[mou] Duluth RBA 10/7/04

[David Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 7th, 2004,=20
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists=92 Union.

A GYRFALCON was seen by Bill Howe on the 4th at the mouth of the Knife=20=

River. A Gyrfalcon flew past Hawk Ridge on the 3rd. Bob Russell=20
reported a winter-plumage LARK BUNTING from the visitors center parking=20=

lot at Gooseberry Falls on the 4th.

The first NORTHERN HAWK-OWL of the season was found by Dave Williams in=20=

the Sax-Zim area on the Stone Lake Rd (Cty Rd 319) about a half mile=20
east of Cty Rd 7 on the 3rd. The bird was seen again on the 5th. Also=20
on the 5th, Karen Sussman found the first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season=20=

at the same location.

Al Schirmacher had a RED-THROATED LOON on the southern edge of Wigwam=20
Bay on Mille Lacs Lake on the 2nd. Mike Hendrickson reported a ROSS=92=20=

GOOSE, a WESTERN GREBE, and a SURF SCOTER at Park Point on the 3rd.

Barton Sutter and Jeanette Lange each reported a flock of at least 17=20
SANDHILL CRANES flying low over eastern Duluth at around 1:00 pm on the=20=

3rd. At Hawk Ridge, the RED-TAILED HAWK migration has picked up, with=20
353 Red-tails on the 3rd and 444 on the 4th. Several dozen NORTHERN=20
GOSHAWKS have been seen on each dry day at Hawk Ridge this week.

Suzanne Gucciardo reported a SHORT-EARED OWL at Grand Portage on the=20
6th near the jct of Hwy 61 and Cty Rd 71, and an AMERICAN COOT at Grand=20=

Marais on the 30th. Jim and Sharon Lind found a NELSON=92S SHARP-TAILED=20=

SPARROW  near the Taconite Harbor boat launch in Cook Cty on the 3rd.=20
They also fournd LE CONTE=92S SPARROWS at Taconite Harbor, and at the=20
Spruce Creek ponds west of Grand Marais.

Earl Orf reported GREAT GRAY OWLS in Sax-Zim on the 1st, one on Cty Rd=20=

133 west of Cty Rd 7, and another on Owl Ave just north of the jct with=20=

Connection Line Rd.

Laura Erickson reported a hummingbird at her feeder on the east side of=20=

Duluth on October 1st. Several birders noted flocks of HORNED LARKS and=20=

LAPLAND LONGSPURS moving down the shore this week.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, October=20
14th.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030.=20
Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded=20
message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota=20
Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more=20
information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to=20
mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.=