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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 12, 2000
*MNDU0010.12

-Birds mentioned

• Red-throated Loon
• Black Scoter
• Surf Scoter
• White-winged Scoter
• Virginia Rail
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• POMARINE JAEGER
• Thayer's Gull
• Great Gray Owl
• Short-eared Owl
• Boreal Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Townsend's Solitaire
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Northern Shrike
• American Tree Sparrow
• Vesper Sparrow
• Le Conte's Sparrow
• SMITH'S LONGSPUR
• Chestnut-collared Longspur

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 12, 2000
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 Thursday, October 12, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

There has been a long list of interesting birds seen in Duluth and up the N Shore of L Superior since last week, and among the highlights were: RED-THROATED LOONS at two locations; all three SCOTERS, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and SMITH'S LONGSPUR in Cook Co; a late VIRGINIA RAIL in Duluth; a POMARINE JAEGER and THAYER'S GULL in Superior; a GREAT GRAY OWL, 2 more early BOREAL OWLS and 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS in Duluth; BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS at two Duluth locations; NORTHERN SHRIKE, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Hawk Ridge; LE CONTE'S SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, and AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS in Lake Co; and 2 possible CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPURS in Duluth.

On the afternoon of Oct 8, 2 Red-throated Loons, a juv Pomarine Jaeger and juv Thayer's Gull were all identified by Chris Wood and Shawn Putz at Wisconsin Pt in Superior. There was also another probable Red-throated Loon tentatively identified today on L Superior, 1 mi NE of Lakewood Rd. This bird was initially found by Mike Hendrickson Oct 10 on the lake at Lakewood Rd and was first thought to be a Pacific Loon, but the light conditions and distance were unfavorable. Viewing conditions today were somewhat better, revealing features on the loon more characteristic of a Red-throated, but a better view is still needed to make a positive ID.

All three scoters were seen in Cook Co Oct 6 and Oct 9, from Grand Marais harbor to Paradise Beach, 14 mi beyond Grand Marais. There was also a White-rumped Sandpiper found by Parker Backstrom on the 9th and a Smith's Longspur seen by Mike Hendrickson on the 6th, both in Grand Marais. Black Scoters have also been reported recently at Park Point by various observers.

The Virginia Rail found by John Heid was both late and out-of-place Oct 5 in the Pickwick Restaurant parking lot in Duluth. Also in Duluth, an unexpected Great Gray Owl was seen in Janet Green's yard on Old North Shore Rd on the morning of Oct 9, but it has not been relocated subsequently. Three very early Boreal Owls have now been reported in Duluth; the two most recently were one banded at Hawk Ridge the night of Oct 8 and another found injured Oct 6 in the Pike Lake area. Word has also come from Thunder Cape, near Thunder Bay, Ont, that no fewer than 16 Boreals have already been banded there so far this fall.

Short-eared Owls were found by Dave Benson both at Park Point and at the 40th Ave West Erie Pier area Oct 6, with the Short-eared at 40th still present on the 8th. Also at 40th on Oct 6, Dave observed two longspurs that were probably Chestnut-collareds, but a positive ID could not be made.

Black-backed Woodpeckers were seen in Duluth last weekend at Stoney Pt and at the Hawk Ridge Banding Station. The first N Shrike and Bohemian Waxwings of the season were reported last weekend in Duluth by Frank Nicoletti as they flew by the Hawk Ridge Main Overlook. Also at Hawk Ridge, Bill Tefft found a Townsend's Solitaire Oct 8 along the Ridge Loop Tr where it crosses the power line corridor.

And finally in Lake Co, a juv Le Conte's Sparrow was found by Jim Lind and me Oct 7 at the Beaver Bay sewage ponds, Parker Backstrom found a Vesper Sparrow at the lighthouse in Two Harbors Oct 9, and the first Am Tree Sparrow of the season was reported from Knife River Oct 6.

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 October 19. 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 on a touch-tone phone, 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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