WESTERN GREAT LAKES 
A species reported increasingly often in Minnesota, this Barrow's Goldeneye visited Lake 
Ripley, Meeker County 1 7-1 9 {here 1 7) November 2008. Photograph by Robert W. Schroeder. 
Nov (PEJ, m.ob.), and single King Eiders in 
Wayne, MI 21-22 Nov (NC) and Manitowoc, 
WI 29 Nov (TW). Minnesota and Wisconsin 
each reported 5 Harlequin Ducks. Above-av- 
erage numbers of Surf Scoters surfaced in 14 
Wisconsin counties, but White-winged Scot- 
ers were scarce. Away from L. Superior in 
Minnesota were Surf Scoters in six counties, 
and Black Scoters in five counties as far s. as 
Blue Earth 9 Nov (ChH). A flock of 4000 
Long-tailed Ducks in Manitowoc, WI 20 Nov 
(CS) must have been entertaining! In Min- 
nesota, drake Barrow’s Goldeneyes visited 
Duluth 1-11 Nov-i- (PHS, MLH), Meeker 17- 
19 Nov (DMF, ph. RWS), and Houston 22 Nov 
(PEJ, DFN). 
Normally a very rare fall migrant in Min- 
nesota, but continuing the trend noted earlier 
this year were up to 8 Red-throated Loons at 
Duluth; farther up the North Shore was one at 
Two Harbors 1-2 Nov (KRE et ah). Wisconsin 
had seven reports of Red-throateds in five 
Great Lakes counties. Four Pacific Loons in 
Minnesota and 2 in Wisconsin were all on L. 
Superior; Michigan reported one in Baraga 31 
Oct (p.a., MHe). An Eared Grebe in Dane, WI 
29 Nov (QY) was very late. Wisconsin wel- 
comed Western Grebes in Douglas 12 Oct 
(EB) and Waukesha 22-25 Nov (DG). Michi- 
gan had an Aechmophorus grebe in Marquette 
29 Nov (p.a., GG). Providing Michigan’s 3rd 
certain record was a male Magnificent 
Frigatebird in Berrien 26 Sep (MHy); an 
unidentified frigatebird in Leelanau 20 Sep 
(SBu) was the Wolverine State’s 6th Fregata. 
HERONS THROUGH CRAf^ES 
All three states reported Snowy Egrets and 
Cattle Egrets but no Little Blue Herons. Most 
unusual were a Cattle Egret perched on a rock 
in L. Superior at Duluth, MN 8 Oct (ph. KRE) 
and 4 late Cattle Egrets in Marquette, MI 4-8 
Nov (DPa, SH, GC, 
MHu, JH). Wisconsin 
reported a Yellow- 
crowned Night-Heron 
in Manitowoc 8 Aug 
(BD). For the 2nd con- 
secutive fall, a juv. Yel- 
low-crowned was 
found in Hennepin, 
MN 4 Sep (DDo). 
Unidentified Plegadis 
ibis were found in all 
three states; most un- 
usual were one at 
Agassiz 7 Sep (ph. JMJ, 
ph. GK), 6 in Douglas, 
WI 24 Sep (SLa), and 
tardy singles in 
Dakota, MN 11 Nov 
0PM) and Allegan, MI 15 Nov (SM). Fur- 
nishing the 18th and 19th Michigan records 
were single Black Vultures in Wayne 14 Oct 
(LC, PC) and Houghton 17 Oct-17 Nov (GD, 
MHi, JK). Wisconsin had a Black Vulture 
feeding on roadkill in Waukesha 29 Aug QB). 
Michigan’s 6th Swallow-tailed Kite in On- 
tonagon 18 Aug was the first for the U.P. 
(NW). Another visited Van Buren, MI 21 Aug 
(p.a., MW). Minnesota attracted a Swallow- 
tailed Kite in Watonwan 22-28 Aug (ph. MTr, 
ph. LCa, ADS, BTS, ph. JPM); late Aug is ap- 
parently a good time to look for this species. 
