2007 Lyon & Lincoln Co’s MBWeekend
[Note: There have been several other fall MBWeekends in southwestern Minn; for summaries of these MBWs, contact eckertkr@gmail.com.]
Lyon-Lincoln Co's MBW (& Redwood Falls option) summary
October 8-9-10, 2010
As the photo above suggests, it was unfortunate that not everyone had the time to bird with us after lunch on Sunday! For reasons I still can't explain, at least 3 Le Conte's Sparrows decided to pose at length for pictures on a fence wire adjacent to the Cottonwood sewage ponds. At least 3 or 4 others were also present in this field – a fitting climax to our "Sparrows-R-Us" MBW.
In all, there were no fewer than 17 sparrow species on our composite list, highlighted by that Spotted Towhee near Lynd on Saturday (which stubbornly refused to reappear for half the group), and by a Nelson's Sparrow (perhaps more than one?) which accompanied still more Le Conte's near the Lake Benton sewage ponds on Saturday.
These certainly weren't our only highlights, although things started out slowly on Friday for those on the Redwood Falls-based option. And little wonder that it was relatively quiet with record-breaking temperatures around 90 degrees that day – no less than 30 degrees above normal! Indeed, we "only" managed a dozen sparrow species, though a quite unexpected Cattle Egret at Cottonwood's Sham Lake was a nice unexpected find to end the day.
Things cooled off nicely into the 70s the next day, and with light winds and low humidity the weather was about as pleasant as it gets in October. Besides that towhee and all the other sparrows, the day's surprises included a very early Rough-legged Hawk seen by some and the extremely late Common Nighthawk seen by all in Tyler. In all, 108 species were turned up during our three days, which was a pretty good composite total considering that the relentlessly uneventful weather that week was not conducive to much migration activity. For example, migrant woods birds were almost non-existent, and even most sewage ponds were relatively empty.
As always, thanks to all of you for coming, with special thanks to Craig (my trusty sidekick!), and to Eric & Herta and Dena & Wendy who were along on their very first MBW. - Kim Eckert
BIRD LIST
F = seen on Friday's pre-MBW option (Oct 8 in Redwood, Brown, Renville, Yellow Medicine, & Lyon Co's)
Ly = seen in Lyon Co (Oct 9-10)
Li = seen in Lincoln Co (Oct 9)
Snow Goose Ly (Sham L on Sunday)
Cackling Goose F,Li
Canada Goose F,Ly,Li
Wood Duck F,Ly,Li
Gadwall Ly,Li
American Wigeon Li
Mallard F,Ly,Li
Blue-winged Teal Ly,Li
Northern Shoveler F,Ly,Li
Northern Pintail Ly
Green-winged Teal Ly,Li
Canvasback F
Redhead F,Li
Ring-necked Duck F,Ly
Bufflehead Li
Hooded Merganser Li
Ruddy Duck F,Ly,Li (incl 330 on Friday at Tyson L, Yellow Medicine Co)
Ring-necked Pheasant F,Ly,Li
Wild Turkey Ly
Common Loon Li (L Benton)
Pied-billed Grebe F,Ly,Li
Western Grebe Ly (McKay L)
Double-crested Cormorant F,Ly,Li
American White Pelican Ly,Li
Great Blue Heron F,Li
Great Egret Li
Cattle Egret F
Turkey Vulture F
Osprey F
Bald Eagle F
Northern Harrier F,Ly,Li
Sharp-shinned Hawk F,Li
Cooper's Hawk Li
Swainson's Hawk Li
Red-tailed Hawk F,Ly,Li
Rough-legged Hawk Ly
American Kestrel Li
Merlin Ly (chasing a N Harrier)
American Coot F,Ly,Li
American Golden-Plover F,Li
Killdeer F,Ly,Li
Greater Yellowlegs F,Ly,Li
Lesser Yellowlegs Li
Least Sandpiper Li
Baird's Sandpiper Li
Pectoral Sandpiper Li
Long-billed Dowitcher Ly,Li (flying over the county line at Gislason L)
Wilson's Snipe Ly,Li
Bonaparte's Gull Li (Perch L)
Franklin's Gull F,Ly,Li
Ring-billed Gull Ly,Li
Rock Pigeon F,Ly,Li
