Also see the 2006 MBW summary following the

summary of the 2018 MBWeekend.

__________

Goodhue-Wabasha-Winona MBW Summary

September 20-21-22, 2018

Sept. 20 Goodhue Co.

While we experienced light rain during the morning on this pre-MBW, we did not get the severe weather and flooding that had been forecast for the area. As it turned out, the rain held up lots of warblers, creating a nice fall-out with 18 species observed by the group – with 14 of those in one tree! We had a group total of 77 species, and that was without any shorebirds and only 3 species of waterfowl. Some of the other highlights were some distant Franklin's Gulls and Caspian Terns, Barred Owl, and Tufted Titmice near Frontenac.    

Sept. 21-22 Wabasha & Winona Co's

On the 21st we birded in Wabasha Co., where we traded the rain for wind. We found a total of 80 species for the day, but only observed 13 species of warblers, with many of those species seen by only a few participants. What the wind did bring with it was a large movement of raptors. We observed 7 species, and a few also observed an Osprey on our return to Winona. Some of the highlights were the Eurasian Collared-Doves found in Plainview, Kathrynne's keen spotting found us a pair of Sandhill Cranes standing in a yard along Highway 61, Red-necked Phalaropes were present at the Weaver WTP, Barred Owls put on a good show for the group at Carley State Park, and Nancy somehow observed a Swainson's Thrush in a deep thicket of brush, which turned out to be Ron's 87th county for this species.

On the 22nd we birded in Winona County, and the rain and wind were replaced with calm sunny weather and clear skies. Although the starting temperatures were in the 30s with frost on the roofs and plants, it did warm up as the day progressed. We were able to see 90 species for the day as we were split up for most of the time. One of the more unlikely hotspots was Unity Park on the shores of Winona Lake. This location was found by George as we were looking for a new location to park some vehicles. Some of the highlights there were Green Heron, Franklin's Gull, Forster's Tern, and Merlin. Another hotspot was the Stockton WTP where we were unexpectedly given permission to enter. While there weren’t many birds on the ponds themselves, we did see some warblers, Tufted Titmice, Baltimore Oriole, and a number of vireos on the walk to the ponds. The visitor center at Whitewater State Park was also filled with birds, including Eastern Phoebe, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, Scarlet Tanager, and a few species of warblers. And after lunch the group spent time birding Prairie Island and Bartlet Lake, where we added Virginia Rail, Sora, and Marsh Wren to finish the day.  

–Craig Mandel (with edits by KRE)

Bird List (total = 115 species)

• Go = Goodhue Co. (Sept. 20; 78 species)

• Wa = Wabasha Co. (Sept. 21; 80 species)

• Wi = Winona Co. (Sept. 22; 92 species)