Single Mississippi Kites were reported at 
Hawk Ridge 8 & 9 Sep (KJB, ABL), and one 
soared over Ramsey, MN 17 Sep (AXH). The 
Detroit River Hawkwatch (formerly Southeast 
Michigan Raptor Research, Wayne, MI) 
recorded an astonishing 255,641 Broad- 
winged Hawks 18 Sep (CB), its 2nd highest 
daily count, plus 5 Swainson’s Hawks for the 
season. Detroit River’s peak of 35 Golden Ea- 
gles 1 Nov (CB) was eclipsed by a record high 
53 at Hawk Ridge 31 Oct (KJB). Three Prairie 
Falcons in w. Minnesota were much more ex- 
pected than one in Manitowoc, WI 7 Oct (p.a., 
CS). Rarely detected in fall. Yellow Rail was 
found in all three states; most unusual was 
one found dead under a Peregrine Falcon 
roost in Washtmaw, MI 13 Oct QBr). 
SHOREBIRDS 
A Piping Plover in Brown, MN 7 Sep (BTS) 
was late. Breeding Black-necked Stilts lin- 
gered at Horicon through 26 Aug (AP, SF) and 
Pte. Mouillee through 30 Aug (m.ob.). All 
three states reported small numbers of Amer- 
ican Avocets; most noteworthy were Michi- 
gan’s tardy avocets in Bay (SFr) and Midland 
QZ) 9 Nov. Record late for Minnesota was a 
Willet in Anoka 28 Oct (ph. AXH). A radio- 
collared Whimbrel expired on the Apostle Is., 
Ashland, WI 26 Aug after flying more than i 
2560 km from Willapa Bay, WA (fide RSB). f 
Late Oct godwits almost always prove to be j 
Hudsonians; one in Wilkin, MN 19 Oct 
(RMD) was no exception. Twenty-one Mar- 
bled Godwits at Duluth, MN 1 Aug (KJB) was 
an unusual location for a flock of this size. I 
Four Red Knots were more than usual for ' 
Wisconsin. A record-setting 356 Sanderlings 
were at Park Pt., Duluth, MN 4 Sep (PHS). 
Now considered casual in Michigan, juv. ■ 
Western Sandpipers were confirmed at Pte. 
Mouillee 31 Aug (BB) and 6-15 Sep (AMB, i 
BM, CP). Seven Western Sandpipers were I 
documented in Manitowoc, WI 6 Sep (CS). I 
Lack of shorebird habitat in w. Minnesota re- 
duced peak counts of peeps to 884 Semi- , 
palmated Sandpipers at Agassiz 24 Aug (PHS, 
JMJ) and 851 Least Sandpipers in Lac Qui Par- 
le 30 Aug (PCC, PHS). One day shy of the 
Wisconsin record was a Least Sandpiper in 
lowfl 17 Nov (AH). Three Purple Sandpipers 
were found in Michigan in Nov. Wisconsin’s 
only Purple Sandpiper visited Racine 24 Nov 
(RF). Stilt Sandpiper peaked at 996 in Lac Qui 
Park, MN 30 Aug (PCC, PHS). Wisconsin re- 
ported another good Buff-breasted Sandpiper 
migration, with 12 reports from nine coun- 
ties, but the Minnesota total of 115-t birds in 
21 counties was relatively low for the 6th con- 
A welcame trend in the Western Great Lakes regien is the 
increase in records of Swailew-tailed Kite. Furnishing Min- 
nesota's fifth record in ten years was this bird near Madelia, 
Watonwan County 22-28 (here 28) August 2008. Photo- 
gmph by James P. Mattson. 
secutive fall. A cooperative Ruff delighted ob- 
servers at Pte. Mouillee 19-23 Aug (ATC, RE, 
DF, LH). Long-billed Dowitcher peaked at 
162 in Lac Qui Parle, MN 18 Oct (PHS). 
Michigan reported more Long-billeds than 
usual, including up to 10 at Pte. Mouillee 6- 
20 Sep (AMB) and as many as 21 at Shi- 
86 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
