NEWSLETTERS ~ CURRENT PROJECTS ~ BUTTERFLY COUNT ~ CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT ~ NATIVE PLANTS & PRAIRIE ~ VOLUNTEER
2020 News
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December 19, 2020 - 2020 Christmas Bird Count
Covid 19 changed the way we conducted our count this year. We had no group gatherings and our counters had to maintain social distancing (no car pooling). We missed the social aspect of the count but still got it done. December 19 was gloomy with gray skies, but mild temperatures made searching a little easier for our counters. Our final tally: 63 species! (55 found on Dec. 19 plus 8 "count week" birds). Many very good birds were found, including a Common Yellowthroat Warbler which was reported for the first time on a Rochester count, and Eurasian Collared Dove for just the second time. Other birds of note included Hermit Thrush, Merlin, Ruffed Grouse and White-winged Crossbill. Many thanks to the two dozen counters who spent their day outside and all who participated by counting at their backyard feeders. Our Section Leaders included: 1) Sandy Hokanson & Dave Gross, 2) John McCormick, 3) Jerry Pruett & Rod Bolterman, 4) August Krueger & Patty Trnka, 5) Jim Peterson, 6) Joyce & Terry Grier, 7) Michael Degerstrom, 8) Dave Squillace, & 9) Ken Nichols. Thanks also to those who shared their photos and to Clifford Hansen for organizing and tabulating. See additional facebook photos here 
December 11, 2020 - Bugs Below Zero - Here's a novel citizen Science project you can get involved with:
Bugs are everywhere in the summer, but have you ever thought about what happens to them in the winter? Visit bugsbelowzero.com to learn more about the dynamics of winter aquatic insects and their vital importance to streams and trout in Minnesota. Once the snow flies, Dr. Len Ferrington, a Professor in @CFANS at the University of Minnesota, and his team of researchers would like you to join them in a citizen science project that could expand the scope of their research. Participants simply identify and submit photographs of midges on the snow, often near streambanks. Your help can grow our understanding of how the unique Minnesota climate reveals valuable insights about interactions between weather, water, insects, and food webs for researchers across the globe. More details can be found under the “get involved” tab on bugsbelowzero.com, along with videos, classroom resources, and background information. This project is perfect for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, landowners, and classrooms looking for virtual information and outdoor activities that can be done at a distance. More about midges can be found at BugsBelowZero.com or by following Len’s group on Facebook @ChironomidaeResearchGroup. Partial funding for this research and outreach materials provided by @MNENRTF. , and science stories and outreach materials created by students in @AECM. December 5, 2020 - Quarry Hill Walk - The weather outside was a frosty 20 degrees when we started our walk this morning at Quarry Hill - but it quickly warmed up to around 30. The sun was shining and almost no wind made it quite pleasant. Twenty-two people split in two groups for a slow walk around the park. The pond was mostly frozen over so not much luck there. We we did find 15 species total between both groups - most very close the Nature Center's feeders - these birds know where to get a quick breakfast. The best bird was a Brown Creeper. Other species were: Downy WP, Hairy WP, Red-Bellied WP, White-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadees, Goldfinches, Crows, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Junco, House Sparrow, Red-tailed Hawk, White-throated Sparrow and Pigeons. And, at the very end of the walk a hot air balloon sailed overhead... always remember to look up!
Thank you Terry and Joyce Grier for leading this walk! Photos by Sandy Hokanson. 
