Hi folks, Spent Saturday through Monday birding the Moquah Barrens (Bayfield Co, just northeast of Iron River). It?s been several years since I?ve been there, and I was astounded at how many more Eastern Towhees and Brown Thrashers there are now than what I remember. Of course, maybe I?m remembering incorrectly, but no matter. There weren?t many places in the barrens where I couldn?t hear at least two towhees and a thrasher. Short list of birds (complete lists below): Eastern Towhee Brown Thrasher Brewer's Blackbird Eastern Bluebird Upland Sandpiper (watched a pair, the male perched singing his cool song while the female foraged below) Whip-poor-will Common Ravens (a migrating (?) kettle of 162!) Field Sparrow (I managed to find one singing male) Vesper Sparrow Harris's Sparrow Wild Turkey Clay-colored Sparrow Hermit Thrush Black-throated Green Warbler (FOY) Ovenbird (FOY) My list of raptors & one quasi-raptor: Northern Harrier Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Sharp-shinned Hawk Bald Eagle Cooper's Hawk Turkey Vulture I wasn't able to find any Sharp-tailed Grouse, but I didn't sit in the blind, either. I did see a lot of sign, particularly droppings, tracks and dust bowls in the sandy mounds left by small mammals. Good birding! Debbie p.s. scroll down for the complete ebird reports ____________________________ Debbie Waters Education Director Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory P.O. Box 3006 Duluth, MN 55803-3006 218.428.3539 dwaters@xxxxxxxxxxxxx www.hawkridge.org Bringing kids and birds together. Over 7,000 times in 2008. Become a MEMBER and support our educational efforts! "I'm an early bird and I'm a night owl, so I'm wise and I have worms." - Michael Scott, The Office Location: Moquah Barrens Observation date: 5/9/09 Number of species: 26 Wild Turkey 1 Bald Eagle 1 Northern Harrier 1 Upland Sandpiper 2 pair, seen flying together Northern Flicker X Blue Jay X American Crow X Common Raven X Tree Swallow X Eastern Bluebird X Hermit Thrush X American Robin X Brown Thrasher X Nashville Warbler X Yellow-rumped Warbler X Palm Warbler X Black-and-white Warbler 1 singing Eastern Towhee X Chipping Sparrow X Clay-colored Sparrow X Vesper Sparrow X Savannah Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 2 Red-winged Blackbird X Brewer's Blackbird X Brown-headed Cowbird X Location: Moquah Barrens Observation date: 5/10/09 Number of species: 32 Northern Harrier 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 1 American Kestrel 2 Whip-poor-will 1 singing Northern Flicker X Blue Jay X American Crow X Common Raven X counted a presumably migrating kettle of CORAs in the late afternoon of 162 birds! Tree Swallow X Eastern Bluebird X Hermit Thrush 2 singing American Robin X Gray Catbird 1 singing Brown Thrasher X Nashville Warbler X Yellow-rumped Warbler X Pine Warbler 1 singing Palm Warbler X Black-and-white Warbler 1 singing Eastern Towhee X Chipping Sparrow X Clay-colored Sparrow X Field Sparrow 1 singing Vesper Sparrow X Song Sparrow 1 singing White-throated Sparrow 1 singing Harris's Sparrow 1 viewed Red-winged Blackbird X Brewer's Blackbird X Brown-headed Cowbird X American Goldfinch 2 Location: Moquah Barrens Observation date: 5/11/09 Number of species: 33 Wild Turkey 3 two displaying males; one unknown Turkey Vulture 1 Northern Harrier 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Kestrel 1 Upland Sandpiper 2 pair; male singing from perch while female (presumably) foraged below in the grass Northern Flicker X Blue Jay X American Crow X Common Raven X Tree Swallow X Eastern Bluebird X Hermit Thrush 1 singing American Robin X Gray Catbird 1 singing Brown Thrasher X Nashville Warbler X Yellow-rumped Warbler X Black-throated Green Warbler 1 singing Pine Warbler 1 singing Palm Warbler X Ovenbird 1 singing Eastern Towhee X Chipping Sparrow X Clay-colored Sparrow X Vesper Sparrow X Song Sparrow 1 singing White-throated Sparrow 1 singing Red-winged Blackbird X Brewer's Blackbird X Common Grackle 1 Brown-headed Cowbird X #################### You received this email because you are subscribed to the WISBIRDN list. To UNSUBSCRIBE or SUBSCRIBE, use Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. To set DIGEST or VACATION modes, use Wisbirdn web interface at: //www.freelists.org/list/wisbirdn. Wisbirdn ARCHIVES at: //www.freelists.org/archives/wisbirdn.