Canada Goose - Go, Wa, Wi

Trumpeter Swan - Wa

Wood Duck - Go, Wa, Wi

Blue-winged Teal - Wi

Northern Shoveler - Wi

Mallard - Go, Wa, Wi

Wild Turkey - Go, Wa

Pied-billed Grebe - Wi

Rock Pigeon - Go, Wa, Wi

Eurasian Collared-Dove - Wa, Wi

Mourning Dove - Go, Wa, Wi

Black-billed Cuckoo - Wi

Chimney Swift - Wi

Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Wi

Virginia Rail - Wi

Sora - Wi

American Coot - Wi

Sandhill Crane - Go, Wa

Killdeer - Wa, Wi

Spotted Sandpiper - Wa

Solitary Sandpiper - Wi

Red-necked Phalarope - Wa

Franklin's Gull - Go, Wi

Ring-billed Gull - Go, Wa, Wi

Herring Gull - Go

Caspian Tern - Go

Forster's Tern - Wa

Double-crested Cormorant - Go, Wa, Wi

American White Pelican - Go, Wa, Wi

Great Blue Heron - Go, Wa, Wi

Great Egret - Go, Wa, Wi

Green Heron - Go, Wi

Turkey Vulture - Go, Wa, Wi

Osprey - Go, Wi

Northern Harrier - Wa, Wi

Sharp-shinned Hawk - Go, Wa, Wi

Cooper's Hawk - Go, Wa, Wi

Bald Eagle - Go, Wa, Wi

Broad-winged Hawk - Wa, Wi

Red-tailed Hawk - Wa, Wi

Barred Owl - Go, Wa

Belted Kingfisher - Go, Wa, Wi

Red-bellied Woodpecker - Go, Wa, Wi

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Go, Wa, Wi

Downy Woodpecker - Go, Wa, Wi

Hairy Woodpecker - Go, Wa, Wi

Northern Flicker - Go, Wa, Wi

Pileated Woodpecker - Go, Wa, Wi

American Kestrel - Wa, Wi

Merlin - Wa, Wi

Peregrine Falcon - Go, Wi

Eastern Wood-Pewee - Go, Wa

Alder Flycatcher - Wi

Eastern Phoebe - Go, Wa, Wi

Yellow-throated Vireo - Go, Wi

Blue-headed Vireo - Wa, Wi

Philadelphia Vireo - Go, Wa, Wi

Red-eyed Vireo - Go, Wa, Wi

Blue Jay - Go, Wa, Wi

American Crow - Go, Wa, Wi

Horned Lark - Wa

Purple Martin - Wa

Tree Swallow - Go, Wa, Wi

Bank Swallow - Go, Wi

Cliff Swallow - Go, Wa, Wi

Barn Swallow - Go, Wa, Wi

Black-capped Chickadee - Go, Wa, Wi

Tufted Titmouse - Go, Wi

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Go, Wa, Wi

White-breasted Nuthatch - Go, Wa, Wi

Brown Creeper - Wa

House Wren - Go, Wa

Marsh Wren - Wi

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Go, Wa

Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Go, Wa, Wi

Eastern Bluebird - Go, Wa, Wi

Gray-cheeked Thrush - Wi

Swainson's Thrush - Wa, Wi

American Robin - Go, Wa, Wi

Gray Catbird - Go, Wa, Wi

Brown Thrasher - Wi

European Starling - Go, Wa, Wi

Cedar Waxwing - Go, Wa, Wi

House Sparrow - Go, Wa, Wi

House Finch - Wi

Purple Finch - Wa, Wi

American Goldfinch - Go, Wa, Wi

Eastern Towhee - Wi

Chipping Sparrow - Go, Wa, Wi

Song Sparrow - Go, Wi

Baltimore Oriole - Wi

Red-winged Blackbird - Go, Wa, Wi

Common Grackle - Wa, Wi

Ovenbird - Go

Black-and-white Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Tennessee Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Orange-crowned Warbler - Wa, Wi

Nashville Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Common Yellowthroat - Go, Wi

American Redstart - Go, Wa, Wi

Cape May Warbler - Go

Northern Parula - Go, Wa

Magnolia Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Bay-breasted Warbler - Go, Wa

Blackburnian Warbler - Go, Wi

Chestnut-sided Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Blackpoll Warbler - Go, Wa

Palm Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Yellow-rumped Warbler - Go, Wa, Wi

Black-throated Green Warbler - Go, Wa

Canada Warbler - Go

Wilson's Warbler - Go

Scarlet Tanager - Go, Wi

Northern Cardinal - Go, Wa, Wi

Rose-breasted Grosbeak - Wi

*          *          *

Mississippi River Valley MBW summary

September 23-24, 2006

We certainly got off to a fast start Saturday morning, with both a Peregrine and Sandhill Crane flying over the Wabasha Kwik Trip as we met. Then on Sunday, the MBW concluded for most with a flourish of migrants at Hok-Si-La Park, including Blue-headed Vireo, both kinglets, and 9 warbler species – not to mention a heard-only E Screech-Owl! (A few of us finished up at Frontenac's Sand Point and added Franklin's and Herring gulls, a seen Pileated, E Wood-Pewee, a heard Winter Wren, and Blackpoll Warbler.)

There were lots of highlights between the Kwik Trip and Hok-Si-La as well. Even though Saturday's weather was pretty still and not conducive to much bird activity, we found Wild Turkeys in the road, visible Soras at Whitewater, nighthawks migrating (and asleep) at midday, 5 swallow species together on the same wires, and singing Eastern Meadowlarks. At Lake City on Sunday our better finds were a golden-plover, fly-by pipits, and a Cape May Warbler IDed by Audrey.