Nov. 24, 2020 - Winter Finch Forecast -
Did you know that a Crossbill can eat 3,000 seeds a day! 73 people joined our Zoom program tonight to listen to Matt Young (President of the Finch Research Network (FiRN) discuss his work with finches. He likes to call winter finches "cold weather parrots" as they are social birds and they use their feet to climb and manipulate their food like parrots do. This winter will definitely be a "finch fest" in the eastern U.S., and Minnesota will be in onteh action. Pine Siskins have already arrived in big numbers, Red Poll sightings are increasing daily, Red & White-winged Crossbills are already in the area and Evening Grosbeaks are starting to move south. Why? Matt says one reason is that Spruce Bud Worm infestations have been very high for the past few years in the boreal forests of Canada. While this is bad for the timber crop, it's great news for nesting birds which are more successful when there's a lot to eat. And when there's a lot of birds - they will come south in great numbers to feed. Matt showed a slow motion video of Crossbills using their unique bills to pry apart spruce cones (very cool!). Learn more about finches here and keep and eye out for finches this winter. Photo of female White-winged Crossbill by Sandy Hokanson Nov. 20, 2020 - Owl Rescue! - This morning we got a call that a Saw-whet Owl needed help in downtown Rochester. Jennifer Sanneman, CEO of Essence Skin Clinic, called Quarry Hill Nature Center to report a little owl hanging out in the Christmas garland by their front door. It didn't seem injured but it wasn't flying away even when people approached it. The Nature Center called ZVAS board members Terry and Joyce Grier who have experience rescuing and banding birds. The Griers were able to capture the bird and now it's on the way to a more thorough evaluation before (hopefully) being released to continue its migration south. We'll keep you posted on our little friend as we learn more. Thank you Jennifer and the staff at Essence Skin Clinic for protecting this owl until we could arrive.
UPDATE: At Quarry Hill Jill Danielsen weighed our little owl in at 108 grams with a wing cord of 139 centimeters. Wing cord measures a particular part of the wing. and can be used to sex the bird. These measurements indicated that it was a female. Jill then used a black light to show the pattern of color on the underside of the wings. What she saw indicated that the bird was a hatch year bird - born this year. Jill then banded the bird and checked for fat deposits alongside the breast bone. She determined that it was healthy, so it was released. Photos by Sandy Hokanson Nov. 8, 2020 - Tundra Swan Field Trip - We had 12 participants with the Grier's leading the field trip for a total of 14 people. The weather could not have been better for viewing the Tundra Swans. Temperatures in the 70s and little wind at the overlooks. The water level seemed to be lower than in years past, pushing the waterfowl out into the river a bit. We had great looks at thousands of adult & juvenile Tundra Swans and a large number of ducks.
Lots of Bald Eagles were also seen, again both adult and juveniles. We were somewhat disappointed to find only 1 White Pelican. Our time was spent at the 2 overlooks south if Brownsville, MN. We decided not to drive to the Wisconsin side, but had heard from a friend that the Shady Maple overlook south of La Crosse also has great views of the Swans. The Swans should be hanging around until the river starts to freeze up. Go check them out! Species seen: Tundra swan, Canada geese, Mallard, Northern Pintail, Wood duck, Green-winged tail, Ring-necked duck, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Wigeon, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Scaup, Double-crested cormorant, American White Pelican, Ring-billed gull, Coot, Hooded merganser, Pied billed grebe, Bald eagle, Red-tailed hawk, Great blue heron. Photos by Brendan Lanpher Nov. 7, 2020 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - 22 people showed up for our walk at Quarry Hill this morning. The weather was fantastic and because our group was so large we split into 2 groups. All together we found 23 species of birds. Most were hanging around the feeders by the nature center - they know where the food is! Highlights included a Rough-legged Hawk, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Pine Siskin and a Wilson's Snipe (spotted in the pond at the very end of the walk by Joyce). We had a great time - and maybe if we're lucky we'll have great weather for our December walk too!!
Species list: Downy WP, Hairy WP, Red-bellied WP Pileated WP., Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Mallard, Canada Geese, Pigeons, Blue Jay, Crow, Northern Cardinal, Goldfinch, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Red-tailed hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Bald Eagle, Wilson's Snipe. 
Oct. 27, 2020 - Project Puffin -
Last night's Zoom Presentation about Project Puffin was inspiring. Dr. Don Lyons, PhD, Director of Conservation Science Audubon Seabird Institute shared how the project came about as the result of just one man with a passion. Years in the making, this program is now branching out to help many other types of endangered seabirds across the world. If you missed it you can learn more here: projectpuffin.audubon.org/ Oct. 3, 2020 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - We had a great walk at Quarry Hill this morning. The skies were gray - but the rain held off and there was no wind to speak of. Ten people took part and we found 29 species of birds. Fewer leaves on the trees meant it was a little easier to get decent looks and even a few photos. The birds were very active trying to find food after the cold night. Many of the birds we found today will soon be gone further south. Thank you Terry and Joyce for leading another great walk!
