Date: April 10, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Kim Eckert
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, April 10, sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union. With the arrival of sharply colder temperatures this week, it had been thought that hardly anything new would show up in the area, but there were several birds of note reported since last week, especially: an early and unexpected GREAT EGRET north of Duluth, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN in the harbor (also a rarity in this area), late-lingering NORTHERN HAWK OWL and GREAT GRAY OWL in Duluth, and some additional BOREAL OWLS calling on territory northeast of Duluth.
The GREAT EGRET was seen by Carla Larson, Ben Yokel and others along U.S. Highway 53 just north of Canyon near mile marker 32; it was first reported last weekend, but I subsequently learned it had actually shown up on the very early date of March 30. Almost as unusual for this part of the state was the WHITE PELICAN which was spotted flying over the Highway 2 Bong Bridge in the Duluth harbor on April 6.
Janet Pasticka (sp?) spotted a HAWK OWL lingering until April 6 along the Homestead Road, about 1 mile north of Highway 61; also somewhat late was the GREAT GRAY OWL seen yesterday at Park Point by John Heid in the pines south of the airport. Owl researcher Bill Lane reports that he has now heard 16 male BOREAL OWLS calling on territory -- although the locations were not given, it is assumed that most of them have been in Cook County northeast of Duluth.
Also of interest was the considerable reverse migration of AMERICAN ROBINS on April 7, as small flocks of these birds were seen flying southwest down the North Shore off and on all day; clearly, this was in response to the severe cold front which passed through Duluth that day. It would seem likely that some early spring migrants must have died from the cold (for example, such insectivores as EASTERN PHOEBE and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER), although the only possible report of this was the GREAT BLUE HERON found dead of unknown causes yesterday at Park Point near the airport runway.
Other newly arrived migrants reported since last week's tape were: TUNDRA SWAN (spotted on April 6 by Frank Nicoletti from his hawk lookout on West Skyline Parkway near Enger Tower); GREEN-WINGED TEAL, AMERICAN WIGEON and RING-NECKED DUCK all on April 3; WINTER WREN yesterday the 9th; and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW April 5.
The overcast weather last weekend and the much colder weather this week resulted in a generally slow raptor flight past the Enger Tower hawk lookout from April 4 to April 8, but things improved yesterday with over 240 raptors counted (205 of these RED-TAILED HAWKS), and today the total was about 230 (190 of these RED-TAILEDS).
Also noteworthy this week were the reports of RED CROSSBILLS on April 5 in Terry Wiens' yard on Strand Road; on the 7th Terry saw a partial albino PURPLE FINCH at his feeder, and today he spotted GLAUCOUS GULL and SNOW BUNTING at the Park Point Recreation Area. Quite interesting was the report of a BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE which escaped from Duluth's Lake Superior Zoo on April 8; if you happen to spot this bird, I'm sure the zoo would appreciate a call.
Finally, at least 3 NORTHERN CARDINALS have been reported in Duluth in recent days, as this species is now being seen here with enough frequency that it is usually not mentioned on this tape. The fact remains, however, that the increase of this species in recent years is still significant even if it is seldom included in these birding reports.
Unless something unusual is seen in the meantime which needs to be reported on immediately, the next scheduled update of this tape will be a day earlier than normal, on Wednesday, April 16. And, as always, if you have birds to report you may leave a message after the tone.
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