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Other Hotlines: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore | Detroit Lakes

-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*December 30, 2004
*MNST0412.30

-Birds mentioned

• Harlequin Duck
• Long-tailed Duck
• Common Goldeneye
• Barrow's Goldeneye
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Northern Hawk Owl
• Great Gray Owl
• Carolina Wren
• Townsend's Solitaire
• Varied Thrush
• Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: December 30, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://biosci.umn.edu/~mou/
Reports: (763) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (ahertzel@sihope.com)

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday, December 30th.

A male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE is being seen along the Mississippi River just down the river from Hastings in Dakota County. This is also very near Prescott Wisconsin. From Prescott, turn right off U.S. Highway 10 at Jefferson Street. Take the first right onto Orange Street and then the first left onto River Front Street. Finally, take the first right into the parking area next to an apartment building. The bird is associating with a large flock of COMMON GOLDENEYE. A LONG-TAILED DUCK has been seen about half a mile south of this location.

The irruption of northern owls continues in northeastern Minnesota, with GREAT GRAY OWLS and NORTHERN HAWK OWLS being easy to find in the vicinity of Duluth and along the north shore of Lake Superior. Check especially in the Sax Zim Bog area along St. Louis County Roads 52 and 7. One Northern Hawk Owl was along Interstate 35 on Christmas Day, two miles north of Cloquet. A Great Gray Owl has been seen north of Chaska, Carver County since the 28th. The owl is at the marsh found at the junction of Bavaria Road and Engler Boulevard, just west of state highway 41.

The first-winter GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL is still present at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County. It was reported as recently as the 29th.

A flock of 15 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES was in downtown Benson, Swift County, on the 27th, just southwest of the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and State Highway 9.

Bill Stauffer reported a CAROLINA WREN at his home in Minneapolis on the 24th. Bill lives at 4600 Meadow Road just off France Avenue.

On the 26th, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was on the Lakewalk in Duluth below 26th Avenue East. A pair of HARLEQUIN DUCKS was in Two Harbors, Lake County on the 29th, along the east side of the breakwater in Agate Bay. A LONG-TAILED DUCK is still with the large flock of Goldeneyes at Canal Park in Duluth.

The VARIED THRUSH is still being seen in Falcon Heights, Ramsey County. Check the yard at 1974 West Summer. Another Varied Thrush was in Becker County on the 26th at the home of Ruth Bergquist, 32693 Many Point Boy Scout Road in Ponsford. And on the 29th, a Varied Thrush was seen in Bloomington, Hennepin County, at the corner of Sheridan and 110th Street. Check near 2600 West 110th Street.

And finally, there was a brief sighting of a GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH at a residence in Pine County on the 30th, but at this time I am not at liberty to give out any additional information. If and when this changes, this report will be updated.

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 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 David Cahlander at .

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.

In cooperation with the Minnesota Office of Tourism, highlights of this hotline can be now heard at a toll free number which is available to callers outside the Twin Cities area. The number is 1-800-657-3700.

The MOU is pleased to offer this service. Thank you, and good birding.

The next scheduled update of this report is Thursday January 6th.

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.

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