasbacks, Red-breasted and Common mergansers, and gulls were almost missed; and there were no N Pintails anywhere. Meanwhile, with the return to more normal early-April temperatures, most land birds had yet to arrive – we only found a single accipiter, just one Barn Swallow, a lone Brown Creeper, and no N Harriers at all.
Still, there were several noteworthy finds before we headed for Red Wing: 2 distant but handsome Horned Grebes in breeding plumage at Weaver, lots of non-brown pelicans on the river (especially the 500 or so at Winona's Prairie Island), that curious pair of adult Peregrines near Hokah, a cooperative Sora emerging from the marsh on Saturday evening, a number of Sandhill Cranes at unexpected locations, no fewer than 5 shorebird species (with 4 of these at the Eitzen sewage ponds), a surprising Tufted Titmouse on Shore Acres Rd (which was a new addition to some of your lists), Eastern Towhees at 3 locations, and some good studies of Rusty Blackbirds at Prairie Island and Millstone Landing.
As always, my thanks to all of you for coming on this first MBW of the 2012-13 season, especially to Barbara K who was on her first MBW ever – though we were unable to properly initiate her into the fold at the non-existent Brownsville sewage ponds!
BIRD LIST
W = seen April 6, mostly in Wabasha Co (plus 2 species in Winona Co only)
H = seen April 7, mostly in Houston Co (plus 3 species in Winona Co only)
Sun = seen only on Sunday, mostly at Weaver & Whitewater WMA
Canada Goose WH
Trumpeter Swan W
Tundra Swan H
Wood Duck WH
Gadwall H
American Wigeon H
Mallard WH
Blue-winged Teal WH
Northern Shoveler WH
Green-winged Teal WH
Canvasback Sun
Redhead W
Ring-necked Duck WH
Greater Scaup H
Lesser Scaup WH
Bufflehead WH
Common Goldeneye WH
Hooded Merganser WH
Common Merganser H
Red-breasted Merganser Sun
Ruddy Duck Sun
Ruffed Grouse W
Wild Turkey WH
Pied-billed Grebe WH
Horned Grebe W
Double-crested Cormorant H
American White Pelican WH
Brown Pelican Sun in Goodhue Co
Great Blue Heron WH
Great Egret Apr 7 in Winona Co
Turkey Vulture WH
Osprey W
Bald Eagle WH
Cooper's Hawk H
Red-tailed Hawk WH
American Kestrel WH
Peregrine Falcon H
Sora Apr 7 in Winona Co
American Coot WH
Sandhill Crane WH
Killdeer WH
Greater Yellowlegs Sun
Lesser Yellowlegs Apr 6 in Winona Co; also H
Pectoral Sandpiper H
Wilson's Snipe H
Ring-billed Gull H
Rock Pigeon WH
Mourning Dove WH
Belted Kingfisher H
Red-bellied Woodpecker WH
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker WH
Downy Woodpecker WH
Hairy Woodpecker WH
Northern Flicker WH
Pileated Woodpecker WH
Eastern Phoebe WH
Blue Jay WH
American Crow WH
Horned Lark W
Tree Swallow WH
Barn Swallow W
Black-capped Chickadee WH
Tufted Titmouse H
Red-breasted Nuthatch H
White-breasted Nuthatch WH
Brown Creeper Apr 7 in Winona Co
Ruby-crowned Kinglet WH
Eastern Bluebird WH
Hermit Thrush W
American Robin WH
European Starling WH
Cedar Waxwing W
Yellow-rumped Warbler WH
Eastern Towhee WH
Chipping Sparrow WH
Field Sparrow W
Song Sparrow WH
Swamp Sparrow Sun
White-throated Sparrow Sun
Dark-eyed Junco WH
Northern Cardinal WH
Red-winged Blackbird WH
Eastern Meadowlark WH
Rusty Blackbird Apr 6 in Winona Co; also H
Common Grackle WH
Brown-headed Cowbird WH
Purple Finch Sun
House Finch WH
American Goldfinch WH
House Sparrow WH
