SUMMER 2022 MBWEDNESDAYS SUMMARY

Wright County ~ July 13

Sibley County ~ July 27

Rice County ~ August 10

Goodhue-Wabasha Co's ~ August 17

Probably the most remarkable thing about this summer’s MBWednesday experience was the weather. None of the four trips was rained on, the winds were always light to moderate, and best of all were the generally pleasant temperatures. We never had to endure anything close to 90 degrees, as the afternoon highs never reached much above 80 (the high in Wright Co was only in the mid-70s), although It may have been

a bit too humid in Rice and Goodhue-Wabasha.

While birding in mid- to late summer tends to be relatively quiet in Minnesota, our composite list of 122 species over these four days was quite respectable – possibly even impressive. The counties involved are, after all, not generally considered as anything special for birding in July-August, and these MBWednesdays were designed to maintain an informal and casual pace. Still, we managed to find Common Gallinules in two counties, a decent selection of shorebirds (4 American Avocets included!) in counties not known for their mudflats, a staked-out Tricolored Heron (it’s only Accidental in MN), a pioneering Common Raven at the edge of its expanding range, plus such SE specialties as Acadian Flycatcher and Prothonotary Warbler.

Since this initial trial run with MBWednesdays went so well this summer, four more are scheduled in September-October to see what we can find in Duluth and the North Shore – Minnesota’s premier birding area during fall migration.  

Composite Bird List (122 species)

• Wr = Wright Co, July 13 (79 species, incl 2 in Sherburne Co)

• S =  Sibley Co, July 27 (99 species)

• R = Rice Co, Aug 10 (74 species, incl 10 in Blue Earth Co)

• GW = Goodhue & Wabasha Co’s, Aug 17 (76 species)

Canada Goose          Wr  S  R  GW

Trumpeter Swan          Wr  S  R  GW

Wood Duck          Wr  S  R  GW

Blue-winged Teal          S  R

Mallard          Wr  S  R  GW

Northern Pintail          S

Redhead          S

Ring-necked Duck          Wr

Hooded Merganser          S

Ruddy Duck          S

Wild Turkey          S  R

Pied-billed Grebe          Wr  S  GW

Red-necked Grebe          S

Rock Pigeon          Wr  S  R  GW

Eurasian Collared-Dove          Wr  S

Mourning Dove          Wr  S  R  GW

Yellow-billed Cuckoo          GW (heard-only)

Chimney Swift          Wr  S  R

Ruby-throated Hummingbird          S  R  GW

Virginia Rail          Wr  S  GW

Sora          S

Common Gallinule          S (3 ad + 2 juv at Sand Lake); GW (heard at Dorer Pools,

          Wabasha Co)

American Coot          Wr  S

Sandhill Crane          Wr  S  R  GW

American Avocet          GW (4 in backwaters above Lock & Dam 4, Wabasha Co)

Killdeer          Wr  S  R

Least Sandpiper          S  R  GW

Pectoral Sandpiper          S  R

Semipalmated Sandpiper          R       GW

Short-billed Dowitcher          R

dowitcher, sp.          GW

Spotted Sandpiper          Wr  S  R  GW

Solitary Sandpiper          S  R  GW

Lesser Yellowlegs          S  R  GW

Greater Yellowlegs          S

Franklin’s Gull          S

Ring-billed Gull          Wr  S  R  GW

Caspian Tern          Wr  GW

Black Tern          Wr  S  GW

Common Loon          Wr  R

Double-crested Cormorant          Wr  S  R  GW

American White Pelican          Wr  S  R  GW

Great Blue Heron          Wr  S  R  GW

Great Egret          Wr  S  R

Tricolored Heron          R (stake-out at Watonwan WPA, Blue Earth Co)    

Green Heron          Wr  S  R

Turkey Vulture          Wr  S  R  GW

Osprey          R

Cooper’s Hawk          Wr  S                   

Bald Eagle          Wr  S  R  GW

Red-tailed Hawk          Wr  S  R  GW

Barred Owl          S (heard-only)

Belted Kingfisher          Wr  S  R  GW

Red-bellied Woodpecker          Wr  S  R  GW

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker          S  R

Downy Woodpecker          Wr  S  R  GW

Hairy Woodpecker          S  R  GW

Northern Flicker          Wr  S  R  GW

Pileated Woodpecker          Wr  GW

American Kestrel          Wr  S  GW

Peregrine Falcon          GW (leader-only in Red Wing, Goodhue Co)

Great Crested Flycatcher          Wr  S  R  GW

Eastern Kingbird          Wr  S  R  GW

Eastern Wood-Pewee          Wr  S  R  GW

Acadian Flycatcher          R (Cannon River Wilderness East)

Willow Flycatcher          R

Eastern Phoebe          Wr  S  GW

Yellow-throated Vireo          S  GW

Warbling Vireo          Wr  S  GW

Red-eyed Vireo          Wr  S  R  GW

Blue Jay          Wr  S  R  GW

American Crow          Wr  S  R  GW

Common Raven          Wr (heard-only in Sherburne Co near Elk River; not far from

          known sites in NW Hennepin Co)

Black-capped Chickadee          Wr  S  R  GW

Horned Lark          Wr

Bank Swallow          Wr  S  GW

Tree Swallow          Wr  S  R  GW

Northern Rough-winged Swallow          Wr  S  GW

Purple Martin          Wr  S  GW

Barn Swallow          Wr  S  R  GW

Cliff Swallow          Wr  S  R  GW

Cedar Waxwing          Wr  S  R  GW

White-breasted Nuthatch          Wr  S  R  GW

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher          GW

House Wren           Wr  S  R  GW

Sedge Wren          Wr  S  R

Marsh Wren          Wr  S

Gray Catbird          Wr  S  R  GW

European Starling          Wr  S  R  GW

Eastern Bluebird          Wr  S  R

American Robin          Wr  S  R  GW

House Sparrow          Wr  S  R  GW

House Finch          Wr  S

American Goldfinch          Wr  S  R  GW

Grasshopper Sparrow          S  R

Lark Sparrow          S (Sand Prairie Road)

Chipping Sparrow          Wr  S  GW

Clay-colored Sparrow           Wr  S  R

Field Sparrow          S  GW

Vesper Sparrow          S

Savannah Sparrow          S

Song Sparrow          Wr  S  R  GW

Swamp Sparrow          Wr  S  R  GW

Yellow-headed Blackbird          Wr  S

Bobolink          S  R

Eastern Meadowlark          R

Orchard Oriole          S

Baltimore Oriole          Wr  R  GW

Red-winged Blackbird          Wr  S  GW

Brown-headed Cowbird          Wr  S

Common Grackle          Wr  S  GW

Prothonotary Warbler          GW (seen by some at Sand Point, Goodhue Co)

Nashville Warbler          R

Common Yellowthroat          Wr  S  R  GW

American Redstart          Wr  R  GW

Yellow Warbler          Wr  S  R  GW

Chestnut-sided Warbler          GW

Scarlet Tanager          S  R

Northern Cardinal          Wr  S  R  GW

Rose-breasted Grosbeak          Wr  S  GW

Indigo Bunting          Wr  S  R  GW

Dickcissel           Wr  S  R