Explore Minnesota Birding Report September 16, 2011
Major migrations of Minnesota nesting species occur in September. Sharp-shinned and broad-winged hawks, peregrine falcons and other raptors also migrate to southerly locations from early September through mid-November, with peak migration in mid-September. One location to view a flurry of activity by a variety of species is Hawk Ridge in Duluth. On a good day, visitors may see hundreds, even thousands, of birds flying overhead! The public is invited to attend the very popular Hawk Weekend Festival which will be held at Hawk Ridge, Friday through Sunday, September 16-18, with a variety of events including numerous field trips and seminars, family activities, and social events. font>
The following information has been provided courtesy of the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. This report is brought to you by ExploreMinnesota.com.
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The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
In Duluth, a couple of jaegers, including a Parasitic Jaeger, have been seen periodically over Lake Superior from 43rd Street South to the end of Park Point.
On September 8th, a Summer Tanager was reported from Douglas County, but no further details are available.
The fall raptor migration at Hawk Ridge in Duluth has picked up considerably, with about three-thousand Broad-Winged Hawks counted on the 14th, followed by almost thirteen-thousand on the 15th. Over eight-thousand Sharp-Shinned Hawks have also been counted here this fall.
Several new species of fall migrants have arrived in the state since the last update of this report, including Cackling Goose, Snow Goose, Lapland Longspur, Black-Throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, and Rusty Blackbird.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