Thanks for coming: it was not a bad showing at all considering we were a bunch of deadbeats without Habitat Stamps! (Hmm. . .come to think of it, if we had our stamps, maybe we would have been able to ID that mystery sparrow at McCarthy Lake WMA.)

Bird List

• Wa = seen/heard in Wabasha Co

• Wi = seen/heard in Winona Co

• G = seen/heard in Goodhue Co

Canada Goose   WaWiG

Wood Duck   WaWi

Gadwall   Wa

American Wigeon   Wa

Mallard   WaWi

Blue-winged Teal   WaWiG

Northern Pintail   Wa

Ring-necked Duck   Wa

Wild Turkey   Wa

Pied-billed Grebe   Wa

American White Pelican   WaWiG

Double-crested Cormorant   WaWiG

Great Blue Heron   WaWiG

Great Egret   WaWiG

Green Heron   Wa

Turkey Vulture   WaWiG

Osprey   Wa

Bald Eagle   WaG

Northern Harrier   Wa

Sharp-shinned Hawk   Wa

Cooper’s Hawk   Wa

Red-tailed Hawk   WaWiG

American Kestrel   WaWi

Merlin   Wa

Peregrine Falcon   Wa

Sora   Wa

American Coot   Wa

Sandhill Crane   Wa

American Golden-Plover   Wa

Killdeer   Wa

Spotted Sandpiper   Wa

Wilson's Snipe   Wi

Franklin’s Gull   G

Ring-billed Gull   WaWiG

Herring Gull   G

Caspian Tern   WaG

Forster’s Tern   Wa

Rock Pigeon   WaWi

Mourning Dove   WaWi

Eastern Screech-Owl   G (heard-only)

Barred Owl   Wi (heard-only)

Common Nighthawk   Wa

Belted Kingfisher   Wa

Red-bellied Woodpecker   WaWiG

Downy Woodpecker   WaWiG

Hairy Woodpecker   WaWiG

Northern Flicker   WaWiG

Pileated Woodpecker   WaG

Eastern Wood-Pewee   G

Least Flycatcher   WaG

Eastern Phoebe   WaG

Yellow-throated Vireo   Wa

Blue-headed Vireo   G

Red-eyed Vireo   G

Blue Jay   WaG

American Crow   WaWiG

Horned Lark   Wa

Purple Martin   Wa

Tree Swallow   WaWi

Bank Swallow   Wa

Cliff Swallow   Wa

Barn Swallow   Wa

Black-capped Chickadee   WaWiG

Red-breasted Nuthatch   G

White-breasted Nuthatch   WaG

Brown Creeper   G

Winter Wren   G (heard-only)

Marsh Wren   Wa

Golden-crowned Kinglet   WaG

Ruby-crowned Kinglet   WaG

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher   Wa

Eastern Bluebird   WaWi

Swainson’s Thrush   G

American Robin   Wa

Gray Catbird   WaWiG

Brown Thrasher   G

European Starling   WaWi

American Pipit   Wa

Cedar Waxwing   WaG

Tennessee Warbler   WaG

Nashville Warbler   WaG

Chestnut-sided Warbler   G

Magnolia Warbler   G

Cape May Warbler   Wa

Yellow-rumped Warbler   WaG

Palm Warbler   WaG

Blackpoll Warbler   G

Black-and-white Warbler   G

American Redstart   WaG

Northern Waterthrush   WaG

Common Yellowthroat   WaWi

Chipping Sparrow   WaG

Field Sparrow   Wa

Vesper Sparrow   Wa

Song Sparrow   WaWi

Swamp Sparrow   WaWi

White-throated Sparrow   WaWiG

Dark-eyed Junco   Wa

Northern Cardinal   WaWiG

Red-winged Blackbird   Wa

Eastern Meadowlark   Wa

Common Grackle   Wa

House Finch   Wa

Pine Siskin   Wa (heard-only)

American Goldfinch   WaWiG

House Sparrow   WaWi