This week's MOU birding report

[Steve Foss]

-RBA

*Minnesota

*Duluth/North Shore

*October 26, 2006

*MNDU0610.26

-Birds mentioned

* Ross's Goose

* Surf Scoter

* White-winged Scoter

* Long-tailed Duck

* Spruce Grouse

* Western Grebe

* American White Pelican

* American Three-toed Woodpecker

* Black-backed Woodpecker

* Mountain Bluebird

* Townsend's Solitaire

* Varied Thrush

* Nashville Warbler

* Red Crossbill

* White-winged Crossbill

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore

Date: October 26, 2006

Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)

Reports: (218) 834-2858

Compiler: Jim Lind ([email protected])

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, October 26th, 2006 sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD at Bayfront Park in Duluth was relocated as recently as the 24th. It has been seen most frequently around the gate near 7th Avenue West and Railroad Street.

As many as six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS and two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS have been seen during the past week in Two Harbors at Lighthouse Point, especially along the trail on the east side of the point. Chris Benson found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 21st near the Harbor Point Apartments at 3rd Avenue and 1st Street in downtown Two Harbors. Keith Pulles found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER on the 22nd at the west end of Gitchie Gammi Park in east Duluth. Additional BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported from Temperance River State Park, Taconite Harbor, the Two Harbors cemetery, Stoney Point, Hawk Ridge, Lester River and Chester Creek in Duluth.

Dan Svingen found a WESTERN GREBE and a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER in Agate Bay in Two Harbors on the 20th. Nancy Jackson found a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER on the 25th at Park Point in Duluth, on the harbor side near the rowing club. A LONG-TAILED DUCK was found by Peder Svingen at this same location on the 21st. A SURF SCOTER was found by Keith Pulles on the 22nd at Park Point. The two immature ROSS'S GEESE were still present as of the 22nd at the Two Harbors golf course. Sue McDonnell reported an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN on the 21st in the Grand Marais harbor near the North House Folk School.

Ann Russ found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at Taconite Harbor in Cook County on the 22nd. Chris Benson found a TOWNSEND’S SOLITAIRE on the 21st at Park Point near the ballfields. Another was found on the 24th in Knife River in the crab apple trees across the road from Emily’s Restaurant. It was still present this afternoon. Scott Clark found a LE CONTE’S SPARROW over the weekend at Flood Bay, a mile east of Two Harbors. Jan and John Green found a late NASHVILLE WARBLER in Two Harbors on the 21st. A VARIED THRUSH was seen on the 15th in Grand Marais near 3rd Street and West 3rd Avenue.

Mike Hendrickson found a flock of 20 RED CROSSBILLS near the mouth of the French River on the 23rd. RED CROSSBILLS have also been found during the past week at Two Harbors and Hawk Ridge. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was reported from Hawk Ridge on the 24th. A SPRUCE GROUSE was seen on the 19th along Lake County Road 2, about a half mile north of the Sand River.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, November 2nd.

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.

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-RBA

*Minnesota

*Detroit Lakes

*October 26, 2006

*MNDL0610.26

-Birds mentioned

* Snow Goose

* Ross's Goose

* Ring-necked Duck

* Surf Scoter

* White-winged Scoter

* Black Scoter

* Gray Partridge

* Ruffed Grouse

* Spruce Grouse

* Sharp-tailed Grouse

* Greater Prairie-Chicken

* Common Loon

* Pied-billed Grebe

* Red-necked Grebe

* American Bittern

* Bald Eagle

* Rough-legged Hawk

* American Coot

* Sandhill Crane

* American Golden-Plover

* White-rumped Sandpiper

* Pectoral Sandpiper

* Wilson's Snipe

* Bonaparte's Gull

* California Gull

* Northern Hawk Owl

* Short-eared Owl

* Red-bellied Woodpecker

* Pileated Woodpecker

* Northern Shrike

* Gray Jay

* Brown Creeper

* Eastern Bluebird

* Hermit Thrush

* American Pipit

* Bohemian Waxwing

* American Tree Sparrow

* White-throated Sparrow

* Harris's Sparrow

* White-crowned Sparrow

* Dark-eyed Junco

* Lapland Longspur

* Snow Bunting

* Purple Finch

* Common Redpoll

* Pine Siskin

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Detroit Lakes

Date: October 26, 2006

Sponsor: Lakes Area Birding Club, Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce

Reports: 1-800-542-3992 (weekdays during business hours)

Compiler: Jeanie Joppru ([email protected])

This is the Northwest Minnesota Birding Report for Friday, October 27, 2006 sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. You may also hear this report by calling (218) 847-5743 or 1-800-433-1888.

Nearing Halloween, we will gain an hour of birding time as we turn the clocks back this weekend. Migration is winding down. Any birds seen now are noteworthy, either for being early, late, or just for wandering this way on their journeys. Most noteworthy is the irruption of Gray Jays into northwestern and southern Minnesota. Please send in all Gray Jay sightings so we may log them in an effort to see where they go, and what habitat they use, to try to figure out why this happens every now and then. Please include precise locations, dates, and what kind of habitat they are found in. GRAY JAYS have been reported in Lake of the Woods, Roseau, Marshall , Red Lake, Polk, and Norman Counties this week.

Gretchen Mehmel in the Beltrami Island State Forest reported this week both SPRUCE GROUSE and RUFFED GROUSE. Also there has been a NORTHERN HAWK OWL hanging out near the command center for the search for a lost hunter along the East Moose River Road. Please do not get in the way of the search. BALD EAGLES, and GRAY JAYS have also been reported.

Stan Wood at the Roseau River WMA reported that several GRAY JAYS have been seen and SNOW BUNTINGS have been common in the area this week.

Pat Rice in Beltrami County reported on October 23 that her yard still holds good numbers of sparrows, and she has also seen RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and PURPLE FINCH.

At Agassiz NWR in Marshall County, Maggie Anderson reported on October 23, that a couple of GRAY JAYS have been hanging around headquarters, and two have been reported along the Maakstad Trail. Peder Svingen found one at Webster Pool on October 24. Other species seen at the refuge included an AMERICAN BITTERN, an AMERICAN WOODCOCK; 12 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE were seen near the observation deck at Parker Pool. 100 SNOW GEESE and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK have also been seen at the refuge. Steve Broten reported a NORTHERN SHRIKE near Viking, and 4-5 GRAY JAYS at a home southwest of Newfolden. On October 22, he saw 15 GRAY PARTRIDGE near his home in that area.

On October 21, a WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, and one SURF SCOTER were found at the Thief River Falls WTP, Pennington County. On October 24, Peder Svingen also found a BLACK SCOTER there amid hundreds of scaup and RING-NECKED DUCKS. Several PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were seen there on Saturday, but those were gone by Sunday. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are beginning to appear in the county. A SHORT-EARED OWL was seen hunting along the west side of the wastewater treatment ponds on October 25.

On October 21, a GRAY JAY and a RUFFED GROUSE were seen at the home of Phyllis Audette near Red Lake Falls in Red Lake County. On October 24, Peder Svingen found two GRAY JAYS coming to a yard with a feeder at Huot.

In Polk County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap found a SURF SCOTER at Oak Lake on October 21, and a SHORT-EARED OWL four miles south of the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45. Among many species found by Kim Eckert's Minnesota Birding Weekend were many GREATER PRAIRIE-CHICKENS, a dawn flight of over 500 SANDHILL CRANES near the Pembina Trail SNA, a flock of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, HERMIT THRUSH, AMERICAN PIPIT, LAPLAND LONGSPURS, and SNOW BUNTINGS to name only a few. Two GRAY JAYS were seen, one of them near the intersection of CR 44 and CR 45 along the tracks. Peder Svingen on October 24 found three BLACK SCOTERS, one SURF SCOTER, one ROSS'S GOOSE, and one juvenal WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER at the Crookston WTP. On October 26, Dave Lambeth reported three immature WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS on the East Grand Forks WTP about a mile north of town along the Red River.

