Previous reports: September 19 23 30 , October 7 14 21 28 , November 4 11 18 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*November 24, 1999
*MNDU9911.24

-Birds mentioned

• KING EIDER
• Harlequin Duck
• American Woodcock
• POMARINE JAEGER
• Iceland Gull
• Glaucous-winged Gull
• Black-legged Kittiwake
• ANCIENT MURRELET
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Townsend's Solitaire

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 24, 1999
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 Wednesday, November 24, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

This tape is being updated a day early because of tomorrow's holiday and because some birders may want to get a head start on trying to relocate all those rarities found since last week's Birding Report in Grand Marais in Cook Co. These include a 7th-state-record ANCIENT MURRELET, a female-plumaged KING EIDER, an immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, and an unidentified JAEGER.

In addition to all these, there had been a second-winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL in the Grand Marais harbor Nov 15-16 (which no one has apparently seen since then), and last weekend such species as HARLEQUIN DUCK, ICELAND GULL and SNOWY OWL were also seen there, along with a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE relocated in nearby Croftville.

The Ancient Murrelet was found on the afternoon of Nov 20 by Dedrick Benz, Philip Chu and others around the entrance to the harbor, but (as is typical of most other alcid records on the Great Lakes) it could not be relocated the next day. However, while looking for the murrelet on Nov 21 Howard Towle saw a Black-legged Kittiwake just outside the harbor entrance, and on the 22nd a King Eider and an unidentified jaeger were both seen in the harbor by Molly and Ken Hoffman. This very late jaeger had first been seen in Grand Marais Nov 14, and there is a good chance it was a Pomarine.

Speaking of jaegers, a POMARINE JAEGER was identified by Tony Hertzel and Peder Svingen Nov 22 on the west side of Mille Lacs L, just S of Vineland near the intersection of U S Hwy 169 and Mille Lacs Co Rd 35.

Back in St Louis Co, a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was seen by Jeff Newman Nov 20 at the Indian Point Campground in Duluth, and on the same day Steve Deger had a late AMERICAN WOODCOCK near Floodwood. Finally, as mentioned on last week's Birding Report, the first NORTHERN HAWK OWL of the season was spotted Nov 17-18 on the north edge of Duluth near the intersection of Jean Duluth and Riley roads -- while no one has reported seeing it since then, it is hoped this owl might still be somewhere in the area.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, the Duluth Birding Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on December 2. The phone number is (218) 525-5952, and callers can leave a message if they wish after the tone at the end of the tape. Also note that a message can be left without having to wait for the birding report to end: after the tape starts playing, push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound and you can leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), the state bird club, 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 S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .

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