Previous reports: August 2 9 16 23 30 , September 6 13 16 20 23 27 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*October 4, 2001
*MNDU0110.04

-Birds mentioned

• Surf Scoter
• Golden Eagle
• Hudsonian Godwit
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Parasitic Jaeger
• Forster's Tern
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Snow Bunting
• Rusty Blackbird
• Brewer's Blackbird

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: October 4, 2001
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)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 4, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Since last week's Birding Report, things have been relatively uneventful in Duluth and vicinity with only a few birds of interest reported. However, with a strong cold front currently passing through the area and today's NW winds forecast to continue into the weekend, the movement of fall migrants should improve, especially at Hawk Ridge where the raptor migration was very slow during September. Of primary interest there this week were the single GOLDEN EAGLES which flew over today and on Oct 1.

Certainly, the most significant report lately comes from the Gunflint Trail N of Grand Marais in Cook Co where there was a reliable report of 2 NORTHERN HAWK OWLS seen on Oct 2. The location was only reported as being near the Gunflint Lodge.

Closer to Duluth, the highlights have included reports of SURF SCOTER, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, PARASITIC JAEGER, FORSTER'S TERN, BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER, SNOW BUNTING and BREWER'S BLACKBIRD.

The Surf Scoter was seen Oct 3 on the bay side of the Park Point Recreation Area. Also in this same area an ad light-morph Parasitic Jaeger was seen again Sept 30; this jaeger or another individual has been seen here off and on for the past 3 weeks. And the first Snow Buntings of the season were seen at Park Point, also on Sept 30.

At the 40th Ave West Erie Pier area, that Hudsonian Godwit which first showed up here Sept 22 was still present as of yesterday, along with a Long-billed Dowitcher. Also of note in the Duluth harbor was an unexpected flock of about 20 Brewer's Blackbirds (with 1 RUSTY BLACKBIRD among them) seen yesterday near the UPS bldg by the Port Terminal. Normally, Brewer's are not seen in the Duluth area after August.

A Forster's Tern in Knife River in Lake Co was also unexpected on Oct 1; what may have been this same individual was also here a couple weeks ago.

And Black-backed Woodpeckers which have been present for 3 weeks in the pine plantation at Hawk Ridge continue to be seen this week. Two were seen today near the old Plantation Rd trail which (along with the Pinewoods Tr) begins off Skyline Pkwy, 3/4 mi beyond the Main Overlook.

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 11. 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, 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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