Previous reports: August 30 , September 6 13 16 20 23 27 , October 4 11 18 25 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 29, 2001
*MNDU0110.29

-Birds mentioned

• Red-throated Loon
• Pacific Loon
• Harlequin Duck
• Long-tailed Duck
• Black Scoter
• White-winged Scoter
• Northern Goshawk
• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Golden Eagle
• Gyrfalcon
• Thayer's Gull
• Iceland Gull
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Carolina Wren
• Townsend's Solitaire
• WHITE-EYED VIREO
• Warbling Vireo
• Northern Parula
• Western Tanager
• Northern Cardinal
• SMITH'S LONGSPUR
• HOARY REDPOLL

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 29, 2001
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)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Sunday, October 28, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

As indicated on the Thursday, Oct 25 Report, there was a good chance of there being some significant birds seen this weekend in Duluth and along the North Shore, and accordingly an update today of this Report, and that certainly was the case. Among the many birds of interest found or relocated since last Thursday were:

Both RED-THROATED LOON and PACIFIC LOON were reported in the vicinity of Five Mile Rock E of Grand Marais, with the Red-throated seen by many observers.

Three HARLEQUIN DUCKS, an adult male and 2 females or imm males, were found on the lake Saturday morning out from 90th Ave East in Duluth, and several minutes later they were relocated about 3/4 mile southwest of there near the Duluth Tent & Trailer Campground.

Both BLACK SCOTER and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were seen on L Superior at various locations, but no Surf Scoters were reported. LONG-TAILED DUCKS were in the Grand Marais vicinity, with the largest group found today at Good Harbor Bay just W of Grand Marais.

Today at Hawk Ridge, an imm gray-morph GYRFALCON was at Hawk Ridge in Duluth, and on Friday the 26th the raptor count was over 2,100, including 26 GOLDEN EAGLES (apparently a one-day record count here), 148 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 1,842 RED-TAILED HAWKS and 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS.

Both a first-winter ICELAND GULL and a first-winter THAYER'S GULL were in the Grand Marais harbor; this weekend's Iceland Gull is a different individual than the one found in Grand Marais 2 weeks ago.

A SNOWY OWL was found at the North Shore Mining property in Silver Bay on the 25th.

Two NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were seen: one was relocated about 3 mi up the Lima Grade Rd, which turns N off the end of the Lima Mountain Rd in Cook Co. The other was a new individual, on Lake Co Rd 2, about 2 mi N of the White Pines Wayside.

Several BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were seen in Cook Co at various locations, and one was relocated in the pines at Hawk Ridge along the old Plantation Road Trail. However, no Three-toed Woodpeckers were reported by anyone.

That amazing WHITE-EYED VIREO found Thursday at Lutsen Sea Villas along Hwy 61 in Cook Co was still present today. Most of the sightings have been in the spruce trees next to the main guest registration building.

Unusually late were the reports of a WARBLING VIREO in Grand Marais and a NORTHERN PARULA at the Brule R about 15 mi E of Grand Marais.

A CAROLINA WREN was seen on Saturday at Molly and Ken Hoffman's yard near Grand Marais; this individual has apparently been in this area since August.

No fewer than 4 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were found: along Skiff Landing Rd in Knife River, near the corner of 1st St and 2nd Ave in Two Harbors, at the Lutsen Sea Villas, and near the E end of the Croftville Rd just E of Grand Marais.

A NORTHERN CARDINAL was at Lutsen Sea Villas, and at least 1 HOARY REDPOLL was also at this location; Hoarys were also found in Grand Marais.

Finally, there were unconfirmed reports received of a possible WESTERN TANAGER by Emily's General Store in Knife River and a possible SMITH'S LONGSPUR by the Edna G tugboat in Two Harbors.

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 1. 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, 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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