Return to Home Page
-RBA *Minnesota *Minnesota Statewide *October 3, 1996 *MNST9610.03 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota Statewide/Twin Cities
Date: October 3, 1996
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel (tony@mill2.MillComm.COM)
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Minnesota birding report for Thursday October 3rd sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
A RED-THROATED LOON was seen on Lake Superior near the main the beach at Park Point in Duluth, St. Louis County on Friday the 27th of September. Several OLDSQUAWS were seen the same day, just north of Stoney Point. Stoney Point is about 15 miles northeast of Duluth along highway 61. And a BOHEMIAN WAXWING was seen in the town of Two Harbors on the 29th. For further information on these and other sightings around the Duluth area, you can call the Duluth birding report at 218-525-5952.
Those two immature SABINE'S GULLS, first reported by Wally Swanson on September 27th, are still present at the Department of Natural Resources fish hatchery in Le Sueur County. The ponds are located about 2 miles west of the town of Waterville on Le Sueur County road 14. In with these gulls are hundreds of FRANKLIN'S and RING-BILLED GULLS, plus a few BONAPARTE'S GULLS.
At least one LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL is still being seen at Black Dog Lake in Dakota County. The most recent report I have of this bird is from September 28th.
On the weekend of September 28th, Peder Svingen made a trip to the northwestern part of the state and reported the following species: on September 28th, an immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE near the town of Bena in Cass County. This bird was a flyby at Lake Winnebogoshish and was not seen again. An adult LITTLE GULL at the Thief River Falls sewage ponds in Pennington County. This sighting was on September 30th, and it is certainly possible that the bird is still in the area. Also of interest was, on September 29th, a late BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO in Kittson County, three AMERICAN AVOCETS and a HUDSONIAN GODWIT at the Crookston sewage ponds in Polk County, and SMITH'S LONGSPURS near Norway Township in Kittson County. And on the 30th, a GREATER WHITE- FRONTED GOOSE was at Agassiz NWR in Marshall County.
A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was reported from the Lewiston sewage ponds in Winona County on September 30th. On the 26th two RED- NECKED PHALAROPES were seen at Island Lake in Lyon County. Island Lake is about one quarter mile south of Lyon County roads 4 and 13. Other shorebirds seen in this area included LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, both GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SANDERLINGS and LEAST SANDPIPER.
As we get into October, the number of migrants being reported to this tape is certainly diminishing. Nevertheless, a great variety of birds can still be found. Interesting is the number of warblers yet being reported. These include BLACK-THROATED GREEN, TENNESSEE, WILSON'S, PALM, YELLOW-RUMPED, ORANGE-CROWNED, BLACK-AND-WHITE, CAPE MAY and NASHVILLE WARBLER, plus OVENBIRD and AMERICAN REDSTART.
Don Wansura visited Sherburne NWR in Sherburne County on September 28th and found a MERLIN and several species of shorebirds. A few COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen by Wally Swanson in the town of Waldorf in Waseca County on the 30th, and Jacob Langeslag had 2 PINE SISKINS in among the many AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES at his feeder in Rice County on the 27th. Other migrants include hundreds of DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS, CASPIAN TERN, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, both RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, WINTER and MARSH WREN, AMERICAN PIPIT, PHILADELPHIA and SOLITARY VIREO, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, DARK-EYED JUNCO and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.
The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday October 10th. If you have birds to report, please leave your name and phone number plus a brief but specific message which includes the name of the county where your sighting took place.