[mou] Duluth RBA 11/17/05

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, November 17th, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A SNOWY OWL was found by Janet Riegle today on the breakwall at Canal 
Park, out from the Aerial Lift Bridge.  A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was 
reported by Karen Sussman today in Koochiching County along US 
Highway 53, one mile south of Ericksburg.  Dave Danielson found a 
NORTHERN HAWK OWL near Brimson in St. Louis County on the 15th.  It 
was along Forest Road 112, 0.4 mile south of the Langley River Road.  
Doug Kincade found a GREAT GRAY OWL on the 15th along Aitkin County 
Road 4, five miles west of Minnesota Highway 65.

The second-winter CALIFORNIA GULL was relocated by Mike Hendrickson 
on the 12th at the Superior landfill, and Peder Svingen found it 
later in the afternoon on the Minnesota breakwall at the Superior 
Entry.  The Superior landfill is closed to birders, but part of it 
can be viewed from the Moccasin Mike Road.

Also on the 12th, Mike found a one first-winter and two adult 
THAYER'S GULLS, two first-winter GLAUCOUS GULLS, and a late 
BONAPARTE'S GULL at the Superior Entry, as well as an adult and first-
winter THAYER'S GULL at the mouth of the Knife River in Lake County.  
Mike also reported BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS from Knife River, Two Harbors, 
and west Duluth.

John Ellis found LONG-TAILED DUCKS at several spots in Cook County on 
the 13th, including , Paradise Beach, the Grand Marais harbor, and 
mile marker 121, northeast of Grand Marais.  John also found three 
SURF SCOTERS at mile maker 116 near Five-Mile Rock. One SURF SCOTER 
and two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were found by Jim Mattsson on the 11th 
in the Duluth harbor at Park Point.  Jim also saw a female BLACK-
BACKED WOODPECKER at Hawk Ridge, 0.75 mile east of the main overlook.

Strong northwest winds on the 16th brought an impressive raptor 
migration along the North Shore, with 472 raptors counted at Hawk 
Ridge including 323 BALD EAGLES and 17 GOLDEN EAGLES.

Uwe Kausch relocated the CATTLE EGRET along the Homestead Road on the 
12th, a mile north of Highway 61 near the intersection of the 
Wildwood Road.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, 
November 24th.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858.  
Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded 
message.  

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