Return to Home Page
-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *October 24, 1996 *MNST9610.24 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: October 24, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday October 24th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. To skip this recording and leave a message you can press 5 on your touch tone phone.
An adult PACIFIC LOON was recently discovered on Lake Superior in Duluth, St. Louis County. The bird was found by Peder Svingen near the recreation area of Park Point on October 21st, but it has not been relocated. Peder also found 1497 COMMON LOONS on Lake Winnibigoshish in Itasca and Cass counties on October 20th. This may very well be the largest concentration of COMMON LOONS ever recorded in Minnesota. Nine SURF SCOTERS were also in the area. BLACK SCOTERS were at Stoney Point St. Louis County on the 18th, at Coon Lake in Anoka County on the 24th, and BLACK, SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were in the Duluth harbor on the 19th. Other arriving migrant ducks include REDHEAD, BLUE and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL and NORTHERN SHOVELER.
Lane Elwanger found an immature SABINE'S GULL on October 20 at the boat launch to Big Stone Lake near the town of Ortonville in Big Stone County. This is the 4th Sabine's Gull reported this fall.
Recently arrived at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County is an ICELAND GULL joining the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL which has been in among the many Herring and Ring-billed Gulls for a few weeks now. Ray Glassel saw both the ICELAND and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS there on October 24th.
Shorebirds lingering into late October include KILLDEER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, DUNLIN, SANDERLING, BAIRD'S, LEAST and PECTORAL SANDPIPER and COMMON SNIPE. Many of these were reported from the Lewiston sewage ponds in Winona County, at the recreation area of Park Point in Duluth, at Agassiz NWR in Marshall County and along the Cody Lake Trail in Le Sueur County.
Bob Janssen reported a very late CHIMNEY SWIFT on October 22 in Hennepin County. Though this would miss being a record late date in Minnesota by several weeks, it is nevertheless very unusual to see a swift this late in the year.
Carol Schumacher has been seeing a TUFTED TITMOUSE at her feeder in Winona County since the 21st. Birders are welcome to visit, but are advised that the bird appears somewhat cautious. Please approach quietly.
I have a second hand report of a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at the Tamarac NWR in Becker County. On October 18th, the bird was apparently seen on the Pine Lake Trail, 1/2 mile west of its junction with county road 29.
A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen by Darryl Moen in Yellow Medicine County on October 22nd. The bird was located just south of the Lac Qui Parle county line, six miles north and one mile east of the town of St. Leo.
A late PALM WARBLER was just east of the Crystal Airport in Hennepin County. Other migrants reported recently include SNOW GEESE in Big Stone County, American Pipits at various locations, plus HERMIT THRUSH, FOX, WHITE-CROWNED, WHITE-THROATED, SWAMP and AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS plus DARK-EYED JUNCO and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
Thanks to Barb Kull, Julie Brophy, Shelly Steva, Jim Williams and Forest Strnad for their reports.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday October 31st. If you have birds to report, please leave your name and phone number plus a brief but specific message which includes the name of the county where your sighting took place.