Explore Minnesota Birding Report Update August 30, 2012
Bird enthusiasts look forward to the month of September when bird migration intensifies. One place to view an amazing number of raptors is Hawk Ridge in Duluth, site of the very popular Hawk Weekend Festival to be held September 14-16. Not only do participants have a chance to view an amazing number of birds, they can also enjoy a variety of field trips and workshops, interpretive programs, raptor banding, passerine demonstrations, optics displays, merchandise, and more! Another special event is the Fall Wildlife Festival offered at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Zimmerman on September 29, with a wide array of educational displays, fun activities, games, nature walks, and interesting programs offered throughout the day.
The following information has been provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and their affiliates. This report is brought to you by ExploreMinnesota.com.
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The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
On August 27th, Dave Carman watched a Mississippi Kite pass near Hawk Ridge in Duluth. Closer to Lake Superior, Karl Bardon has been monitoring a substantial irruption of Red Crossbills coming down the lake's North Shore. He has counted almost 4,000 since August 14th.
At Mud Lake in Grant County, Kim Eckert found an immature Little Blue Heron on the 24th on the south side of State Highway 55, two and one-half miles west of Wendell. He also reported four Snowy Egrets a mile north of there at Ash Lake, along with several dozen American Golden-Plovers.
A Carolina Wren was singing in the yard of Chad Heins in Mankato, Blue Earth County on the 25th, but it was gone the following morning.
And on the 30th, several Buff-Breasted Sandpipers were along Anoka County Road 14, just east of Sunset Avenue. The few new reports of other southbound migrants include Black-Bellied Plover, Willet, Philadelphia Vireo, Palm Warbler, Bay-Breasted Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
