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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*November 2, 2000
*MNDU0011.02

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• Black Scoter
• Surf Scoter
• Spruce Grouse
• Thayer's Gull
• Black-legged Kittiwake
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Three-toed Woodpecker
• Townsend's Solitaire
• Loggerhead Shrike
• Common Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 2, 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 Thursday, November 2, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Although there continue to be some rarities reported in Duluth and N E Minn, the birding on most days and most places the last week or two has actually been relatively uneventful, with a general scarcity in both the number of species and individual birds present. But among the noteworthy birds reported, the most unusual sightings have included a BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE plus another PACIFIC LOON in Two Harbors; both LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE and TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in Grand Marais; and several more reports of early northern owls, especially NORTHERN HAWK OWLS and SNOWY OWLS.

The Black-legged Kittiwake was a juvenile seen flying by the Agate Bay lighthouse about midday on Oct 30, and it was relocated this morning in the main harbor in Two Harbors; however, it could not be found there at midday today. The Pacific Loon, also a juvenile, was seen in the same location on the morning of Oct 28, but there have been no further reports of it since then; this was probably the same individual seen Oct 20 just NE of Two Harbors at Flood Bay.

In Grand Marais, a quite unexpected Loggerhead Shrike was carefully identified on Oct 29 at the scenic overlook above town a couple miles up the Gunflint Trail, and on the same day a Townsend's Solitaire was found in the Grand Marais campground near the swimming pool. It is not known whether or not these two birds are still present.

There have been no new reports this week of Boreal Owls, after several very early individuals turned up earlier in Oct, but early N Hawk-Owls continue to be seen with 5 individuals reported since last weekend. Two of these were from new locations: one was seen yesterday and today at Eagle Ridge Resort in Lutsen in Cook Co, and the other was found a couple days ago about 34 mi up Lake Co Rd 2 near Greenwood L.

The other 3 hawk owls were all seen Oct 29 in Cook Co in areas where they had been reported the previous weekend. One was in the burn on Forest Rd 315 (or the Lima Grade Rd), about 3 mi N of the W end of the Lima Mountain Rd (this latter road turns W off the Gunflint Tr about 20 mi N of Grand Marais). The other 2 hawk owls were along the Gunflint Tr itself, one at the Loon L public access road and the other near the Seagull Guard Station -- these locations are about 40 and 45 mi N of Grand Marais.

Several more early Snowy Owls have also been reported, with some of these in poor physical condition from injuries or apparent starvation. Since last weekend Snowys were seen in Grand Marais, along the Stanley Rd N of Knife River, in Duluth Twp near the jct of Korkki and Shilhon Rds, in the Sax-Zim Bog on Co Rd 319 (where there had been a hawk owl on Oct 24), in Superior in the railroad yards just W of downtown, and in Duluth at Park Point and along London Rd.

And speaking of owls, a few GREAT GRAY OWLS have been seen since last weekend: about 2.5 mi N of Murphy City along Minn Hwy 1 in Lake Co, along St Louis Co Rd 4 N of Duluth (the exact location was not given), and also N of Duluth near the jct of Co Rd 16 and Forest Rd 11.

Some other birds of note have also been reported recently, and these include: a SURF SCOTER in Good Harbor Bay in Cook Co Oct 28; a BLACK SCOTER in Grand Marais Oct 28-29; SPRUCE GROUSE at 2 locations, one of these Oct 29 along the Lima Moutain Rd about 1/4 mi W of the Gunflint Tr, and the other in Lake Co a couple days ago about a mile down Forest Rd 103, which turns S off Hwy 1 just W of Isabella; 2 THAYER'S GULLS, one of these an adul tin Grand Marais Oct 29 and a first-winter bird in Knife River on the 28th; a THREE-TOED WOODPECKER Oct 30 along Hwy 61 in Cook Co about 1/2 mi SW of the border checkpoint (a probable Three-toed was also seen Oct 29 on the Lima Mt Rd near the Spruce Grouse location); and the first COMMON REDPOLLS of the season were in Cook Co Oct 28 near Paradise Beach.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, this report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on November 9. 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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