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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*November 11, 2004
*MNDU0411.11

-Birds mentioned

• Pacific Loon
• Black Scoter
• Thayer's Gull
• Lesser Black-backed Gull
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Cliff Swallow
• Brown Thrasher
• Scarlet Tanager
• Lark Sparrow
• Pine Grosbeak
• Red Crossbill
• Common Redpoll
• Pine Siskin
• Evening Grosbeak

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 11, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 728-5030
Compiler: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, November 11, 2004, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The tide of northern owls continued to rise this week, with another 21 reports of GREAT GRAY OWLS and 20 reports of NORTHERN HAWK OWLS from across Northeastern Minnesota. Great Grays seem to be easiest to find along the North Shore, especially between Duluth and Two Harbors, and several observers have been able to re-find the Hawk Owls along Cty Rd 7 south of Cty Rd 319 in Sax-Zim. Harley Hanson found a Great Gray on the 9th near the entrance to Gooseberry Falls State Park, and Don Kienholz saw a bird in Duluth along Rice Lake Rd across from Snowflake on the same day. Even though the reports are too numerous to mention, careful reporting of the time and exact place of all your sightings will help with the documentation of this remarkable irruption.

Unusually late migrants are still turning up in Northeastern Minnesota. Doug Kieser reported a CLIFF SWALLOW from the Good Harbor Bay area west of Grand Marais on November 7. Also on the 7th, Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend trip found a LARK SPARROW in Grand Marais. Maurita Geertz and Gary Kuyava both reported a SCARLET TANAGER from the Woodland neighborhood on the 7th and 8th. Jeff Newman saw a BROWN THRASHER in Lakeside today.

A first-winter THAYER'S GULL is still being seen in Grand Marais. The first-winter LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was reported by several observers at Knife River again this week. the juvenile PACIFIC LOON is still being seen in Grand Marais. Mike Hendrickson saw a BLACK SCOTER from Minnesota Point off 34th Street on the 10th.

Many COMMON REDPOLLS arrived in Duluth this week. There were also smaller numbers of PINE SISKINS, PINE GROSBEAKS and EVENING GROSBEAKS. RED CROSSBILLS were reported at Knife River across from Emily's Restaurant, and on the Mitawan Lake Rd near Isabella.

Several observers reported BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS along the North Shore, continuing a trend of the past several weeks. Matthew Bribitzer-Stull saw a Black-backed on Cty Rd 7 just south of Cty Rd 319 in Sax-Zim.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, November 18.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded 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 to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.

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