This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 1st, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.
A HARLEQUIN DUCK was found today by Steve Dahl at the Knife River marina in Lake County. Peder Svingen and Jeannie Joppru found two adult and one first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL at Wisconsin Point on the 26th, as well as a first- winter THAYER'S GULL. They also found a late-lingering HOODED MERGANSER, NORTHERN PINTAILS, and two WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS in the Duluth Harbor. Shaun Putz, Larry Semo, and Robbye Johnson found a SNOWY OWL on the 26th on the Minnesota breakwall at the Superior Entry. They also found a first-winter ICELAND GULL on the ice in Alouez Bay in Superior on the 26th. The CALIFORNIA GULL was relocated on the 22nd at Wisconsin Point. Bob Myers found a SNOWY OWL on the 25th along Highway 61, about a half mile east of the Silver Bay Marina entrance, on Northshore Mining property. Another SNOWY OWL was found on the 25th, and relocated on the 26th, along Lake County Road 3 about a mile east of the Silver Bay Airport, which was relocated the next day. Bill Tefft found a SNOWY OWL in the Sax-Zim bog along CR 7 about 2.5 miles south of the Byrns Greenhouse or 4.3 miles south of the Stone Lake Road (CR 319). I have a belated report of a SNOWY OWL along the Stebner Road near the Duluth Airport on the 22nd, but it hasn't been relocated this week. NORTHERN HAWK OWLS were seen in several locations in the Sax-Zim bog over the weekend. One was seen on the 25th along CR 133 at the junction of the Blue Spruce Road (CR 211), and another along CR 7 between CR 133 and the Arkola Road (CR 52). One was seen on the 26th along the McDavitt Road (CR 213) about 2 miles north of the Sax Rd (CR 28). Bob Williams and others relocated one yesterday along the Stone Lake Road (CR 319), a half mile east of CR 7, where two had been reported on the 25th. Cindy and Kim Risen found a GREAT GRAY OWL today in Aitkin County along Kestrel Avenue (CR 64) about five miles north of Tamarack. The Risens also have a flock of 50-100 EVENING GROSBEAKS coming to their feeders, and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER that has been seen occasionally. Mike Hendrickson found a late LAPLAND LONGSPUR in Schroeder, Cook County on the 26th. Mike also received a recent report of a BOREAL OWL near the LTV mine in Hoyt Lakes. The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, December 8th. 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.
