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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*October 27, 2004
*MNST0410.27

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• Cattle Egret
• Harlequin Duck
• Long-tailed Duck
• Black Scoter
• Surf Scoter
• White-winged Scoter
• Golden Eagle
• Thayer's Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Snowy Owl
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Clark's Nutcracker
• Carolina Wren
• Varied Thrush
• Bohemian Waxwing

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: October 27, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, October 28th.

Much of the birding news this week comes from the North Shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota.

The CLARK'S NUTCRACKER continues to be seen fairly regularly in Silver Bay, Lake County. Check the yards near 144 Edison Boulevard but also check houses along nearby streets in the neighborhood.

Five CATTLE EGRETS were in in Two Harbors, Lake County, on the 23rd, at the ball fields along Lake County Road 2, two blocks north of State Highway 61. A HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen on the same day near the campground at Burlington Bay and two more were in the Grand Marais harbor in Cook County on the 23rd.

Chris Wood found a first-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at the mouth of the Knife River in Lake County on the 26th, and a PACIFIC LOON was off the recreation area of Park Point in Duluth, St. Louis County, on the 27th.

The first SNOWY OWL of the season was found October 23rd at Paradise Beach in Cook County, about 14 miles northeast of Grand Marais. On the 24th, a GREAT GRAY OWL was along St. Louis County Road 16 between Makinen and Brimson. The bird was in the vicinity of the extensive spruce bog one mile west of the entrance to the Whiteface National Forest Service Campground.

As many as seven NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were reported on the 25th and 26th from the Sax-Zim Bog Are of St. Louis County. Two of these were near the sod farm on St. Louis County Road 7 north of county road 133. Another Northern Hawk Owl was seen on the 24th just beyond Hawk Ridge in east Duluth. It was reported from the junction of Beyer and Strand Roads.

Also from the North Shore of Lake Superior I have recent reports of SURF SCOTER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, THAYER'S GULL, and BOHEMIAN WAXWING.

Elsewhere, two Pacific Loons were found over the weekend in north-central Minnesota. One was seen on the 23rd on the west side of Mille Lacs Lake at Wigwam Bay, and the other was seen the following day at the Plughat Point public access on Lake Winnibigoshish in Itacsa County.

The Lesser Black Backed Gull was seen again on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis on the 23rd.

A GOLDEN EAGLE was over Carver Park in western Hennepin County on the 24th.

A CAROLINA WREN has been visiting a feeder on west Holdridge Road in Wayzata, Hennepin County since the 23rd.

And in Ramsey County, Leslie Kottke had a VARIED THRUSH visit her St. Paul backyard on the 25th.

This state-wide birding report is brought to you and financially supported by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU). The MOU is Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club.

The report is composed from observations generously submitted by MOU members and other birders throughout the state. You can support this weekly update by submitting your bird reports to Anthony Hertzel at axhertzel@sihope.com or by calling the hotline directly at 763-780-8890 and leaving a detailed message.

MOU members receive this report directly on MOU-net, the club's free e-mail listservice, which is available to anyone interested. For information contact David Cahlander at .

MOU members receive the organization's quarterly journal "The Loon" and the bimonthly magazine, "Minnesota Birding". For membership information, send an e-mail message to our membership secretary at moumembers@yahoo.com.

In cooperation with the Minnesota Office of Tourism, highlights of this hotline can be now heard at a toll free number which is available to callers outside the Twin Cities area. The number is 1-800-657-3700.

The MOU is pleased to offer this service. Thank you, and good birding.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, November 3rd.

Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.

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