-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*November 12, 1997
*MNST9811.12

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• Horned Grebe
• Western Grebe
• Tundra Swan
• Surf Scoter
• Bald Eagle
• Northern Goshawk
• PTARMIGAN (Willow)
• Thayer's Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Great Black-backed Gull
• EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Gray Jay
• Tufted Titmouse
• Carolina Wren
• VARIED THRUSH
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Snow Bunting
• Meadowlark (species)

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: November 12, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday November 12th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A PTARMIGAN, probably a WILLOW, was seen along the 4900 block of 181st Avenue in Forest Lake, Washington County on Saturday November 7th. This is an unusual date and certainly an extremely unusual location for this northern species, and the possibility of an escaped or even misidentified bird cannot as yet be ruled out. The bird has not been seen since Sunday the 8th.

There are two possible EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES in the town of Lynd in Lyon County. The birds were seen just south of the post office on November 12th.

A first Itasca County record PACIFIC LOON was found November 8th on the east side of Lake Winnibigoshish by Peder Svingen and Karen Sussman.

A first-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL and an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were both reported on November 8th by Paul Budde from the west side of Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. Two THAYER'S GULL are also in the area.

A SURF SCOTER was seen on the north side of Mitchell Lake in Sherburne County on November 7th. Mitchell Lake is just north of Big Lake. As many as five WESTERN GREBES were also reported from here.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and GRAY JAY were both reported by John Gislason from near the town of Cloverton in Pine County. The location was along Pine County road 32, 25 miles east of the town of Askov.

In Rochester, Olmsted County, a CAROLINA WREN was seen again at Leslie Kottke's feeder on November 11th. A TUFTED TITMOUSE is also occasionally visiting her feeders. Please call Leslie before visiting.

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was at Theodore Wirth Park at the Audubon feeder just south of the Eloise Butler sanctuary on November 11th.

A possible VARIED THRUSH was seen in Detroit Lakes, Becker County on November 11th, but the identification seems to be in some doubt.

Other reported species from around the state include HORNED GREBE, TUNDRA SWAN, BALD EAGLE, with up to 50 seen at Reads Landing in Wabasha County on the 10th, MEADOWLARK -- either Eastern or Western the caller was unsure, BOHEMIAN WAXWING and SNOW BUNTING.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday November 19th.

Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MnRBA@linux.winona.msus.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info end) to mnrba-request@linux.winona.msus.edu.

Return to Home Page