[mou] NE Minnesota Birding
JacobTee@aol.com
JacobTee@aol.com
Mon, 15 Nov 2004 00:41:22 EST
--part1_1c9.20b37e37.2ec99b82_boundary
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
I came up from Iowa this weekend and did some birding& photographing in
Aitkin, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook Counties. This is kind of long but I've had a
great three full days of birding. The following were some of my highlights.
Aitkin Co (11/12): On CR1 north of Aitkin there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE. On
CR18 between Hwy 169 and CR5 there were two NORTHERN HAWK OWLS, two GRAY JAYS,
a group of 15 SNOW BUNTINGS, several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a group of 17 COMMON
REDPOLLS, and an adult male NORTHERN HARRIER, also a RUFFED GROUSE on the
snowmobile trail south of Pietz's Rd. On CR5 south of CR18 there was a NORTHERN
SHRIKE and 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. At Rice Lake NWR there were 60 TUNDRA SWANS
and a group of 8 COMMON REDPOLLS. On Hwy 10 north of Palisade there was a
group of 18 SNOW BUNTINGS. On CR200 there was a NORTHERN HAWK OWL in the bog near
Rabey tree farm.
St. Louis Co (11/13): I birded Sax-Zim Bog for most of the day. There were
several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and several groups of COMMON REDPOLLS in the area.
On CR7 south of Stone Lake Rd. there were three GREAT GRAY OWLS and 2
NORTHERN HAWK OWLS. GRAY JAYS were found on Kelsey Rd/CR29 (2), Arkola Rd/Hwy 52
(2), McDavitt Rd/CR213 (3), and Blue Spruce Rd/CR211 (7). Also on McDavitt
Rd/CR213 there were 4 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS and 2 more NORTHERN HAWK OWLS.
There was a single PINE GROSBEAK along Stickney Rd/CR207. A COMMON RAVEN was seen
off of Owl Ave/CR203. On Blue Spruce Rd/CR211 there was a group of 5
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS near the houses. Along Hwy16 west of Hwy 110 there was a
NORTHERN SHRIKE and a group of 9 EVENING GROSBEAKS. On Hwy 110 north of Hwy 16
there were 2 GREAT GRAY OWLS hunting in the same field.
Lake and Cook Co's (11/14): At Knife River the 1W LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
was present along with a 1W THAYER'S GULL amidst all of the HERRING GULLS. I
checked several locations along Hwy 61 up to Grand Marais but didn't have
anything that exciting. There was a 1W THAYER's GULL along with a couple hundred
HERRING GULLS by the boat docks in the inner harbor at Grand Marais and a lone
SNOW BUNTING in the campground area. After such a slow day I didn't expect to
find much at Paradise Beach but I was fortunately wrong. There were 9
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 3 SURF SCOTERS, 1 BLACK SCOTER, 13 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and 10
COMMON GOLDENEYES at that location.
I had a great weekend of birding and am not ready to go back! It's funny how
I can spend ten hours driving/birding my way up to Paradise Beach and not
even think about it, but the two hour drive back to my hotel seemed to take
forever! Thanks to all the birders that report your sightings to this list. That,
along with Eckert's excellent guide, allowed me to zero in and get many of my
target birds. My big miss was Boreal Chickadee but that gives me a reason to
return soon.
Good birding...
Jay Gilliam
Norwalk, IA
--part1_1c9.20b37e37.2ec99b82_boundary
Content-Type: text/html; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">I came up from Iowa this weekend an=
d did some birding& photographing in Aitkin, St. Louis, Lake, and Cook C=
ounties. This is kind of long but I've had a great three full days of=20=
birding. The following were some of my highlights.<BR>
<BR>
Aitkin Co (11/12): On CR1 north of Aitkin there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE.=
On CR18 between Hwy 169 and CR5 there were two NORTHERN HAWK OWLS, tw=
o GRAY JAYS, a group of 15 SNOW BUNTINGS, several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, a grou=
p of 17 COMMON REDPOLLS, and an adult male NORTHERN HARRIER, also a RUFFED G=
ROUSE on the snowmobile trail south of Pietz's Rd. On CR5 south of CR1=
8 there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE and 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. At Rice Lake N=
WR there were 60 TUNDRA SWANS and a group of 8 COMMON REDPOLLS. On Hwy=
10 north of Palisade there was a group of 18 SNOW BUNTINGS. On CR200=20=
there was a NORTHERN HAWK OWL in the bog near Rabey tree farm.<BR>
<BR>
St. Louis Co (11/13): I birded Sax-Zim Bog for most of the day. =20=
There were several ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and several groups of COMMON REDPOLLS=20=
in the area. On CR7 south of Stone Lake Rd. there were three GREAT GRA=
Y OWLS and 2 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS. GRAY JAYS were found on Kelsey Rd/CR2=
9 (2), Arkola Rd/Hwy 52 (2), McDavitt Rd/CR213 (3), and Blue Spruce Rd/CR211=
(7). Also on McDavitt Rd/CR213 there were 4 BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS=20=
and 2 more NORTHERN HAWK OWLS. There was a single PINE GROSBEAK along=20=
Stickney Rd/CR207. A COMMON RAVEN was seen off of Owl Ave/CR203. =
On Blue Spruce Rd/CR211 there was a group of 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS near=
the houses. Along Hwy16 west of Hwy 110 there was a NORTHERN SHRIKE a=
nd a group of 9 EVENING GROSBEAKS. On Hwy 110 north of Hwy 16 there we=
re 2 GREAT GRAY OWLS hunting in the same field.<BR>
<BR>
Lake and Cook Co's (11/14): At Knife River the 1W LESSER BLACK-BACKED=20=
GULL was present along with a 1W THAYER'S GULL amidst all of the HERRING GUL=
LS. I checked several locations along Hwy 61 up to Grand Marais but di=
dn't have anything that exciting. There was a 1W THAYER's GULL along w=
ith a couple hundred HERRING GULLS by the boat docks in the inner harbor at=20=
Grand Marais and a lone SNOW BUNTING in the campground area. After suc=
h a slow day I didn't expect to find much at Paradise Beach but I was fortun=
ately wrong. There were 9 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 3 SURF SCOTERS, 1 BLAC=
K SCOTER, 13 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and 10 COMMON GOLDENEYES at that location.&n=
bsp; <BR>
<BR>
I had a great weekend of birding and am not ready to go back! It's fun=
ny how I can spend ten hours driving/birding my way up to Paradise Beach and=
not even think about it, but the two hour drive back to my hotel seemed to=20=
take forever! Thanks to all the birders that report your sightings to=20=
this list. That, along with Eckert's excellent guide, allowed me to ze=
ro in and get many of my target birds. My big miss was Boreal Chickade=
e but that gives me a reason to return soon.<BR>
<BR>
Good birding...<BR>
<BR>
Jay Gilliam<BR>
Norwalk, IA<BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>
--part1_1c9.20b37e37.2ec99b82_boundary--