The Minn Birding Weekends (MBW) group found a Pacific Loon around noon today, Nov 2, on the Burlington Bay side of Two Harbors in Lake Co. It was most easily viewed from the corner of South Ave and First St swimming next to a Com Loon with all field marks easily visible: smaller overall size, rounder crown profile, contrastingly pale gray nape and hindneck, black "chinstrap", and cleanly delineated straight line separating its white foreneck from gray hindneck. (I also learned today that the Red-throated Loon the MBW group found yesterday near the ore docks on the Agate Bay side of Two Harbors was relocated this morning by John Hockema and others.)
Besides the Summer Tanager & Red-throated Loon seen yesterday in Two Harbors (and posted on mou-net), there were a few other highlights of this weekend's MBW trip along the North Shore: Surf Scoter (Park Point), White-winged Scoter (Two Harbors, Five Mile Rock, Park Point), Black Scoter (Grand Marais), Long-tailed Duck (various locations between Grand Marais & Five Mile Rock), Golden Eagle (Scenic Hwy 61 near Larsmont), Am Woodcock, Bonaparte's Gull, Snowy Owl (healthy- looking female on W side of Grand Marais harbor), Black-backed Woodpecker, Bohemian Waxwing (small group in Two Harbors), White- winged Crossbill (many locations), and Hoary Redpoll (obviously paler/ unstreaked bird among small flock of Commons in Two Harbors). However, migrant passerines continued to be mostly conspicuous by their absence, as normally productive locations like Tofte, Lutsen Sea Villas, Grand Marais campground, etc. were again almost devoid of birdlife. On the other hand, the MBW group and other observers have noted a strong movement of Bald Eagles and Rough-legged Hawks lately, including several found dead, injured, or apparently stressed from starvation. More Snowy Owls in the same condition continue to be reported as well. Kim Eckert
