Minnesota Birding Report as of December 28
In general, the month of December is an excellent time to view Bald Eagles along the Mississippi River. These birds are abundant from Hastings all the way to the Iowa border. And, Trumpeter Swans can be seen at Mississippi Drive Park in Monticello. At the time of this report, there were over 1200 birds, with numbers expected to increase to 1500 in the near future!
The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
As of on December 27, at least one BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was still being seen on the Mississippi River near Point Douglas, in Washington County, along with an adult male HARLEQUIN DUCK.
A GREAT GRAY OWL was found by Greg Seegert on December 24 in the Sax-Zim Bog along McDavitt Road, two and a half miles north of St. Louis County Road 28. And on December 23, he found an AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER and two BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKERS along Hedbom Forest Road in Aitkin County. This location is one-half mile west of the St. Louis County line.
Sparky Stensaas reported a SNOWY OWL on December 22 along Airport Road in Duluth near Cirrus Design. Another was found by Karlyn Eckman on December 21 as it flew over the south end of the Raymond Avenue Bridge in Saint Paul, in Ramsey County.
A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was still in Two Harbors, in Lake County, on December 21, at 1st Street and 4th Avenue. On December 23, another was found by John and Ann Mathisen at the small condominium at 913 Rako Street in Bemidji, in Beltrami County.
And several BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were in Pine City, in Pine County, on December 22, near the junction of Tigua and Midriver Road, just west of Interstate 35.
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Information in this statewide birding report is provided by and financially supported by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. The report is composed from reports submitted by MOU members and other birders throughout the state. You can support this weekly birding update by submitting your bird reports to Anthony Hertzel at axhertzel@sihope.com or by calling the hotline directly at 763-780-8890 and leaving a detailed message. MOU members receive the organization's quarterly journal "The Loon," and the bi-monthly magazine, "Minnesota Birding." For membership information, send an e-mail message to our membership secretary at moumembers@yahoo.com.
"The information in this report is provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and Explore Minnesota Tourism."