Species list: Downy WP, Red-bellied WP, Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Black-capped Chickadee, Robin, Hermit Thrush, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Goldfinch, Mallard, Wood Duck, Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Golden-crowned kinglet, Kingfisher, Crow, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler and 2 other Warbler species we couldn't confirm - but suspect they were a Nashville and an Orange-crowned. Sept 26, 2020 - Paseo para observar Aves en Español - Today we held our first “Bird Walk for Spanish Speakers” at Quarry Hill Nature Center. We were eleven persons, including a 6-year-old boy. On our walk, we saw or heard 18 species of birds: Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Blue Jay, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Canada Goose, Purple Finch, House Sparrow, Red-bellied Woodpecker), Red-bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Towhee, Gray Catbird. Watch this page and our Facebook page for up-to-date information and announcements about future programs in Spanish and English.
en Español El 26. de septiembre tuvimos nuestro ‘Paseo para observar Aves en Español’ en el Centro de Naturaleza Quarry Hill. Nosotros éramos once personas, inclusivo un niño de 6 año. Durante del paseo, vimos o escuchamos 18 especias de aves: Cardenal Norteño , Carpintero Velloso Menor, Carbonero de Gorra Oscura, Sita de Pecho Blanco, Chara Azul, Dominico Americano, Mirlo Primavera, Colíbri garganta rubío, Ganso Canadiense, Pinzón Morado, Gorrión Doméstico, Carpintero de Carolina, Carpintero de Carolina, Carpintero Norte-americano, Mascarits Común, Rascador de Ojo Rojo (Eastern Towhee), Maullador gris, Garzón Cenizo. En esta página y nuestra página de Facebook encontrará información actuales y anuncios sobre programas futuros en español e inglés. Sept 26, 2020 - Sparrow Walk ay Kalmar Reservoir - Despite the gray overcast conditions this morning's Sparrow Walk at the Kalmar East and South Reservoirs was a great success. We started at the East Site where twenty birders waded through the wet grasses to a fence line between the park and a soybean field. There we found several species of sparrows including Le Contes, Nelsons, Swamp, Song and Lincolns. Later, at the South Site we added Savannah and Henslow's sparrows to our list. Other highlights of the day included Sandhill Cranes, Bobolink, Marsh Wren, Sora Rail, Pheasant, Tennessee and Common Yellowthroat Warblers, and a Northern Harrier. Our leader Jerry Pruett was also able to identify an American Pipit that flew over.
Many thanks to Jerry for sharing his expertise and showing us some great spots to look for these rarely seen sparrows! The birds should hang around for another couple weeks - with different varieties coming through later in October - so there's still time to see them if you missed today's walk. Sept 23, 2020 - 45 people logged in to our Zoom talk last night to listen to Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks, PhD talk about her study of Vultures and how their scavenging can assist in crime solving. Who knew that a body can be reduced to a skeleton in as little as 5 hours after Vultures find it! She described the 16 tell tale signs of how to recognize Vulture scavenging as opposed to coyotes or other animals. A little gruesome - but all fascinating. We didn't record the talk - but if you're interested you can view her short version TED talk on the same subject here: www.ted.com/talks/lauren_pharr_how_vultures_can_help_solve_crimes?language=en
Monthly programs to return Sept. 22 via Zoom!
How Vultures Impact Crime Scenes Presented by Lauren Pharr Parks, PhD, Forensic Anthropologist Tuesday, September 22, 2020 / 7 - 8 pm Can a bird that symbolizes death help the living catch criminals? In this informative talk, forensic anthropologist Lauren Pharr Parks shows us how vultures impact crime scenes -- and the assistance they can provide to detectives investigating murders. Short Q&A by chat following the program. Free Webinar via Zoom: The Meeting ID is: 850 4669 6968 The passcode is: 470188 It is easy to join in from the comfort of your own home: 1. Download and install the Zoom app (if you don't already have it) 2. On September 22, open the Zoom app on your phone, tablet or computer and click the "Join" button 3. Input the above meeting ID and passcode when prompted 4. Click the "Join" button once more to connect. If you don't want to download Zoom you can try this one-click link to join the meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85046696968?pwd=YXpyVnpJd1hoS1dqMFRMR0krbUF2Zz09 Note: This talk may contain graphic images. Presentation is limited to the first 100 people to log in Sept 20, 2020 - Root River Park Bird Walk - Our nine birders were happy to find 32 species of birds at Root River Cty Park this morning - but a little unhappy that our view of them was "obstructed". The birds were high up and behind dense leaf cover - but it is what it is. the highlight of the day was a quick look at a Cuckoo as it flew out of the woods over the meadow - we couldn't tell if it was a Yellow-billed or Black-billed - but both are very uncommon birds so it was a great find!!
