[mou] Duluth RBA 12/4/03

[David R. Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, December 4th, 2003,
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

Per Johanssen and Joachim Strengbom found a PACIFIC LOON on the 29th at
Burlington Bay in Two Harbors. The bird was still present the next day.
They also reported a first-year THAYER'S GULL at Agate Bay. On the 28th and
29th, a HOARY REDPOLL was east of Two Harbors near Betty's Pies. Peder
Svingen and Jim Lind found a late RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and a FOX SPARROW in
Two Harbors, plus 4 HORNED GREBES at the mouth of the Stewart River on the
30th.

A WESTERN GREBE is still in Duluth near the shipping channel. Mike
Hendrickson reported the bird yesterday, along with an adult THAYER'S GULL.
Lars Benson found a late SWAMP SPARROW at 16th Ave E and 5th St in Duluth
on the 2nd. Warren Nelson reported that GREAT GRAY OWLS were again seen
near the jct. of Pietz's Road and Aitkin Cty Rd 18 on the 28th and 29th.

Alison Clarke had two GRAY JAYS in her yard in East Duluth on Tuesday.
Michele McDowell reported PINE GROSBEAKS, COMMON REDPOLLS, and two possible
HOARY REDPOLLS from Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge on December 2nd.

The Duluth Christmas Bird Count will be held on Saturday, December 20th.
People interested in participating should contact Jim Lind at
jslind@frontiernet.net. The Two Harbors Christmas Bird Count will be held
on Sunday, December 14th. For information about this count, you can contact
Jim Lind or Frank Nicoletti at bjboreal@aol.com. The Grand Marais Christmas
Bird Count will also be on the 14th. For more information on this count,
contact Jeff Kern @ jeffkern@boreal.org or Jeremy Ridlbauer at
sundew@boreal.org

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, December 11th.

The phone number for the Duluth Birding Report is (218) 728-5030, and
callers can report bird sightings if they wish after the tone at the end of
each tape.

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.