Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
Duluth RBA
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-RBA *Minnesota *Duluth/North Shore *April 29, 1999 *MNDU9904.29 -Birds mentioned
Hotline: Minnesota, Duluth/North Shore
Date: April 29, 1999
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (218) 525-5952
Compiler: Dave Benson
Transcriber: Dave Benson
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)
Even though the weather in Duluth has been summery, the spring migration continues to be relatively slow. However, there have been a number of interesting sightings this week:
The CATTLE EGRET in Hoyt Lakes was seen again this week. From the stop-sign downtown, turn south and drive as far as you can, watching for a flock of RING-BILLED GULLS, with which the egret has been associating.
Kim Risen found a male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD northwest of Hinckley on the 24th. The bird was seen on Kanabec County Road 20 a half-mile north of County Road 3.
Three AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen flying east along the expressway between Duluth and Two Harbors on Monday the 26th.
Janet Riegle and Jim Schnurr spotted 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE on the St. Louis River near the radio station in Gary-New Duluth on Sunday the 25th.
A SANDHILL CRANE was spotted flying over Gnesen Township on the 24th, the same day that Al Loken spotted a pair at the radio station in Gary-New Duluth during bird class.
About 20 TUNDRA SWANS are still hanging around the St. Louis River, most often at Mud Lake.
Jan Green reported a singing NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL at Bird Lake on Forest Highway 11; and Bill Lane has completed his owl surveys in northeastern Minnesota. He found over 40 singing Saw-whet owls and 15 singing BOREAL OWLS. The number for Saw-whets is quite high, and the number of Boreals is low.
Two unexpected SNOWY OWLS were seen in Duluth this week. Neil Hessen found one at Ridgeview Country Club. This owl, bearing tag #65, spent the past winter in the harbor. Ross Fraboni found another snowy at the sand pit on Peqwuayan Lake Road on the 25th.
On Monday the 26th, John Heid counted 99 raptors migrating over the Park Point Recreation Area in just a few hours. Most of the birds were SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS.
New arrivals this week included EASTERN MEADOWLARK, AMERICAN COOT, CHIPPING SPARROW, and Terry Wiens' reports of SAVANNAH SPARROW on the 24th, BARN SWALLOW on the 27th, and AMERICAN BITTERN on the 29th. Alison Clarke had a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER in her yard on the 29th. WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS have returned in small numbers, but there are still far fewer than usual.
The next scheduled update of this report will be Thursday, May 6th.