Eurasian Collared-Dove Ly,Li (Lynd and Ivanhoe)
Mourning Dove F,Ly,Li
Common Nighthawk Li
Belted Kingfisher F,Li
Red-bellied Woodpecker F,Ly,Li
Downy Woodpecker F,Ly,Li
Hairy Woodpecker F,Ly,Li
Northern Flicker F,Ly,Li
Pileated Woodpecker F,Ly
Eastern Phoebe F,Ly,Li
Blue Jay F,Ly,Li
American Crow F,Ly,Li
Horned Lark F,Li
Tree Swallow F,Li
Barn Swallow F,Li
Black-capped Chickadee F,Ly,Li
White-breasted Nuthatch F,Ly,Li
Brown Creeper F,Ly
Sedge Wren Li
Golden-crowned Kinglet Ly,Li
Ruby-crowned Kinglet F,Ly,Li
Eastern Bluebird F,Ly,Li
American Robin F,Ly,Li
European Starling F,Ly,Li
American Pipit Ly,Li
Cedar Waxwing F,Li
Orange-crowned Warbler F,Ly
Yellow-rumped Warbler F,Ly,Li
Palm Warbler Ly
Spotted Towhee Ly
Chipping Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Clay-colored Sparrow Li
Field Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Vesper Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Savannah Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Grasshopper Sparrow Ly
Le Conte's Sparrow Ly,Li
Nelson's Sparrow Li
Fox Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Song Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Lincoln's Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Swamp Sparrow F,Ly,Li
White-throated Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Harris's Sparrow F,Ly,Li
White-crowned Sparrow F,Ly,Li
Dark-eyed Junco F,Ly,Li
Northern Cardinal F,Ly
Red-winged Blackbird F,Ly,Li
Western Meadowlark F,Ly,Li
Yellow-headed Blackbird F
Common Grackle F,Ly,Li
Brown-headed Cowbird F,Li
House Finch F,Ly,Li
Pine Siskin F,Li
American Goldfinch F,Ly,Li
House Sparrow F,Ly,Li
* * *
LYON-LINCOLN CO'S MBW SUMMARY / September 28-29, 2007
Sabine's Gull heading for Your Uncle Paul's
Mother's Garden.
Western Sandpiper contemplating what MBW
species #400 will be.
For the most part, we managed to avoid the rain, but there was no way to escape those Saturday winds: steady at 25-35 mph all day with gusts to 45! By day's end, it was almost enough to prompt me to rethink our cherished No Refunds policy. After all, Saturday's highlights were pretty much limited to impressive hordes of Franklin's Gulls (with an undetected Sabine's hidden among them) and Common Grackles, nice views of two Swainson's Hawks, and a Pink-sided type of junco at Hole in the Mountain (missed by those who heartlessly abandoned us in favor of a Western Sandpiper).
But all thoughts of any refunds quickly vanished on Sunday. Though there were still some on-and-off light rain showers, the winds were gone and the birds were everywhere, especially between Lynd and Camden State Park in the Redwood River valley. Woodpeckers, warblers, sparrows, and a variety of other passerines appeared at all our stops, just as they had eluded us almost everywhere in Lincoln County. A stop at Black Rush Lake and its adjacent dump followed, with two unidentified ibis (probably White-faced) mercifully interrupting the tedium of our search for something different among all the gulls.
Fortunately, all but of few of you had time to bird after lunch and were rewarded by that Sabine's Gull at Cottonwood Lake, which we had failed to relocate on Saturday. It eventually flew right in front of us and, as it had done on Friday, continued along the shore past Paul Egeland's mother's yard, representing species #233 for his old yard list! Those who continued on to Sleepy Eye then made it officially legal: the Western Sandpiper was still there, representing Minnesota species #350 on the all-time MBW list. (We even had a bonus en route, when a Eurasian Collared-Dove appeared along the road near Redwood Falls.)