We saw or heard: Crow, Flicker, Downy, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, White breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue jay, Starling, Goldfinch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Gray Catbird, Killdeer, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Wood Peewee, Flycatcher species, Robin, Kingfisher, Sharpshin Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Red-winged Blackbird and Cuckoo. Signs of winter: We saw a wooly bear caterpillar - we'll let you decide what that means. Sept 5 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - Eleven birders found 30 species of birds (including 7 species of warblers) on our walk around Quarry Hill this morning - kind of amazing considering all the leaf cover which made them difficult to see - and they were mostly way up high in the trees, too. But the weather made it a fantastic day to be outside. Migration is well under way!
We saw or heard: Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Catbird, Cardinals, Blue Jay, Goldfinch, Red-eyed Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, Pigeon, House Sparrow, Canada Geese, Nashville Warbler, Chestnut Sided warbler, Wilsons Warbler, Tennessee Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Barn Swallow, Warbling Vireo, Yellow Throated Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Song sparrow, House Wren, Cedar Waxwings Robins, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Flycatcher species, Ruby throated hummingbirds. Thank you Joyce Grier for leading this fun walk. August 1 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - The birds were pretty shy on our walk at Quarry Hill this morning - so even though we saw and/or heard 18 different species we didn't get a single photo. The plants stayed put for photos and we enjoyed seeing what's currently in bloom up in the Oak Savanna. Also seen were 5 butterfly species (Monarch, Northern Pearly Eye, Orange Sulphur, Fritillary and several Easter Tiger Swallowtails) and one American Toad. All in all it was a beautiful morning to be out in nature.
Birds species: Blue Jays, Gold Finches, Northern Cardinal, Robin, Chickadee, House Wren, Mourning Dove, Easter Wood Peewee, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Bluebirds Cedar Waxwings, Oriole, House Finch, Chimney Swift, Red Bellied Woodpecker, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Easter Kingbird Thanks to Terry and Joyce Grier for leading the walk and to Patty Trnka and Terri Dugan for helping to identify some mystery plants, The savanna is looking great this year - be sure to visit if you get a chance! July 17 - Annual Butterfly Count - We rescheduled our count to take place on Friday the 17th to avoid the heat stroke conditions predicted for the 18th. It was still pretty hot and humid, but manageable as a good breeze and some clouds provided a little shade. Our 11 counters traveled many miles as they went out to local hot spots in small teams or individually. This year's count sites included Chester Woods, Quarry Hill, Essex Park, Northern Hills, Eastside WMA, the Silver Creek and Willow Creek Reservoirs, Haverhill, and the Autumn Ridge / History Center area. We are still tabulating the tally sheets but saw at least 32 species (see list here - we'll update it as more info comes in). And you can see even more photos on our FB album here.
July 4 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk - This month we hiked through the Oak Savanna on Quarry Hill's west side. It was a steamy day and we enjoyed the shade of the big Oaks. We saw or heard 19 species of birds, 10 species of butterflies and one America Toad. Many wildflowers are now in full bloom and we liked it so much up there that we've decided to hold our August walk there as well. See more photos on our Facebook Page
Bird list: N Cardinal, Blue Jay, Robin, Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, White Breasted Nuthatch, Catbird, Mourning Dove, Eastern Wood peewee, House Wren, Goldfinch, Indigo bunting, Flycatcher species, Red-bellied woodpecker, Blue gray Gnatcatcher, Field Sparrpw, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird Butterflies: Northern Pearly Eye, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Monarchs, Common Wood Nymph, Great Spangled Fritillary, Banded Hairstreak, Silvery checkerspot, Least Skipper, Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur. Odes: Widow Skimmer Dragonfly Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly Thanks to Joyce & Terry Grier for leading the walk! June 20-21 - Butterflies! - Hackberry Emperor butterflies have invaded Hwy 74 in the Whitewater Valley. This huge emergence seems to take place every few years, but not everywhere. That area seems to be good for Hackberry Emperors. Seeing dozens of butterflies flitting around you can be quite an experience. And Hackberry Emperors often will land on people to sip their sweat! Now is the time to enjoy looking for butterflies. And be sure to add native plants to your backyard in support of these wonderful creatures. Click here to download a sheet showing the common butterflies of SE Minnesota.
