in addition to other North Shore reports posted by Dave Benson, Dedrick Benz, and Mike Hendrickson, here are some additional sightings, most of these from the 26 participants on the so-called annual Muffin Trip. In all yesterday, Oct 28, the group had a composite total of 91 species, with a few new additions today. In addition to the following highlights, it is likely there were some other sightings of note recorded on the Oct 27-29 Grand Marais Birding Festival which I'm not aware of.
- 2 Ross's Geese / still present Saturday at the golf course in Two Harbors, near the clubhouse - probable Pacific Loon / at dusk today at Paradise Beach, but the light was too poor for positive ID - imm Golden Eagle / migrating over Knife River Saturday - 2 Am Golden-Plovers / both Saturday, 1 at the cemetery in Two Harbors, the other on the campground side of the Grand Marais harbor - 3rd-winter Lesser Black-backed Gull / ID by Paul Egeland et al. Friday at Canal Park in Duluth Am Three-toed Woodpecker / 7 individuals (5 Saturday + 2 today), plus 2 reported by others = 9 total: 1 - Alseth Rd, just N of Scenic Hwy 61 2-4 Lighthouse Pt, Two Harbors (3) 5-6 - Good Harbor Bay (2) 7 - Grand Marais campground 8 - Hwy 61, mile marker 121 9 - Paradise Beach Black-backed Woodpecker / 28 individuals (22 Saturday + 6 today), plus others?: 1-2 - Scenic Hwy 61, W of McQuade Rd (2) 3-9 - Stoney Point (7) 10 - Knife River 11 - Two Harbors cemetery 12-16 - Lighthouse Pt, Two Harbors (5) 17 - Encampment River 18 - Hwy 61, mile marker 41 19 - Beaver Bay 20-21 - Tofte Park (2) 22-24 - Grand Marais campground (3) 25-26 - Artists Point, Grand Marais (2) 27 - Croftville Rd 28 - Paradise Beach Townsend's Solitaire / 7 individuals (3 Saturday + 4 today), plus 3 reported by others = 10 total: 1 - Alseth Rd, just N of Scenic Hwy 61 2-3 - W side of Stoney Point (2) 4 - Two Harbors, 4th Ave & 2nd St 5 - Good Harbor Bay 6-7 - Croftville Rd (2) 8-10 - Hwy 61 at Colville (3) - Mountain Bluebird / the female in Duluth at Bayfront Park still present this afternoon, mostly on the W side in the vicinity of Railroad St & 7th Ave West - 2 Gray Catbirds / both Saturday, 1 at Tofte Park, the other at Lutsen Sea Villas - Black-throated Green Warbler / Saturday in Knife River, ~300 yards W of the marina - Field Sparrow / on the W side of the cemetery in Two Harbors Saturday - Hoary Redpoll / Artists Point in Grand Marais today Kim Eckert
