Previous reports: September 16 23 30 , October 6 12 14 21 27 , November 4 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*November 11, 2004
*MNST0411.11

-Birds mentioned

• Long-tailed Duck
• Black Scoter
• Surf Scoter
• White-winged Scoter
• CALIFORNIA GULL
• Thayer's Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Scarlet Tanager
• Pine Grosbeak
• Red Crossbill
• White-winged Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Pine Siskin

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: November 11, 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, November 11th.

The northern owl invasion occurring in northern Minnesota is shaping up to be fairly substantial, and we are currently tracking more than 40 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS and more than 45 GREAT GRAY OWLS. It is impracticable and probably irresponsible to try to list them all here, so I will report only on those that are both easy to find and likely will be in the same general area for a while.

A Northern Hawk-Owl was found on the 6th just before mile marker 76 on state highway 61 on the lake side of the highway. This appears to be in Lake County. On the 11th, there was a Northern Hawk Owl along Interstate 35 north of Barnum in Carlton County. The bird was near the freeway, just south of mile marker 223, on the east side of the road. Also on the 11th, a Northern Hawk Owl was seen at the edge of small spruce bog at mile marker 43 of U.S. Highway 53 in St. Louis County and another was at mile marker 33 on the east side of the same highway.

On the 9th, a Great Gray Owl was along St. Louis County Road 202 in the Sax-Zim Bog area, half a mile south of county road 52. Another was on U.S. Highway 61, a quarter of a mile east of the Homestead Road in St. Louis County. And a Great Gray Owl was along the West Knife River Road about a mile west of St. Louis County Road 41.

On November 10th, a BLACK SCOTER was out from the 34th Street access to Lake Superior on Park Point in Duluth. Four LONG-TAILED DUCKS, a SURF SCOTER, and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER were all at Good Harbor Bay in Cook County on the 6th.

On November 9th, an adult THAYER'S GULL was reported along U.S. Highway 61 south of Lake City, Wabasha County. The gull was seen south of Lake Pepin. On the 11th, the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, CALIFORNIA GULL, and two Thayer's Gulls were all present at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.

Maurita Geerts reported a SCARLET TANAGER in her yard in the Aitkin area of Aitkin County on the 8th.

On the 9th, a group of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS was in the Sax-Zim Bog area along St. Louis County Road 202, half a mile south of county road 52. Many people are also reporting BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, RED CROSSBILLS, PINE SISKINS, COMMON REDPOLLS, and PINE GROSBEAKS throughout northeastern Minnesota.

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 18th.

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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