June 9 - Kestrel Chicks! - Kirk Payne from Quarry Hill Nature Center and a few helpers recently made a house call to checkup on a couple Kestrel nest boxes. At a box in Eyota he found 5 chicks that were already well-feathered but a little underweight - but they were feisty little falcons so that is a good sign. The next box on the southeast side of Chester Woods also had 5 fuzzy chicks. These were younger - but heavier than those in the first box. Kirk weighed and banded all the chicks and even sprayed a little insecticide in the boxes before returning the chicks to their parents. A bad infestation of blackflies and blowflies can actually kill fledglings. Hopefully all will go well and these young birds will soon be out of the nest and flying on their own catching grasshoppers and mice. Thank you Kirk!Photos provided by Terry Grier.
June 6 - Quarry Hill Bird Walk -This morning we held our first public bird walk since early March at Quarry Hill Nature Center. Ten of us masked up and walked around the pond and into the woods. We heard or saw at least 34 species - pretty good considering all the leaf cover which makes it difficult to get a good look. Several Orioles were spotted, and we even found one active Oriole nest high up in a Cottonwood. We also located an active Red-eyed Vireo nest which was so well hidden we would never have seen it if the birds hadn't moved. An Indigo Bunting was heard - then gave us a brief glimpse as it flew over into deeper cover. Many wildflowers are blooming now (and they stay put for photos!). A few dragonflies we're skimming the pond and several small fish were in the shallows.
Birds species included: (See more photos on our FB page here) Chickadee, Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Starling, Brown headed Cowbird, Cardinal, Oriole, Rose breasted Grosbeak, House Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Turkey Vulture, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red bellied Woodpecker, Goldfinch, Barn Swallow (nesting in the shelter), Tree Swallow, Pigeon, White Breasted Nuthatch, Catbird, Blue Gray Gnatcatcher, Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, Cedar Waxwings, Flicker, Redstart Red-tail Hawk. Thanks to Joyce & Terry Grier for leading today's walk and to Brendan Lanpher and Dave Gross for helping us identify several bird songs. May 25, 2020 - ZVAS President Joel Dunnette hasn't let the pandemic stop his work ... he's a man with plans:
Quarry Hill West: Continuing the work that Terri Dugan has been doing, establishing woodland natives on the west side of Quarry Hill park (between the picnic pavillion and the cemetery), Joel and volunteers dug more woodland plants from his old place, ordered some from Prairie Moon, and also got some seed from Prairie Moon. All were planted into that area in the last couple of weeks. Joan, Terry and Joyce helped plant, along with several other folks. Joel feels this area is worth a visit if you enjoy native woodland wildflowers. Quarry Hill East Last fall the Parks Dept. cut the dense buckthorn along a 20-50' wide swath adjacent to the NE-SW entry road, and put in a wood chip trail that separates that cleared area from the uphill garlic mustard and buckthorn mess. Nothing had been planted in that area, and there are lots of garlic mustard plants and buckthorn sprouts. Joel felt that unless we established some good natives there the invasives would take over that again. So he purchased seed from Prairie Moon and got volunteers to spread it with the permission from QH and parks. Thank you Joel and volunteers for being an advocate for the outdoors. Your efforts will improve our natural areas for years to come! May 16, 2020 - Warblers & More - Joyce and Terry Grier and Sandy Hokanson decided to go looking for warblers this morning. They've been sparse so far this spring but with stormy weather predicted for later today we had high hopes. First stop was Chester Woods where we took the Lake Trail followed by the Dam Overlook Trail, and yes, we found warblers, Orioles, Grosbeaks, sparrows and more. With success there, we next went to Kutzky Park and found even more - 18 warbler species in all and over 60 total bird species for the day. See more photos on our Facebook page here:
Warblers: Nashville, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Tennessee, Black-throated Green, Blackpoll, Blue-winged, Yellow, Black & White, Magnolia, Redstart, Blackburnian, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroat, Prothontary. (At Kutzky of all places), Wilsons, Golden-winged, Northern Waterthrush. Other great finds included three species of vireos: Yellow-throated, Red-eyed and Warbling. A Mink running along the bank at Kutzky, a really big snapping turtle and a pair of Sandhill Cranes of the road back from Chester Woods. We think the warblers will be around for a few more days - so get out there while you can in the coming week. Happy birding May 15, 2020 - Ruddy Turnstones & Sanderlings - Today our group of five birded at Hok-si-la Park and Sand Point in Lake City. We saw several great birds starting with a Red-headed Woodpecker. The highlight of the day was when we got a tip about Ruddy Turnstones and found them at Sand Point along with several Sanderlings, Black Terns, and Forster's Terns - all of which are uncommon birds for us. Warblers were disappointing today with not many being sighted ... but then at lunch Brian J. mentioned that he thought he had seen a Pine Warbler (not often seen) and led us to it where we all could get a pretty good look. So a pretty successful day, fantastic weather, and around 45 species total.
