Hello:
When I saw this message sent by Paul Roisen I did not know what to make of it
and I also got a similiar message from a past MOU president who lives in SE
Minnesota who also was very concern that if I or others do not share owl
locations on the RBA or the MOU listserv that it might if not they felt it will
effect the attendance of the SAx-Zim Bog Winter Birding Festival. Well its not
effecting our registrations as we reached our averaged attendance of 120
birders which represents 22 states and I am very proud that
I can tell you that last week the temperatures were in the -30's in the am hours
and got as high as 0 degrees but yesterday into this weekend the temps will be
above normal high averages. So I suspect very little birding was done in those
very cold temperatures. I have not been to the bog for nearly two weeks and yes
I get 1-2 reports from local guides or birders telling me what they saw and can
share them with you here but also take into account these birds have been
reported multiple times on the RBAs and the MOU listserv.
Sax-Zim Bog birds:
- Sharp-tailed Grouse: been reported on the MOU listserv on CR 52 "Arkola Rd"
just west of Stickney Rd
- Ruffed Grouse: been reported many times through out the bog.
- Northern Goshawk: been reported on the McDavitt Rd and CR 7 numerous times.
- Great Gray Owl: Refuse to give out locations but were seen yesterday.
- Northern Hawk Owl: Refuse to give out the location but was seen yesterday.
- Snowy Owl: A local school bus driver reported one yesterday east of
Meadowlands.
- Northern Shrike: been reported many times and seen through the bog.
- Black-backed Woodpecker: Still being reported off the McDavitt Rd.
- Boreal Chickadee: been reported multiple times on the listserv on the Admiral
Rd
- Gray Jay: reported many times on the listserv and seen through out the bog.
- Pine Grosbeak: reported many times on the listserv and seen through out the
bog.
- Purple Finch: reported a few times on the listserv at the Admiral Rd feeders.
- Common Redpoll: seen and reported many times at feeders in the bog area.
Duluth Area since we have trips on Sat & Sunday.
-Glaucous Gull: reported on last Duluth RBA
-Thayer's Gull: reported numerous times on the listserv and still being seen at
Superior Landfill and Canal Park
-Iceland Gull: Mostly reported at Superior Landfill and not as much lately at
Canal Park
-Great Black-backed Gull: Seen at both locations and reported many times on the
listserv and RBAs
-Bohemian Waxwings been reported at few locations in some surrounding
neighborhoods in the Duluth city limits. Last report I got was in the Duluth
Heights neighborhood off W. Page St.
-Evening Grosbeaks: reported on the last Duluth RBA.
There are no secrets and many of the birds people want to see in Sax-Zim Bog are
being reported and yes I am very happy that all the editors and birders are not
reporting owl sightings on the listserv and also on the RBAs. I'll report the
area where a owl was seen like I did above but I will not give out roads to
exactly where it was located. The mission of the Sax-Zim Bog Winter Birding
Festival or the reason I created this festival was to bring awareness of the
threaten peat bogs that are found in the "bog" and also display the winter birds
that live in these habitats. My intent was never put the birds at harm in the
bog and since there have been reports of abuse of owls in the bog, I made a
decision to not give out owl locations. I ask others on the listserv to join me
and from the sounds of it many have and I am very thankful for that.
Sax-Zim Bog festival is NOT focused on just seeing owls! There are so many
other types of birds to be found in the bog and I am doing my best to focus on
all the birds in the bog just not the owls and yes I would love to have our
participants see a Great Gray Owl on the festival because Great Gray Owls nest
in the bog and its sad we are not able to get one seen during the festival.
Also its true many people come to Sax-Zim in search of owls but I also believe
many want to see the other birds as well.
There are great number of birders from outside the state of Minnesota and within
Minnesota that visit the bog and see a vast number of birds that are not shared
by locals such as I or even reported on our RBAs. Yesterday I see on eBird a
Great Gray Owl was seen in Aitkin County and another was reported in Lake
County. So not all birds seen by birders are reported on the listserv and there
are other sources to find out what birds are being seen this winter.
Birders who do not want to travel on their own to Sax-Zim Bog can hire a local
guide or even call someone who lives up here to get some recent bird information
or you join the Sax-Zim Bog Winter Birding Festival and have some of the top
birders in MN and WI show you the birds in the bog.
Or
Get a copy of Kim Eckert's book and print out the Sax-Zim Bog map or visit my
website and print out the same map and bird the bog on your own and find your
own owls and visit the sites that were reported on the RBAs and on the listserv.
But I am going to stand firm and never again post owl locations on the listserv
and if others do not agree and they post locations that is their decision but to
say that the Sax-Zim Bog Festival will be hurt by my decision or by others
following suit.. well if I had to make a decision of protecting the owls from
abuse or having tons and tons of people come to the festival.. I choose the
owls!
Mike
Mike Hendrickson
Duluth, Minnesota
Website: http://www.mikehendricksonbirding.com
Blog: http://colderbythelakebirding.blogspot.com/
________________________________
From: Paul Roisen <roisenp1950@YAHOO.COM>
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Sent: Fri, February 4, 2011 12:16:31 PM
Subject: Re: [mou-net] [mou-rba] MOU RBA 4 February 2011
Anthony and all,
It is sad to note that so few of the birds a person might wish to see in
Minnesota at this time of year are either gone or not being reported. We were
hoping to attend the Sax-Zim Bog festival but it looks kind of dismal at this
point. Maybe next year will be better. Thanks for letting us know about the
few birds that are being seen and reported.
God Bless,
Paul Roisen
Sioux City, IA
Woodbury County
712-276-0371(H)
712-301-2817(C)
________________________________
From: Anthony Hertzel <rba@MOUMN.ORG>
To: MOU-NET@LISTS.UMN.EDU
Sent: Fri, February 4, 2011 9:39:13 AM
Subject: [mou-net] [mou-rba] MOU RBA 4 February 2011
-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*February 4, 2011
*MNST1102.04
-Birds mentioned
Glaucous Gull
Great Black-backed Gull
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Varied Thrush
Harris's Sparrow
-Transcript
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: February 4, 2011
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel (rba@moumn.org)
This is the Minnesota Birding Report for February 3rd, 2011.
A GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen by Peder Svingen on the 30th at Canal
Park in Duluth. Mike Hendrickson found a GLAUCOUS GULL here on the 29th.
A pair of EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES was seen in Montgomery, Le Sueur
County on the 2nd, though no location was given other than that they
were seen in the east side of town.
A VARIED THRUSH is still being seen in Ely, St. Louis County, across
from the Pillow Rock historical marker at the 2100 block of Main Street.
And a HARRIS'S SPARROW is still at Koni Fank's feeder in Dassel, Meeker
County, along 708th Avenue.
The next scheduled update of this tape is February 10th, 2011.
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