New Personal Birding Record

My initial goal in doing another Birding Big Year was to beat my Big Year total from a few years ago.  My old record, when I was much more of a novice birder, was just 93 species in one year.  After a little more than a month, I have moved past that number.

91. Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) - Gunflint Lake, MN
92. Black-and-White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) - Gunflint Lake, MN
93. Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo olivaceus) - Gunflint Lake, MN
94. Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla) - Gunflint Lake, MN

My next goal for this Big Year is to reach 100 species.  I also want to add a significant number of birds this year to my life list.  The Indigo Bunting and the Nashville Warbler were both added to the life list on June 1st.

End of May Birds

I am progressing on my Big Year, having spent the last few days birding from the Grand Marais shores of Lake Superior, to the Devil's Track Canyon, to Pincushion Mountain, to Sweetheart's Bluff, to Honeymoon Bluff, to the Gunflint Trail.  I've seen many beautiful sites, and found six new species, bringing my total to 90.

85. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) - Lake Superior at Grand Marais, MN

86. Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) - Lake Superior at Grand Marais, MN

87. American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) - Between Pincushion Mountain and Devil's Track Canyon

88. Veery (Catharus fuscescens) - Sweetheart's Bluff, Grand Marais, MN

89. Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) - Honeymoon Bluff at Hungry Jack Lake, MN

90. Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) - Gunflint Trail, MN

To my delight, I saw a Wood Duck with a flock of Mallards in Lake Superior at Grand Marais.  I have seen Wood Ducks in the past, but that was the first time I saw one in Grand Marais.  The Wood Duck was also next to several Canada Geese, the Semipalmated Plover, and the Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Late May Birds

I have seen several new bird species since my trip to the Twin Cities earlier this month.  My birding has brought me to Grand Marais, Hungry Jack Lake, and Gunflint Lake.  If the weather holds, I plan to bird the Gunflint Trail, and the North Shore of Lake Superior in the next few days.  Here are species 80 - 84 of my Big Year:

80. Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) - Grand Marais Harbor, MN
81. Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) - Gunflint Lake, MN
82. Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) - Honeymoon Bluff, Hungry Jack Lake, MN
83. Northern Parula (Parula americana) - Gunflint Lake, MN
84. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) - Gunflint Lake, MN

Below are some of the other species I have photographed over the past few days:

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Common Loon (Gavia immer) on nest by Chik-wauk Lodge and Nature Center

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus nuchalis)

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)

Mallard Hens (Anas platyrhynchos)

American Black Duck Hen (Anas rubripes)
You can see this is a hen because of  the olive-colored bill.  Drakes have a yellow bill.

Birding in Roseville

I was in the town of Roseville, MN last weekend, and saw a lot of birds.  Many were in Central Park, and some were around the yard of my childhood home.  A lot of the birds I observed do not even come up to where I live on the Gunflint Trail.  I added 19 new species to my Big Year list from the Twin Cities area, and have added three more from the Gunflint Trail as well.

58. Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) - Roseville, MN
59. Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) - Roseville, MN
60. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)- Roseville, MN

61. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) - Roseville, MN

62. Tree Sparrow (Tachycineta bicolor) - Roseville, MN
63. Hooded Merganser (Mergus serrator) Gunflint Lake (before the trip to Roseville)

64. European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) - Roseville, MN

65. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) - Roseville, MN

66. Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) - Roseville, MN

67. Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) - Roseville, MN

68. Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) - Roseville, MN

69. Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) - Roseville, MN

70. Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) - Roseville, MN

71. Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) - Roseville, MN

72. Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) - Roseville, MN

73. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) - Roseville, MN

74. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) - Roseville, MN

 

75. Great Egret (Ardea alba) Roseville, MN

76. Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) - Roseville, MN

77. Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) - Roseville, MN

78. Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) - Gunflint Lake, MN

79. Merlin (Falco columbarius) - Gunflint Lake, MN

The birds below are already on my Big Year List:

Mallard Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos)

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)

Big Day

On May 13, 2017, birders from around the world participated in a world wide Big Day.  These are the birds I recorded that day.