Birders included, Terry & Joyce Grier, Brian Jump, Sandy Hokanson & Dave Gross. See more photos on our Facebook page. 
May 11, 2020 - Rare Painted Bunting sighted in Rochester - A rare Painted Bunting was sighted in Kutzky Park late on May 10. Today birders from around the state were lining to see this bird which is usually found in Texas and Louisiana -- and most were able to see and photograph it. What a great find. Photo by Brendan Lanpher.
May 9, 2020 - BIG Birding Day at Chester Woods & Rock Dell - The morning started out on the frosty side at just 30 degrees but it was bright and sunny as our team of 6 birders did a survey of Chester Woods followed by a walk through the Rock Dell WMA. It warmed up into the 50s and was very nice out but we were frustrated by the lack of warblers. We did enjoy seeing many sparrow and woodpecker species. At least 54 species were sighted by 3 pm and I'm sure more will come in during the rest of the day. See More photos on our FB page here.
Birds sighted included: Coots, Bufflehead, Canada Geese, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Mallard, Ring-necked Pheasant, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red Headed Woodpecker, (Rock Dell), Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, American Goldfinch, Grasshopper Sparrow (heard only), Chipping Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Lincoln's Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Common Grackle, Orange-crowned Warbler, Palm Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Mourning Dove, Pigeon, Blue-headed Vireo, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Gray Cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Waterthrush, Eastern Phoebe. Team members : Brendan Lanpher (leader), Terry & Joyce Grier, Cody Miller, Sandy Hokanson & Brian Jump. May 4, 2020 - Owl Nest Box Project Update - Jerry reports they are now looking for for sites at Weaver Dunes and working with Karla Bloem of the International Owl Center in Houston, MN. The also erected box #5 at Oxbow Park this past weekend. Way to go guys!
May 3, 2020 - Rice Lake / Armstrong Wetlands - Several ZVAS board members car pooled to the Rice Lake State Park area today. Before going into the park itself we drove along a dirt road a couple miles north to see some wetlands that had been being restored. It was a great spot. We found multiple shorebirds (Sandpipers, Dowitchers, peeps, many lesser/greater Yellowlegs, lots of waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Trumpeter Swans, a Northern Harrier and much more). Then it was back to Rice Lake where we found Pelicans, Cormorants, Yellow, Orange-Crowned, Palm and Black & White Warblers, Blue Gray Gnatcatchers and more. At both sites combined we recorded at least 62 species. The spring wildflowers at Rice Lake are at their peak right now and won't last much longer. Likewise the shorebirds will be headed further north soon as well. Get out and see them while you can. See many more photos from this trip on our FB page here.
May 2, 2020 - Avid birdwatchers Jerry Pruett, Jim Peterson and Dave Nelson have started making nesting boxes for Barn Owls. Never common, Barn Owls virtually disappeared from Minnesota and weren’t seen for many years, probably due to habitat loss and the increasing use poisons to kill rodents. Then, in the last couple of years, a few sightings were reported, mostly down near the Iowa border. Jim and Jerry hope to encourage these beautiful raptors to come back and nest in Minnesota. They've started making and installing nest boxes near undisturbed fields where the owls can hunt their preferred prey of mice and other small rodents. We hope it’s a big success as we’d all like to see more of these beautiful owls again. The guys are looking for additional sites to post the boxes. Preferred sites would be on private land with large undisturbed grassy fields or meadows. Nearby woods are OK too. Please let us know if you want to recommend a site – or would be interested in becoming a nest box monitor. ZVAS is supporting their project with a $400 grant this year for the purchase of materials to construct the boxes.
