Duluth RBA

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-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*January 8, 2004
*MNDU0401.08

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: January 8, 2004
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 728-5030
Compiler: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)
Transcriber: David R. Benson (drbenson@cpinternet.com)

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, January 8, 2004, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Two GREAT GRAY OWLS were seen over the weekend in Aitkin Cty 0.1 mile west of the jct of Cty Rd 18 and Pietz's Road, but neither bird has been seen in the past couple of days. Only one Great Gray has been seen recently in Sax-Zim--the bird on 133 1.5 miles west of 53. It was seen yesterday at both dawn and dusk.

No NORTHERN HAWK OWLS in Northeastern Minnesota again this year, but there is a bird not too far away in Wisconsin. From the town of Spooner, drive west on Hwy 70. Continue 3 miles past the Burnett Cty line, turn south on Burnett Cty Rd H and drive 4 miles. The bird was first seen on the 1st and was seen as recently as yesterday.

On the 3rd, Blaine Seeliger reported a SPRUCE GROUSE 5.1 miles north of Cty Rd 15 on Lake Cty Rd 2 and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on Cty Rd 133 2.4 miles east of Cty Rd 7 in Sax Zim.

The HARLEQUIN DUCK in Two Harbors was seen as recently as the 5th and the Harlequin at the French River near Duluth was last reported on the 2nd. Three first-winter GLAUCOUS GULLS and one first-winter RING-BILLED GULL were among the 30 or so HERRING GULLS at Two Harbors (Agate Bay) on the 2nd.

Don Kienholz has a HOARY REDPOLL coming intermittently to his feeder on Martin Rd in Duluth. Birders may stop to look for the bird. The only recent report of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS is a flock seen in Ely by Cindy Elias on the 2nd.

BOREAL CHICKADEES were found on the Rice Lake NWR Christmas Count. From the Rice Lake NWR Headquarters on Hwy 65, travel north along Hwy 65 for 3/4 mi, turn east and travel 1/2 mi. The birds were seen in the conifer stand on the north side of the road. Boreal Chickadees were seen again this week at various points near the north end of Owl Ave in Sax-Zim.

John Pastor and Mary Dragich had a NORTHERN SHRIKE in their yard on Skyline Parkway in Duluth on the 4th. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD continues to be seen in Grand Marais near the jct. of 3rd and 4th.

The Isabella Christmas Bird Count turned up an above-average total of 25 species in spite of high winds on the count day, January 3rd. Jim and Sharon Lind found 1 GREAT GRAY OWL and a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER on the Stony River Forest Road. The count yielded 61 RED CROSSBILLS and two species new to the count, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and BROWN THRASHER. Evening Grosbeaks and Spruce Grouse were conspicuous by their absence, and only 2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were found.

With many visiting birders in the area this time of year, reports of sightings of the following species would be appreciated: Gyrfalcon, Great Gray Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Bohemian Waxwing, Snow Bunting, White-winged Crossbill, or other owls.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, January 15.

The Duluth Birding Report is sponsored and funded by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU) as a service to its members. For more information on the MOU, either write us c/o the Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, or send an e-mail to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.




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