October 14, 2011 Explore Minnesota Birding Report Update Sharp-shinned and broad-winged hawks, peregrine falcons and other raptors continue to migrate to southerly locations through mid-November. One location to view the 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! And late October is an excellent time to travel Hwy. 61 along the Mississippi River to view amazing numbers of waterfowl, including large numbers of tundra swans. Weaver Bottoms in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge is an excellent place to view a great variety of species.
Thousands of Sandhill Cranes are making their way through Minnesota in October, and many of these birds stage at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge for several weeks to fatten up for the remainder of their trip south. Sherburne Refuge staff, the Friends of Sherburne and the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union are sponsoring Sandhill Crane Viewing Tours on Saturday, October 22 at 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Tours meet at the refuge headquarters, enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, learn about cranes and share plans and logistics for the tour. Groups then head out with tour guides to a couple of nearby viewing spots. Space is still available for both morning tours offered October 22. Pre-registration is necessary. To learn more, dial 763/389-3323, ext. 13, or visit
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne/Refuge.htmThe following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
In Dakota County, a large falcon was seen on October 9th flying south across the fields along Fahey Avenue, between State Highway 55 and Pine Bend Trail. The observer suggests the possibility that the bird was a Gyrfalcon.
On Lake Superior in Duluth, birders are reporting Red-Throated Loon, Surf Scoter, White-Winged Scoter, and Parasitic Jaeger from various locations along Park Point.
On the 9th, Bob Williams found a late Snowy Egret at the Waterville Fish Hatchery Ponds on Le Sueur County Road 14 west of Waterville. And on the 10th, Bob Russell found a late Common Gallinule at Swan Lake in Nicollet County in the canal immediately behind the conservation club. This location is west of the town of Nicollet and about one-third of a mile north of U.S. Highway 14.
Also on October 9th, three Black-Backed Woodpeckers were seen in the Sax-Zim Bog of St. Louis County by Sparky Stensaas. They were along McDavitt Road about three miles north of Sax Road.
And last, Elizabeth Copper spotted a shrike in the town of Melrude in St. Louis County on the 13th, and judging by the date and location, it seems likely it was a Northern Shrike.
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.
