At 2:30 PM this afternoon (9/25) a flock of 10 juvenile Sabine's Gulls flew along the jetty on the Minnesota side of the Superior Entry and continued towards Park Point. As far as I know, they were not refound at the Entry or at Park Point. Most sightings of this species in Minnesota have been of individuals or small groups, but larger flocks have been seen on two occasions: 26 birds at the Superior Entry 9/23/2000 (plus 3 more seen only on the Wisconsin side of the Entry, Loon 73:187) and 70 birds at Park Point 9/16/2005 (Loon 78:118-118).
Late this afternoon, a group of birders refound a Smith's Longspur originally found and photographed by Michael Furtman near 27th Ave West, Duluth. To reach this location, take the 27th Ave West exit off I-35 and turn right (west) on the road that leads towards a building used for auctions (this location is opposite from the road that leads to the WLSSD yard waste recycling site). The bird was foraging in the weedy grass along the east edge of the gravel parking lot that is across from the auction building. Single Franklin's Gulls were seen at Wisconsin Point and at the Park Point Recreation Area again today. The Red-necked Phalarope found yesterday at Castle Danger by Kim Eckert and his Minnesota Birding Weekends group could not be refound. At Wisconsin Point today, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology group had a single Sabine's Gull in the early morning and several sightings of what was probably the same light morph Parasitic Jaeger. In addition to raptors, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory witnessed a good flight of Sandhill Cranes and Rusty Blackbirds today. For these and other highlights go to the HRBO website at http://www.hawkridge.org/ and click on "See the Raptor Count". -- Peder H. Svingen Duluth, MN ---- Join or Leave mou-net: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives: http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