The results of all this: two Casual species (the ibises and the Sabine's Gull), one former Accidental species (the collared-dove), and one solidly Accidental species (Western Sandpiper, with only 4 previously-accepted sight records). Now, considering that no one correctly guessed what #350 would be, all that remains is to figure out who won the Damn Contest! - Kim
SPECIES LIST
Ly = seen/heard in Lyon Co (82 species)
Li = seen/heard in Lincoln Co (62 species)
total composite list = 99 species (including Redwood & Brown Co's)
Canada Goose Ly,Li
Trumpeter Swan Li (a Tyler fly-by on Saturday)
Wood Duck Ly,Li
Mallard Ly,Li
Blue-winged Teal Ly,Li
Northern Shoveler Ly,Li
Green-winged Teal Ly
Redhead Li
Hooded Merganser Li
Ruddy Duck Ly,Li
Ring-necked Pheasant Ly,Li
Wild Turkey Ly,Li
Pied-billed Grebe Ly,Li
Horned Grebe Ly (Cottonwood Lake)
Western Grebe Ly (ditto, on Sunday)
American White Pelican Li
Double-crested Cormorant Ly,Li
Great Blue Heron Ly,Li
Great Egret Ly
Plegadis ibis, sp. Ly (2 juveniles at Black Rush Lake; nice spotting, Ben!)
Turkey Vulture Ly,Li
Northern Harrier Li
Sharp-shinned Hawk Li
Swainson’s Hawk Li (2 seen well by all near Lake Hendricks)
Red-tailed Hawk Ly,Li
American Kestrel Ly,Li
American Coot Ly,Li
American Golden-Plover Ly
Semipalmated Plover - Brown Co
Killdeer Ly,Li
Greater Yellowlegs Ly
Lesser Yellowlegs Li
Spotted Sandpiper Ly
Western Sandpiper - Brown Co (#350!)
Least Sandpiper - Brown Co
Baird’s Sandpiper - Brown Co
Pectoral Sandpiper - Brown Co
Wilson's Snipe Ly
Franklin’s Gull Ly,Li (by the 1000s Saturday morning)
Ring-billed Gull Ly,Li
Sabine's Gull Ly (#233!)
Rock Pigeon Ly,Li
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Redwood Co (along Hwy 67 SE of Redwood Falls)
Mourning Dove Ly,Li
Chimney Swift Li
Belted Kingfisher Ly,Li
Red-bellied Woodpecker Ly
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Ly
Downy Woodpecker Ly,Li
Hairy Woodpecker Ly
Northern Flicker Ly,Li
Pileated Woodpecker Ly
Eastern Phoebe Ly,Li
Blue-headed Vireo Ly
Blue Jay Ly,Li
American Crow Ly,Li
Horned Lark Ly
Barn Swallow Ly,Li
Black-capped Chickadee Ly,Li
Red-breasted Nuthatch Ly,Li
White-breasted Nuthatch Ly,Li
Brown Creeper Ly
wren, sp. (House/Winter) Ly
Marsh Wren Ly (heard-only at Black Rush Lake)
Golden-crowned Kinglet Ly (heard-only)
Ruby-crowned Kinglet Ly,Li
Eastern Bluebird Ly,Li
American Robin Ly,Li
Gray Catbird Ly,Li
European Starling Ly,Li
American Pipit Li
Cedar Waxwing Ly,Li
Orange-crowned Warbler Ly,Li
Nashville Warbler Ly
Magnolia Warber Ly
Yellow-rumped Warbler Ly,Li
Common Yellowthroat Ly
Wilson’s Warbler Ly
Chipping Sparrow Ly,Li
Clay-colored Sparrow Ly,Li
Field Sparrow Ly
Vesper Sparrow Ly,Li
Savannah Sparrow Ly,Li
Song Sparrow Ly,Li
Lincoln’s Sparrow Ly,Li
Swamp Sparrow Ly,Li
White-throated Sparrow Ly,Li
Harris’s Sparrow Ly
White-crowned Sparrow Li
Dark-eyed Junco Ly,Li (incl a "Pink-sided" junco at Hole in the Mountain)
Northern Cardinal Ly
Red-winged Blackbird Ly,Li
Western Meadowlark Ly,Li (singing on Sunday)
Yellow-headed Blackbird Ly (only 2 among 20,000 grackles?)
Common Grackle Ly,Li (or were there 200,000?)
Brown-headed Cowbird Ly
House Finch Ly
American Goldfinch Ly
House Sparrow Ly,Li
