Anthony Hertzel and I recorded 78 species along the North Shore yesterday on the "Ides of October." We subsequently received a report of an adult male Harlequin Duck at the mouth of the Cross River near Schroeder in Cook County--one of the few places we did not stop between Hovland and Duluth. Highlights included the following: Cackling Geese--7 photographed at Grand Marais, Cook County; Surf Scoter--4 at Paradise Beach, Cook County and one in Grand Marais; White-winged Scoter--one at Paradise Beach; Black Scoter--5 or 6 at Paradise Beach; Long-tailed Duck--only 2 were seen--both near Grand Marais; Red-shouldered Hawk--adult circling over Grand Marais at about 9:00 AM--we had excellent looks for several minutes--first county record; Spotted Sandpiper--late individual at Castle Danger, Lake County; phalarope sp.--flying down the shore at an overlook just east of the Silver Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lake County--white wing stripe and single high-pitched "peek" call--most likely a Red Phalarope but not refound; Bonaparte's Gull--first-winter bird at East Beaver Bay, Lake County; House Wren--late individual at Grand Marais; Townsend's Solitaire--one spotted by AXH along state highway 61, just E of the Brule River, Cook County; Northern Mockingbird--one along scenic highway 61, just E of the Homestead Rd, St. Louis County; Common Yellowthroat--one seen by AXH in marsh near Flood Bay Wayside, Lake County. Except for crows, tree sparrows, juncos, Rusty Blackbirds and siskins, numbers of individuals were very low. -- Peder [email protected], MN