April 26, 2020 - Several board members had the same idea this morning and did some birding at Root River County Park (we passed each other on the trail). The weather was beautiful, the spring wildflowers are blooming and we managed to find 30 species of birds - the best being a flyover by a Broad-winged Hawk. But no new warblers ... going to have to wait a while longer for those!
April 11, 2020 - Spring migration has begun in earnest with many reports of ducks and herons being seen at area reservoirs. Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets are in the woods and the first Yellow-rumped Warblers are also in the area. Spring wildflowers like Snow Trillium are now in bloom as well. Enjoy spring!
Owl Fest - Houston, MN - March 7-8, 2020 - We had great time talking about owls and birds in general with hundreds of folks at the festival this weekend. The Bird wheel was in constant motion and the weather was downright balmy - getting into the 50s, Robins, Red-winged Blackbirds and even a Sandhill Crane were spotted in the area. Many thanks go to all of the volunteers who staffed our booth and to the those who worked hard to put on another successful festival!
Bird Walk at Quarry Hill - March 7, 2020 - We had great weather and a good turnout for the bird Walk. 20+ people joined us. The highlight of the walk were 2 good looks at a juvenile Bald Eagle flying overhead. We recorded 10 species, including Donwy WP, Hairy WP, Black-capped Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Cardinal, House Sparrow, Rock Doves,
Canada Geese and the Bald Eagle. A group of 6 people broke off from the main Walk to find the Hermit & Varied Thrush - but we haven't heard if they found them. Afterwards Terry and Joyce G drove around and saw a Northern Harrier and an Eastern Bluebird. Feb. Program at Quarry Hill - Feb. 4, 2020 - There was good crowd at our program Tuesday night when Greg Hoch talked about Wood Ducks. Did you know they nearly went extinct in the early 1900s? Wood Ducks need small ponds and big trees with cavities to nest in - but in those days logging was unrestricted (so no big trees) and beavers (which create small ponds) were being trapped out as well. Conservation laws made a huge difference and now they are one of our most common ducks. We also learned that although Wood Ducks are incredibly colorful ... their feathers are actually only black, white, brown, yellow and red. All the other shades of purple, green and blue are caused by iridescent structures on the feathers (combined with a little oil). Greg is the author of newly published "With Wings Extended: A Leap Into the Wood Duck's World", and two other books about Prairie Chickens and Woodcock.
Quarry Hill Bird Walk - Feb. 1, 2020 - The sun came out for our walk at Quarry Hill this morning - a welcome sight after so many cloudy days. Unfortunately the birds didn't really follow suit. We did tally 14 species including a quick flyover by a Coopers Hawk and a Flicker (identified by its fast drumming call). Otherwise our group of 18 had to be content with the regulars: Chickadees, Cardinals and White-breasted Nuthatches, etc. We had hoped to find a Carolina Wren and Hermit Thrush - both have been seen in the park recently but we couldn't find them today. Get outside - the weather is great!
Birding in Columbia - Quarry Hill - Jan. 28, 2020 - We had a great turnout tonight for Terry & Joyce Grier's talk about their recent trip to Columbia. From sea level on the Carribean to over 13,000' in the Andes, they saw hundreds of bird species in this beautiful country. The people there cherish their natural resources and take great pride in the diverse species of birds, butterflies and more that live there. Terry's many photos were spectacular and his descriptions of their adventure were funny, educational and personal. Thank you!
Golden Eagle Survey - Jan. 25, 2020 - It was a very gray day and was either lightly snowing or kind of hazy until the afternoon. There were some bald eagles flying before that, but we were getting discouraged about the Goldens. A little after 2 pm we saw a possible Golden flying, but a looong way out. Dave got it on pics and I'm convinced it is a Golden. I like to look with the binocs first, so I didn't get on it soon enough to take a picture. The second GOEA was a little after 3 pm at the end of the other little valley where we have seen them before, but there were several birds. Dave and I both got photos of a Golden. Dave spotted a kingfisher by a little spring-fed fish pond that was open. Anytime we can see one in the winter is exciting. But a bigger surprise to us was a perched bird that Dave and I both called as a red-tailed that flew just as we were taking pics of it. I got it perched and Dave got it just as it took off. In Dave's photo it looked like the underwing of a rough-legged. When we got to our home computers, we both realized that it was what Sibley shows as a western dark adult Red-tailed Hawk! I have only seen one other dark RT that I know of and that was many years ago just north of Rochester.
