Explore Minnesota Birding Update, Oct. 20, 2014
October is often the best month for viewing rare and unusual birds. In addition, the first winter finches arrive and large raptors move through Minnesota on their way south. Late October is a great time to travel Hwy. 61 to see waterfowl in the Weaver Bottoms area of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge.
The following is a list of recent, significant sightings:
A Red-Throated Loon was seen in Duluth on the 16th near the Sky Harbor Airport at Park Point. Three Surf Scoters were at the nearby Recreation Area, and an early Glaucous Gull was down the point on the Minnesota side of the Superior Entry.
A Pacific Loon was reported from Wealthwood at the north end of Lake Mille Lacs in Aitkin County on the 16th.
A Mute Swan has been at the New Prague Sewage Ponds in Scott County since the 11th.
On the 11th, Sue Leaf found a Townsend's Solitaire along the Croftville Road north of Grand Marais in Cook County.
Several lingering shorebirds were at the west end of Lake Byllesby in Dakota County on the 15th, including Black-Bellied Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, and Long-Billed Dowitcher. There have also been reports of Tundra Swan, Thayer's Gull, Northern Goshawk, Northern Shrike, Bohemian Waxwing, and Snow Bunting.
According to Jeanie Joppru, and sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce, Marshall Howe reported Black-Billed Magpie, Dark-Eyed Junco, and White-Throated Sparrow on October 15 in Hubbard County. Common Loons and one Bonaparte's Gull were also seen.
And from Polk County, Emily Hutchins reported a single Snow Bunting at the Nature Conservancy Office along MN 32 in Polk County on October 10. She and Shelley Steva found a Western Grebe on Oak Lake near Erskine today, October 16, and a possible late Sabine's Gull flew over the Erskine lagoons while they were there. They were unable to relocate the bird for further study as it apparently kept on going. Among the ducks seen at both locations were Mallards, Redheads, Ring-Necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, and Bufflehead. Several Pied-Billed Grebes were seen, and a conservative estimate of 5000 American Coots were seen along the east shore of Cameron Lake at Erskine.
Information in this statewide birding report is provided by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU), Minnesota's oldest and largest bird club. Information has also been provided courtesy of Jeanie Joppru, sponsored by the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce. View photographs of recent sightings at the MOU website. To submit a bird sighting, email the MOU birding report compiler at rba@moumn.org.
