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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 15, 2000
*MNDU0010.15

-Birds mentioned

• Red-throated Loon
• KING EIDER
• Harlequin Duck
• Long-tailed Duck
• Black Scoter
• Surf Scoter
• White-winged Scoter
• Red Phalarope
• Jaeger (species)
• Sabine's Gull
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Boreal Owl

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 15, 2000
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Transcriber: Kim Eckert (kreckert@cp.duluth.mn.us)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Sunday, October 15, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union, and today's unscheduled update is due to several unusual species seen since last Thursday's report. These include RED-THROATED LOON, KING EIDER, HARLEQUIN DUCK, all 3 SCOTERS, LONG-TAILED DUCK (formerly named Oldsquaw), RED PHALAROPE, an unidentified JAEGER, SABINE'S GULL, NORTHERN HAWK OWL and BOREAL OWL.

Two previously reported Red-throated Loons were relocated on Oct 13: one of these along the North Shore in the vicinity of Lakewood Rd and the other at Wisconsin Pt in Superior; however, neither of these has been reported since the 13th so it is not known if they are still in the area.

An imm/female-plumaged King Eider was found yesterday, the 14th, in Cook Co at Good Harbor Bay, which is 4 mi W of Grand Marais; it was last seen swimming towards the SW and out of sight, and it is not known if anyone has tried to relocate it today.

An imm/female-plumaged Harlequin Duck was seen today at both the Park Point Recreation Area and the Superior Entry at the S tip of Park Point; it is not known whether this was the same individual at both places or if there were 2 Harlequins present.

All 3 species of scoters were seen on the bay side of Park Point both yesterday and today at 33rd St. A flock of Long-tailed Ducks, the first ones reported so far this season, were seen flying over L Superior near Lakewood Rd Oct 13.

A Red Phalarope was found yesterday afternoon, the 14th, on both the Minn and Wis sides of the Superior Entry; no one was apparently able to relocate it today, however, so it may have left the area.

An unidentified jaeger was reported this morning at Park Point. On Oct 13 a juv Sabine's Gull was found on the bay side of Park Point at 19th St, but many observers looked for it yesterday and today unsuccessfully.

A very early N Hawk Owl was found yesterday in Lake Co along Minn Hwy 1, 1/4 mi SE of the Spruce Rd, or about 14 mi NW of Co Rd 2. And another very early Boreal Owl was found today injured along the Howard Gnesen Rd in Duluth; this is the 4th one found so far this season in Duluth -- 2 of these injured, 1 found dead, and 1 banded at Hawk Ridge.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, as was the case this weekend, this report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on October 19. The phone number for the Duluth Birding Report is (218) 525-5952, and callers can report bird sightings if they wish after the tone at the end of each tape. Messages can also be left without having to wait for the report to end: to do this, after the tape starts playing push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will stop, the tone will sound, and you can then leave your 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 of Natural History,10 Church Street SE, Minneapolis MN 55455; or send an e-mail to ; or visit the MOU web site at .

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