Duluth RBA

Previous reports: February 5 13 26 , March 5 12 19 26 , April 2 .
Other Hotlines: Minnesota Statewide
-RBA
*Minnesota
*Duluth/North Shore
*April 9 1998
*MNDU9804.09

-Birds mentioned
-Transcript

Hotline: Minnesota Duluth/North Shore
Date: April 9, 1998
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525 5952
Compiler: Kim Eckert
Transcriber: Blaine Seeliger Avocet99@aol.com
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Duluth birding report for April 9th sponsered by the Minnesota Ornithologists Union.

Since last weeks tape the number of newly arrived spring migrants has slowed down considerably in Duluth. The only new birds reported were the first GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, April 3rd, RED-NECKED GREBES, April 4th, on Lake superior along with several reports of COMMON LOON and TUNDRA SWAN which arrived last week. An early YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER on the 5th EASTERN PHOEBE on the 6th and the first TREE SWALLOWS today. However it has still been an eventful week, as evidence of a HARLEQUIN DUCK a HARRIS' SPARROW which succesfully overwintered at a Duluth feeder. GREAT GRAY OWL and LONG-EARED OWLS heard in Lake Co. Plus several late lingering winter type specialties of Northern Minnesota.

On April 6th Randy Mansfield reported seeing a female or immature HARLEQUIN DUCK on Lake superior at Lief Erickson park, which is located about one mile up the shore from dowmtown Duluth. It is not known weather this bird has been seen again since the 6th. Lisa Messer who lives on the 2000 block of west 8th street had a HARRIS' SPARROW at her feeder in January and February and it apparently succesfully overwintered and she saw it again on April 7th.

Tony Hertzel of the twin cities heard a GREAT GRAY OWL and other owls on the nights of April 3rd and 4th in Lake Co. Along the Stoney River Forest Rd. and on the White Rd. At the south end of the Stoney River Rd. is Forest Rd. 11 which turns east off of Co. Rd. 2 about 26 miles North of Two Harbors and the North end of this Rd. is on Minnesota hyw 1, 3 miles west of Isabella. The White Rd. is an east west Rd. which crosses the Stoney River Forest Rd. 8 miles North of Forest Rd. 11. Tony heard GREAT GRAY OWLS one of these on the Stoney River Rd. 6 miles south of hyw 1, and the other on the White Rd. 3 miles east of the Stoney River Rd. He also heard two LONG-EARED OWLS on the Stoney River Forest Rd. but he only heard one NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL and no BOREAL OWLS which is what he was primarly listening for. Other indications suggest this has been a poor spring for finding owls. I have had only one other report of a calling NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL this spring. And one of a GREAT GRAY OWL. and that was found late last week by Dan Versaw just west of Lake Co. Rd. 2 at the Seven Beavers Lake snowmobile trail. Which is about 33 miles North of Two Harbors. Also Owl researcher Bill Lane has heard only two BOREAL OWLS in Cook Co. as of the end of March.

Finally there are still a few winter specialties lingereing in the Duluth vicinity this week at various locations and these include GLAUCOUS GULLS at both Park Point and at Lutsen in Cook Co. plus BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, NORTHERN SHRIKE, COMMON REDPOLLS and WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS at various locations.

The next scheduled update of this tape will be on Thursday April 16th.




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