Previous reports: September 7 14 17 21 22 28 , October 5 12 15 19 23 26 , November 2 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*November 9, 2000
*MNDU0011.09

-Birds mentioned

• Meadowlark
• Scoter
• Pacific Loon
• Long-tailed Duck
• Surf Scoter
• Gyrfalcon
• Spruce Grouse
• Thayer's Gull
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Boreal Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Ash-throated Flycatcher
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Northern Parula
• Palm Warbler
• Western Meadowlark
• Pine Grosbeak
• Red Crossbill
• Common Redpoll

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 9, 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 9th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. This report includes information about sightings of GYRFALCON, PACIFIC LOON, NORTHERN HAWK OWL, SNOWY OWL, GREAT GRAY OWL, THAYER'S GULL, winter finches, and winter ducks, among other species.

The second-state-record ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER found in Two Harbors last Friday was seen again on Saturday and Sunday, but has not been reported since, although some birders searched on both Monday and Tuesday.

Craig Mandel reported an adult, gray GYRFALCON from Silver Bay on the 6th. The bird was observed for about twenty minutes at Bayside Park, about 1/2 mile west of Silver Bay.

A PACIFIC LOON was seen on Lake Superior on the 4th at Canal Park in Duluth.

NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were reported from several locations this week, including two birds observed along the Gunflint Trail on the 7th. One bird was seen near the intersection of the Gunflint trail and Forest Service Road #1352, 1.1 mile north of the Seagull Guard Station, another was seen .4 of a mile south of Cr 50 and the Gunflint trail. Another owl was seen along the Trail on the 5th along Forest Rd 315 (or the Lima Grade Rd), about 2.5 mi N of the Lima Mountain Rd). Mike Tarachow reported a bird along Lake County Road 2, two miles south of the Sand River (which is about four miles south of the junction with Hwy 1.)

As many as three SNOWY OWLS were seen in the Grand Marais harbor last weekend, plus another bird at Knife River in Lake County.

GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen in Lake County, one bird along County Road 2 one mile south of the Sand River, and another, along the Stoney River Forest Road, 14.9 miles north of Forest Hwy. 11.

A bird bander in Duluth caught the amazing total of nine BOREAL OWLS last weekend, another sign that a serious movement of this species is underway.

THAYER'S GULLS were again reported from the Grand Marais harbor.

Jan Green reported a good migration of finches at Stony Point in St. Louis County on the 3rd, including numbers of both PINE GROSBEAKS and COMMON REDPOLLS.

Several observers reported MEADOWLARKS over the weekend, including a possible WESTERN MEADOWLARK along Cook County Road 315, and 7 individual birds in the campground at Grand Marais. Other late migrants included a RED-EYED VIREO in Two Harbors on the 4th, a NORTHERN PARULA in Knife River on the 4th, and a PALM WARBLER in Grand Marais on the 5th.

LONG-TAILED DUCKS and all three species of SCOTER were reported from Five-mile Rock in Cook County (five miles east of Grand Marais), and SURF SCOTERS were also reported from Hovland and Chicago Bay, farther east along the shore. LONG-TAILED DUCKS were also reported from Burlington Bay on the east side of Two Harbors, and from Good Harbor Bay in Cook County.

SPRUCE GROUSE and RED CROSSBILLS were reported from both the Lima Mountain Road and the Lima Grade. Both roads are off the Gunflint Trail.

A BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER was seen near the end of the Gunflint along a rough side road about .3 mi. north of the Sea Gull Guard station. and two birds were observed 1/10th of a mile north of Forest Service Road #1352

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 16th.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 .

Return to Home Page