[mou] Duluth RBA 10/27/05

[Jim Lind]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 27th, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A SAY'S PHOEBE was found by Michelle McDowell on the 25th at the Rice 
Lake National Wildlife Refuge visitor's center in Aitkin County, 
along Minnesota State Highway 65, five miles south of McGregor.

Tom Auer found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the 25th along Scenic 
Highway 61 near the Lakeview Castle restaurant, just east of the 
McQuade Road.  Tom also heard a BOREAL CHICKADEE northeast of the 
restaurant.  Al Schirmacher found two Boreal Chickadees in Aitkin 
County on the 22nd along the snowmobile trail across from the Pietz's 
Road, off County Road 18.  Warren Nelson had a late DICKCISSEL at his 
feeders in the town of Aitkin on the 20th.

Chris Benson reported a SABINE'S GULL in the Grand Marais harbor on 
the 22nd near the trading post and the east side parking lot, 
although it has not been reported since.  A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was 
found by Josh Watson and Bob Janssen in Cook County today, although 
the bird is on private property and the exact location cannot yet be 
given.

LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen on the 21st by Kim Eckert and others at 
Burlington Bay in Two Harbors and at Good Harbor Bay in Cook County, 
as well as a SURF SCOTER at Good Harbor Bay.  Also on the 21st, Mike 
Hendrickson found SURF SCOTERS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, BLACK SCOTERS, 
and LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Cook County at Paradise Beach, Grand Marais, 
and Good Harbor Bay.  Mike found an immature THAYER'S GULL at the 
Grand Marais harbor, and a PACIFIC LOON at the wayside rest just west 
of Paradise Beach.  I also have a reliable second-hand report of a 
PACIFIC LOON seen at Agate Bay in Two Harbors on the 26th.

A first-winter THAYER'S GULL was seen on the 26th at the Superior 
Entry on the Minnesota breakwall.  Jan Green reported a PEREGRINE 
FALCON from the Blatnik Bridge in the Duluth Port Terminal area on 
the 26th.  

At least 30 GOLDEN EAGLES have been seen at Hawk Ridge since the 
22nd, including 17 on the 24th.  The first PINE GROSBEAK of the 
season was reported from Hawk Ridge on the 23rd.  Two BLACK-BACKED 
WOODPECKERS were seen on the 24th along the pine woods trail east of 
the Main Overlook.

A GREAT GRAY OWL was seen by Rick Schroeder on the 22nd in the Sax-
Zim Bog on the west side of County Road 7, at the junction of the 
Stone Lake Road.  There is also a belated report of a Great Gray from 
October 12th in northern St. Louis County along Minnesota Highway 73 
at the junction of County Road 22.  A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen this 
morning by Steve Foss two miles west of Ely along US Highway 169.  

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, 
November 3rd.

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.