This week's MOU birding report

[Steve Foss]

Rare bird alert (RBA)

Minnesota Statewide

October 12, 2006

-Birds mentioned

* Greater White-fronted Goose

* Ross's Goose

* Cackling Goose

* Surf Scoter

* Red-throated Loon

* Pacific Loon

* Little Gull

* Black-headed Gull

* Lesser Black-backed Gull

* American Three-toed Woodpecker

* Black-backed Woodpecker

* Townsend's Solitaire

* American Tree Sparrow

* Smith's Longspur

* Great-tailed Grackle

* Purple Finch

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide

Date: October 12, 2006

Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) http://moumn.org

Reports: (763) 780-8890

Compiler: Anthony Hertzel ([email protected])

This is the Minnesota Birding Report for Thursday October 12th 2006.

The BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen by Denny Martin on the Minnesota side of the border with Iowa at Spirit Lake in southern Jackson County on the 8th.

Two PACIFIC LOONS have been reported on Mille Lacs Lake. One was seen from Lake Mille Lacs County Road 35, about three quarters of a mile from U.S. 169 in front of the Hillcrest House on the southwestern side of the lake. The other was described as being "in the first bay on county road 35".

At Lafayette Park in Duluth three RED-THROATED LOONS, one PACIFIC LOON, two JAEGERS, and a LITTLE GULL were all reported by various observers on the 7th.

Two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS can be found in the evenings in a large group of roosting gulls at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.

Ron Selbitzka found a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the 4th behind the lighthouse in Two Harbors, Lake County. Denny Martin found another on the 7th at Stony Point in St. Louis County and refound a previously reported SMITH'S LONGSPUR just west of the maintenance building at the Castle Danger sewage ponds in Lake County.

On the 7th, a female AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen on the south shore of Twin Lakes in St. Louis County.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was near Wahkon Bay along Mille Lacs County Road 142 on the 11th. County Road 142 is also known as 75th Avenue and runs north of state highway 27 west of the town of Wahkon. The bird was about three blocks from the end of this road. Another solitaire was at Silver Lake, in Virginia, St. Louis County across from the Mesabi Range Community College campus on the 6th.

On October 6th, Bob Williams found five GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES at Mud Lake in Watonwan County. Mud Lake is about two miles south of Butterfield.

Other migrants reported over the past week include ROSS'S GOOSE, CACKLING GOOSE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, SURF SCOTER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and PURPLE FINCH.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, October 19th 2006.

******************

Duluth RBA

-Birds mentioned

* Snow Goose

* Ross's Goose

* Cackling Goose

* Canada Goose

* Red-throated Loon

* Pacific Loon

* Red-shouldered Hawk

* Golden Eagle

* Little Gull

* Thayer's Gull

* Red-bellied Woodpecker

* American Three-toed Woodpecker

* Black-backed Woodpecker

* Northern Shrike

* Gray Jay

* Townsend's Solitaire

* American Robin

* Le Conte's Sparrow

* Smith's Longspur

* Snow Bunting

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore

Date: October 12, 2006

Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)

Reports: (218) 834-2858

Compiler: Jim Lind ([email protected])

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 12th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS were reported from several locations along the North Shore over the past week. Jane Johnson had one in her yard near Tofte in Cook County on the 6th, as well as a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. Ron Selbitzka found a Black-back on the 4th behind the lighthouse in Two Harbors, and another was seen today at Agate Bay. Denny and Barb Martin found one on the 7th at Stoney Point, and Black-backs were seen at Hawk Ridge in Duluth on the 8th and 9th. A female AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER was seen on the 7th on the south shore of Twin Lakes, several miles west of Ely.

GRAY JAYS continue to be seen migrating along the North Shore, although not as many as the previous week. Several dozen were reported over the weekend between Castle Danger and Duluth, with most reports over the past few days in the single digits. Jan Green counted more than 3,000 AMERICAN ROBINS migrating past Stoney Point on the 8th.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was reported by Deb Falkowski on the 6th in Virginia across from the Mesabi Range Community College campus.

Jan Green saw a flock of ten migrating WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on the 6th at the corner of the Homestead Road (CR 42) and the Old North Shore Road (CR 290) in Duluth Township. This morning two immature ROSS'S GEESE were found at the Two Harbors golf course, along with 142 CACKLING GEESE, four SNOW GEESE, and several CANADA GEESE. They were seen near the clubhouse and along the paved access road.

Denny and Barb Martin relocated the SMITH'S LONGSPUR on the 7th just west of the maintenance building at the Castle Danger landfill. A LE CONTE'S SPARROW was also seen on the 7th in the large field at the landfill.

The first NORTHERN SHRIKE of the season was reported today by Elizabeth Copper in Melrude near Sax-Zim. A SNOW BUNTING was seen in Two Harbors today. The first GOLDEN EAGLE of the season was seen at Hawk Ridge on the 10th, and a RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen on the 9th.

Three RED-THROATED LOONS, one PACIFIC LOON, two JAEGERS, and a LITTLE GULL were all reported by various observers on the 7th at Lafayette Square on Park Point in Duluth. Mike Hendrickson and others also saw a juvenile THAYER'S GULL on the 7th at Park Point.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, October 19th.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-834-2858. Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded message.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum to [email protected], or visit the MOU web site at moumn.org.