A GRAY JAY was found by Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap on October 22 in the pines across from the cemetery near Syre in Norman County; other species found included NORTHERN SHRIKE and COMMON REDPOLL.

Ben and Bob found a BOHEMIAN WAXWING in Mahnomen on October 22.

In Clay County, Ben and Bob found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Hawley landfill on October 22. Mel and Elaine Bennefeld reported a partial albino DARK-EYED JUNCO on October 25 at the Pondorosa Golf Club.

In Otter Tail County, Nancy Jackson found a PIED-BILLED GREBE and a WILSON'S SNIPE at Leaf Lake on October 22. Alma Ronningen saw a HARRIS'S SPARROW on October 23, a BROWN CREEPER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on October 23. Jeff and Amy Drake reported an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on October 21, a nice selection of sparrows, PINE SISKIN, and PURPLE FINCH.

From Wilkin County, Ben Fritchman and Bob Dunlap reported a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

Nancy Jackson reported many AMERICAN COOTS, RED-NECKED GREBE, COMMON LOON, BONAPARTE'S GULL, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, and BROWN CREEPER in Douglas County on October 21. Deb Johnson on October 23 reported AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL among others in their yard.

Thanks to all who sent in their sightings this week.

Please report bird sightings to Jeanie Joppru by email, no later than Thursday each week, at [email protected] OR call the Detroit Lakes Chamber's toll free number: 1-800-542-3992. Detroit Lakes area birders please call 847-9202. Please include the county where the sighting took place. When reporting by email please put "NW Bird Report" in the subject line of your message. The next scheduled update of this report is Friday, November 3, 2006.

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-RBA

*Minnesota

*Minnesota Statewide

*October 26, 2006

*MNST0610.26

-Birds mentioned

* California Gull

* American Three-toed Woodpecker

* Black-backed Woodpecker

* Northern Shrike

* Carolina Wren

* Mountain Bluebird

* Townsend's Solitaire

* Orange-crowned Warbler

* Eastern Meadowlark

* Common Redpoll

-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide

Date: October 26, 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 26th 2006.

On October 22nd, Bob Dunlap and Ben Fritchman found a CALIFORNIA GULL at the Clay County Sanitary Landfill near the town of Hawley. Hawley is located on U.S. Highway 10 at the junction of Clay County Road 33. Go west on U.S. 10 from Hawley to 190th Street and turn south. Drive about two and a half miles to the dump on the west side of the road.

Bob Williams found a PLEGADIS IBIS on the 22nd on the east side of Lake Johanna Waterfowl Production Area in southeastern Pope County. The location was about three miles west / southwest of the town of Brooten (which is in Stearns County), on the west side of Pope County Road 37, half a mile south of County Road 8.

In the past several days, at least two AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS and six BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS have been reported in the vicinity of Lighthouse Point in Two Harbors, Lake County.

John Latimer has reported seeing a CAROLINA WREN in Grand Rapids several times over the last few weeks, with the last sighting being on the 19th. The location is along the north shore of Pokegama Lake at the 24000 block of Itasca County Road 76.

A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD has been at Bayfront Park in Duluth since the 17th.

On the 24th, Jim Lind found a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in Knife River, Lake County, across the road from Emily's Restaurant. Ann Russ found another at the Temperence River State Park in Cook County on the 22nd, Chris Benson found a Townsend's Solitaire at the ball fields of Park Point in Duluth on the 21st, and Cindy Risen reported one on the 26th about half a mile south of Eddy's Resort on Mille Lacs County Road 35. This last bird may be the same individual that was reported on the 12th near the town of Wahkon.

A late EASTERN MEADOWLARK was heard singing by Julie Brophy in Carver Park Reserve in Hennepin County on the 15th. I also have a few reports of NORTHERN SHRIKE, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and COMMON REDPOLL.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday, November 2nd 2006.