October 28, 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! 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. And thousands of Sandhill Cranes are making their way through Minnesota. Many of these birds stage at the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge for several weeks to put on weight before the remainder of their trip south.
The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
The juvenile Purple Sandpiper is still being seen in Swift County at the Lubenow Wildlife Protection Area located roughly seven miles north of the town of Appleton. The specific location is along 230th Avenue, about two miles north of U.S. Highway 12. The most recent report is from the 24th.
On October 27th, Steven Falkowski found a Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch on the southwest side of Bear Island Lake near Babbitt in St. Louis County. It was on the beach near a group of private cabins. No further information is available.
There is a belated report of a Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher which was photographed on October 18th on the runway of the Wabasha airport in Wabasha County.
On the 28th, a Snowy Owl was reported on the Minnesota side of the Bong Bridge between Duluth and Superior. On the 24th, Jim Lind found a Great Gray Owl at the east end of Fairgrounds Road, one mile north of State Highway 61 in Two Harbors in Lake County.
On October 27th, Bob Ekblad found three Surf Scoters at South Stanchfield Lake in Isanti County. He reported them from the east side of the lake as they moved toward the north. A Black Scoter was seen here on the 23rd.
Also on the 27th, John Cyrus reported a second winter Great Black-Backed Gull from the southwest shore of Lake Waconia in Carver County.
A Red-Throated Loon was on Lake Superior in Duluth on the 23rd. Other winter birds reported recently include Thayer's Gull, Snow Bunting, Pine Grosbeak, White-Winged Crossbill, and Common Redpoll.
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.
