Explore Minnesota Birding Update Dec. 19, 2013
This is a great time to take a trip along the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota to view over-wintering Bald Eagles. Watch for these majestic birds all along this stretch of the river. The National Eagle Center in Wabasha can provide additional information on birding in this area.
Information in this report has been provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union and their affiliates. This report is brought to you by ExploreMinnesota.com.
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The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
Both a King Eider and a female Barrow's Goldeneye have been seen periodically on Lake Superior in Duluth, most recently at about 23rd Avenue East.
On Dec. 17th, Mike Hendrickson reported two Great Gray Owls in Lake County along Stoney River Forest Road about four miles south of State Highway 1. Additional Great Grays have been reported along Aitkin County Road 18, and two Snowy Owls were near the junction of Aitkin County Roads 1 and 22 on the 14th.
On Dec. 13th, two Snowy Owls were reported near Holdingford in Stearns County. One was at the intersection of 215th Avenue and 430th Street, and the other was and the junction of River Street and County Road 3. Herb Dingmann reported that on the 18th, a Snowy Owl was along Benton County Road 1, about three-quarters of a mile north of County Road 29. This location is just northeast of Sauk Rapids. Also in Benton County, Betsy Beneke found a Snowy Owl on County Road 59, one block north of its intersection with County Road 13. A Snowy Owl was in Duluth on the 13th, along I-35 between 40th Avenue West and 27th Avenue West. On the 14th, a Snowy Owl was south of Little Falls in Morrison County on the west end of 103rd Street between Hilton Road and U.S. Highway 10. One was in Becker County on the 14th, along County Road 12 about a half mile east of County Road 13. In Morrison County, a Snowy Owl was near Bowlus at the intersection of County 21 and 100th Avenue. And on the 12th, a Snowy Owl was at the intersection of Wadena County Roads 18 and 19, just east of Huntersville. There are additional reports from Otter Tail, Grant, and Wilkin counties.
Near Chanhassen in Carver County, Douglas Kieser found a Townsend's Solitaire on the 13th at Lake Minnewashta Regional Park, along the walking path about 100 yards beyond the lake access parking lot. Another solitaire was in Jackson County on the 12th, northeast of the intersection of 850th Street and 510th Avenue. This is just south of Kilen Woods State Park.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. View photographs of recent sightings at the MOU website. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
