Previous reports: September 30 , October 7 14 21 28 , November 4 11 18 24 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*November 28, 1999
*MNDU9911.28

-Birds mentioned

• King Eider
• Harlequin Duck
• Iceland Gull
• Glaucous-winged Gull
• Black-legged Kittiwake
• Boreal Chickadee

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: November 28, 1999
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 Sunday, November 28, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

This tape is being updated today to report on all the birding activity still going on in Grand Marais and vicinity during this long holiday weekend. Although nothing new was discovered, the various birders who have been there the past few days managed to relocate several rarities which had been seen and reported on earlier. These include: KING EIDER, GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, ICELAND GULL, and no fewer than five HARLEQUIN DUCKS.

A female-plumaged KING EIDER had been found in Grand Marais Nov 22, and yesterday afternoon what was probably this same individual was seen on L Superior at mile marker 116 on Hwy 61, which is 6 mi E of Grand Marais -- and this bird was still at this same location this morning.

The 2nd-winter GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, which had been seen in the Grand Marais harbor Nov 15 and 16, was relocated there about 11 a.m. yesterday. Unfortunately, after being closely studied and photographed on the rock jetty at the inner harbor for about a half hour, it flew north and out of sight and was apparently not seen again later yesterday or today. The best time to look for this gull is apparently late morning, when the sightings on all 3 dates occurred.

A 1st-winter BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen briefly in Grand Marais Nov 21, and what was probably this same individual was seen Nov 26 flying west along the lakeshore about 5 mi E of Grand Marais. Apparently, however, no one was able to relocate this gull yesterday or today.

And in the Grand Marais harbor yesterday, a 1st-winter ICELAND GULL was also relocated, along with a group of 3 female-plumaged HARLEQUIN DUCKS. Two Harlequins were also seen Nov 26 at Hovland, which is about 18 mi E of Grand Marais.

No one in Grand Marais this weekend reported seeing that Ancient Murrelet (which has not been relocated since its discovery on Nov 20), or that unidentified jaeger (which was seen as recently as Nov 21, and which most observers feel was probably a Parasitic), or any Townsend's Solitaires.

Also of note at other locations recently were 3 BOREAL CHICKADEES seen Nov 26 on the west side of Stony Point, and last Monday yet another HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen -- this female or immature was relocated on the W side of Mille Lacs L, 1 mi N of the Aitkin - Mille Lacs Co line, and it was first found here back on Oct 23.

Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported immediately, the Duluth Birding Report is normally updated once a week on Thursdays, so that the next scheduled update will be on December 2. The phone number is (218) 525-5952, and callers can leave a message if they wish after the tone at the end of the tape. Also note that a message can be left without having to wait for the birding report to end: after the tape starts playing, push 5 on a touch-tone phone, the tape will then stop, the tone will sound and you can leave your message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), the state bird club, 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 S E, Minneapolis MN 55455, or visit the MOU web site at .

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