[mou] Lark Sparrow & Townsend's Solitaire in Cook Co

[Kim R Eckert]

During the Minn BIrding Weekends trip up the North Shore, we found a=20
very late & out-of-range Lark Sparrow in Grand Marais. It was present=20
much of the morning of Nov 7 along the S side of Hwy 61 across the road=20=

from the post office. Initially it was feeding with a small flock Snow=20=

Buntings and a Lapland Longspur, but later it was by itself.

On the same morning part of our group saw a Townsend's Solitaire in=20
Hovland. It was first spotted as it briefly perched near the Chicago=20
Bay breakwater and then flew towards Hwy 61, where it was relocated a=20
couple minutes later on the W side of town.

To expand on Chris's and Mike's reports on this past weekend:

- Scoters were few in number: the only Surf we saw was at Good Harbor=20
Bay; the only Blacks (3) at Hovland; and only White-wingeds (2) a=20
single flying by Two Harbors and one at Good Harbor Bay.

- The juv Pacific Loon, probably the same individual initially reported=20=

a week ago, was still present on the morning of Nov 7 on the East Bay=20
side of Grand Marais near the base of Artists Point; it appeared to=20
have been roosting for the night with a Common Loon on the gravel=20
beach.

- First-winter Thayer's Gull on the inner harbor breakwater in Grand=20
Marais.

- We found a total of 4 Great Gray Owls: the one posted by Chris was=20
actually near house/fire #260 (not a mile marker) of the Onion River=20
Rd; two were on Cook Co Rd 7 =96 7 mi W of Grand Marais (or 1 mi W of =
the=20
Dream Catcher B&B), and 3 mi W of Grand Marais; and one was near Stoney=20=

Point along the Hwy 61 expressway near the Alseth Rd jct.

- Gray Catbird still present just W of the Outpost Motel (I think this=20=

had first been found the previous weekend).

- Unidentified meadowlark (probably Western) in Grand Marais near the=20
municipal swimming pool.

Kim Eckert