Totals for MN Route 6: 2 Golden Eagles, 15 Bald Eagles, 7 Red-tailed Hawks, 0 Rough-legged Hawks, 4 American Kestrels, 3 Pheasants, and about 50 Blue Jays. A very good day! Terry Grier, Joyce Grier and Dave Gross Golden Eagle ID Training - Jan. 11, 2020 - Golden Eagles arrive in Minnesota and the driftless area each Oct/Nov and then leave again in March to head back to their nesting grounds in the far northern areas of Canada so there is a small window of opportunity to see them here. Several ZVAS members attended the Golden Eagle Identification class sponsored by the National Eagle Center and held at the Whitewater SP Visitor Center. We learned a lot about how to distinguish Goldens from immature Balds (they look very similar at first glance!). Instructor Scott Mehus made the class very entertaining and we enjoyed the rapid fire photo quiz. Click to learn more about Golden Eagles.
Quarry Hill Bird Walk - Jan. 4, 2020 - This morning's walk at Quarry Hill didn't turn up a lot of birds but the weather was fairly nice with not much wind - and that always makes for a more enjoyable trip. Terry and Joyce led a group of 17 people through the park, but similar to last month, the vast majority of birds were at the feeders near the nature center. An interesting find was a dead Hairy Woodpecker found near the trail. We don't know what killed it - could've been old age, an interrupted hawk attack or something else. It had a ban on it's leg and Carrie N at Quarry Hill looked up the number and confirmed that it had been banded at the park.
We found 14 species total: Chickadees, White Breasted Nuthatches, Downy WP, Hairy WP, Red-bellied WP, Cardinals, Crow, Goldfinches, Mourning Dove, House Sparrows, Rock Doves, Blue Jay, Starlings, & a Canada Goose. Whitewater Xmas Bird Count - Jan. 1, 2020 - Today our ZVAS team of Terry and Joyce Grier, Sandy Hokanson and Brian Jump took part in the Whitewater Count and had a great time driving all over "Route 7". Highlights of what we found included a Golden Eagle, 2 Rough-legged hawks, a Shrike, a Kingfisher and a large group of 25+ Bald Eagles in a field feeding on a carcass (presumably a deer). Our group found a total of 22 species. A complete list of all the different group's combined sightings is shown in the last photo. You can see more photos on our Facebook page here.
Many thanks to Sara Holger and the Whitewater staff for hosting and providing some snacks! Christmas Bird Count update, Dec 29, 2019 - Searching for owls at 3am - that's how this year's Christmas Bird Count started for some of our volunteers ... and they succeeded in finding Great Horned, Barred and Screech Owls. The rest of us started the day at 7:15 with 9 teams searching a 15 mile radius area centered on Rochester. It was a gray day with light flurries, temps in the teens, and a north breeze that felt pretty cold at times. This year there was a lack of diversity in waterfowl, and normally common birds like Goldfinches were not very common. Some rarities including a Varied Thrush, a Red-headed Woodpecker, a Merlin, a Hermit Thrush, and several Northern Shrike were spotted. One team even spotted an Otter (not a bird... but still!).
A total of 50 species were found on count day. Three additional count week birds were reported after December 14, but no new count day species. The count week birds are: Song Sparrow, Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker, and Red-winged Blackbird. The tally include six feeder reports. Click here for the final species tally for the 2019 The most unusual species were hermit thrush, varied thrush, and trumpeter swan. A varied thrush was found in only one previous Rochester bird count (2005). The 66 bald eagles found was the highest ever for the Rochester Christmas bird count. Check out our Facebook album with more photos is here. Many, many thanks go to Clifford Hanson for organizing the count, to our section leaders: Sandy Hokanson & Dave Gross, John McCormick, Jerry Pruett & Rod Bolterman, August Krueger, Jim Peterson, Joyce & Terry Grier, Brendan Lanpher, Dave Squillace, & Lance Vrieze, and to all the many volunteers who helped today! A special thank you to the staff at Quarry Hill Nature Center for the use of their facilities! |
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