Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
Minnesota Statewide RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *October 24, 2002 *MNST0210.24 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: October 24, 2002
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@uswest.net)
This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, October 24th, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
On the 19th, John Hockema and Colin Gjervold found three SURF SCOTERS at the Mapleton Sewage Ponds in Blue Earth County as well as a single CATTLE EGRET. They found five more SURF SCOTERS at the Mountain Lake Sewage Ponds in Cottonwood County, and in Jackson County they relocated the BLACK-HEADED GULL at the north end of Spirit Lake on the Minnesota-Iowa border and found as many as ten GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES in the cattle pasture along county road 4 just northwest of the lake.
The Surf Scoter influx continues with reports of birds at the Thief River Falls sewage ponds in Pennington County on the 20th, at Boise Lake in Brown County on the 21st, on Lura Lake in southern Blue Earth County on the 20th, 22 October, at the Nicollet sewage ponds in Nicollet County on the 22nd, along county road 35 on the southwest shore of Lake Mille Lacs in Mille Lacs County on the 23rd, and on Lake Winnibigoshish in Cass County on the 20th.
In Lake County Tom Warwa found an immature ROSS'S GOOSE on the 20th associating with a flock of Snow Geese and Canada Geese at the Two Harbors golf course. This flock was near the clubhouse about two blocks east of the Holiday gas station on Highway 61.
Denny Martin found a FERRUGINOUS HAWK in Brown County on the 21st, three miles south of Boise Lake near Treml Park. And Peder Svingen found a PRAIRIE FALCON on the 19th in Polk County near the Pembina Trail Preserve.
Unusual was the YELLOW RAIL found in Grand Marais, Cook County on the 22nd. It was seen sneaking through the grassy margins of the small duck pond behind the East Bay Hotel. This represents the latest north date for this species in the state. Other birds in the area on the same day include WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and BLACK SCOTER at Paradise Beach and at Good Harbor Bay, a single SMITH'S LONGSPUR in with a flock of LAPLAND LONGSPURS at the Grand Marais tourist campground, and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the Beaver Bay sewage lagoons in Lake County.
Jim Lind found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE on the 20th at the corner of South Avenue and 3rd Street in Two Harbors.
Kim Eckert found a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD near the Duluth ball fields along 40th Avenue east, one block north of London Road. And a SHORT-EARED OWL was at the recreation area of Park Point in Duluth on the same day.
Other observers have reported TUNDRA SWAN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, NORTHERN SHRIKE, a lingering LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE, and SNOW BUNTING.
This state-wide birding report is brought to you and financially supported by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU). The MOU is Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club.
The report is composed from observations generously submitted by MOU members and other birders throughout the state. You can support this weekly birding update by submitting your bird reports to Anthony Hertzel at axhertzel@sihope.com or by calling the hotline directly at 763-780-8890 and leaving a detailed message.
MOU members receive this report directly on MOU-net, the club's free e-mail listservice, which is available to anyone interested. For information contact Paul Budde at pbudde@aol.com.
MOU members receive the organization's quarterly journal "The Loon" and the bimonthly magazine, "Minnesota Birding". For membership information, send an e-mail message to our membership secretary at moumembers@yahoo.com.
The MOU is pleased to offer this service. Thank you, and good birding.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, October 31st.
-- Anthony Hertzel -- axhertzel@sihope.com
Send your rare and unusual Minnesota sightings to our electronic hotline: MOU-net@biosci.umn.edu. To learn more, send a message (the message being these two words: info mou-net) to majordomo@biosci.umn.edu.