1. Blue Jay - 10 Birds

2. Pine Siskin - 2
3. White-throated Sparrow - 4
4. Red-winged Blackbird - 2
5. Dark-eyed Junco - 1
6. White-crowned Sparrow - 2
7. Chipping Sparrow - 5
8. American Tree Sparrow - 1

9. Purple Finch - 6

10. American Goldfinch - 1

11. Canada Warbler - 1
12. Common Grackle - 6
13. Rusty Blackbird - 2
14. American Crow - 1

15. American Black Duck - 4

16. Northern Flicker - 2
17. Ring-billed Gull - 5
18. Common Raven - 2
19. Black-capped Chickadee - 6
20. Mallard Duck - 1
21. Common Loon - 3
22. Hooded Merganser - 1
23. Herring Gull - 1
24. Pileated Woodpecker - 1

25. Bonaparte's Gull - 7

26. Common Yellowthroat - 1
27. Kestrel - 1
28. Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
29. House Finch - 1
30. Turkey Vulture - 1 (Little Iron Lake)

All the birds above were seen around Gunflint Lake, unless otherwise noted.  The bird species below were around Grand Marais, Minnesota:

31. Canada Goose - 1

The species below are already listed above, but there were additional numbers for the Grand Marais area.

Herring Gull - 16
Ring-billed Gull - 4
American Crow - 5

I'm still working on my Big Year list.  My Big Day added 5 new entries to my Big Year:

53. Canada Warbler (Cardellina canadensis) - Gunflint Lake, MN
54. Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) - Gunflint Lake, MN
55. Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) - Gunflint Lake, MN
56. Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) - Gunflint Lake, MN
57. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) - Gunflint Lake, MN

Ring-necked Duck, Common Merganser, White-throated Sparrow, and Turkey Vulture

I have seen a lot of birds in the last few days.  I've been on the Kekekabic Trail twice, and the Banadad Trail once.  A busy beaver (literally) stopped me from going too far along the Banadad, but the Kekekabic Trail yielded three new species for my Big Year.
45. Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) - Bingshick Lake, MN
46. Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata) - Bingshick Lake, MN
47. Common Snipe (Gallinago galinago) - Kekekabic Trail Head, MN

Below are some of the other birds I saw over the last few days:

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) - Seagull Lake, MN

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicolis) - Kekekabic Trail, MN

Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) - Kekekabic Trail

Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) and Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) - Kekekabic Trail

Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) - Kekekabic Trail

Birding Days 2 - 5

I have been birding over a wide area in the last few days.  On Monday, I birding along the North Shore from Grand Marais to Duluth.  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, I stayed on the Gunflint Trail.  On Thursday, I saw a lot of birds on the Gunflint Trail, and around the Grand Marais harbor.  The total so far for the year (starting April 30) is 44 species.  Species 1 - 24 are listed in the previous post.

25. Common Loon (Gavia immer) - Gunflint Lake
26. American Robin (Turdus migratorius) - Gunflint Trail

27. Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) - Grand Marais, MN

28. Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) - Lake Superior near Grand Marais, MN
29. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) - Duluth, MN

30. Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) - Duluth, MN

31. Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) - Duluth, MN
32. Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) - Duluth, MN
33. Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) - Duluth, MN
34. American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) - Lake Superior
35. American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) - Gunflint Trail

36. Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) - Gunflint Lake, MN

37. House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) - Gunflint Lake, MN

38. Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) - Gunflint Lake, MN

39. Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) - Centennial Trail, MN

40. Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) - Gunflint Lake, MN
41. Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus) - Gunflint Lake, MN
42. Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) - Grand Marais, MN

43. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) - Grand Marais, MN

44. Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) - Grand Marais, MN

Most of the pictures below are of birds that are already on my Big Year list.  I also have a picture of a hybrid Mallard x American Black Duck.

White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)

American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea)

Mallard x American Black Duck