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-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *December 21, 1995 *MNST9512.21 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: December 21, 1995
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday December 21st sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
GREAT GRAY, NORTHERN HAWK and SNOWY OWLS are making an excellent showing in Minnesota this winter. Though this is probably not good news for the owls, it is at least good news for birders. There are at least 20 GREAT GRAY OWLS within the area known as the Sax Zim Bog in St. Louis County. While giving specific locations here would be too lengthy, birders should have no trouble finding these birds on their own. The Sax Zim Bog is loosely defined as the area bounded on the east by County Road 7 and on the west by County Road 5, onthe north by County Road 27 and the south by county road 133. Driving any of the roads within this roughly drawn rectangle should produce several GREAT GRAYS as well as a few NORTHERN HAWK OWLS. Two HAWK OWL locations near Sax and Zim include a bird at the corner of county roads 7 and 133, and another seen on highway 53 just north of the town of Canyon. Also, in Duluth a NORTHERN HAWK OWL was found along Hugo Ave near Orange Street. And Duluth is host to at least seven additional GREAT GRAYS. One was along Lakewood Road 1/2 mile south of Lismore Road. Another was along Shultz Road just east of Howard Gnesen Road. A GREAT GRAY was at the intersection of Martin and Howard Gnesen roads. One was along Seven Bridges Road near the hockey rink. A GREAT GRAY was on Flynn Road between Cant and McDonnell roads, another was seen along the Pinewood Trail at Hawk Ridge, and one was near Greenwood Road and Pine Tree Lane near the French River. The GREAT GRAY OWL reported previously from Aitkin County is still in the area, being reported last on December 18th along state highway 200 near milepost 182.
Two SNOWY OWLS are in the fields near the Minneapolis St. Paul airport at the end of 66th street and another SNOWY OWL, seen by Dawn Doherty, was at the Edina Country Club on December 15th. Elsewhere, a SNOWY OWL was in Stevens County on Saturday the 16th. The bird was discovered on the Morris CBC between the towns of Morris and Hancock along County Road 55. A SHORT- EARED OWL was also seen on the count about a mile east of U.S. 59 along county road 74. Another SHORT-EARED OWL was found by Bill Penning on December 15th near the town of Cottage Grove. The bird was on the north side of 70th street between Ideal and Idsen streets. And the Fargo/Moorhead CBC located a SHORT-EARED OWL at the Crystal Sugar Ponds along U.S. highway 75. And a LONG-EARED OWL was seen on the 17th by Dick Hartman near the metropolitan waste commission plant in Eagan.
Other birds of note include the BARROW'S GOLDENEYE which is still at the Blue Lake settling ponds near Shakopee, and the GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL is still at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County, along with a few HERRING, GLAUCOUS and THAYER'S GULLS. In Lake County there is still at least one HARLEQUIN DUCK being seen at Agate Bay in Two Harbors.
Unusual is the report of an OSPREY seen on the Bloomington CBC on Dec 16th near state highway 13 and Interstate 494 in Eagan. This is near the Gun Club Lake area.
A RUFOUS-SIDED TOWHEE has been coming to a feeder in Stevens County since early December in the town of Rendsville. This location is one mile north and a quarter mile west of county road 20 on county road 5.
Jim Rataczak reports a flock of over 200 LAPLAND LONGSPURS in Wright County on December 15th west of Southhaven near the junction of county road 2 and state highway 55.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and COMMON REDPOLLS are visiting feeders in unusually high numbers this winter. I have reports from many locations, mostly in the southeastern part of the state. Other typical winter feeder birds being reported include MOURNING DOVE, DARK-EYED JUNCO, and WHITE- THROATED SPARROW. And Oscar Johnson has had both a SONG SPARROW and a SAVANNAH SPARROW at his feeders since December 3rd.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday December 28th. If you have birds to report, please leave your name, phone number and a brief but specific message.