[mou] Pre-birding Duluth before Birdathon

[CarmanDave@aol.com]

In an effort to do some pre-Birdathon scouting, I turned up the following:
14 May: Red-throated Grebe at new Grassy Point Park (a neat boardwalk with 
several platforms for viewing in the St. Louis River marsh behind the Enso 
Stora papermill in West Duluth).  Spotted Sandpiper at the boat landing on 
the bay side at the end of Park Point.  Several Palm and Yellow-rumped 
Warblers on the bay side (lake side is still very cold with ice on the 
beach).  Several small rafts of Greater Scaup with a few Goldeyes on the bay 
side.  40th Ave West is very dry reflecting our below average rainfall this 
spring.  Watch out at the yellow steel gate.  It was open when I went in with 
my truck and save for the kindness of a MN Power repairman, who was part of a 
crew fixing lines damaged in a grass fire, I would have been locked in.  He 
indicated that the Duluth Police Department decided to keep the gate locked 
except for workers, so if its open, it might be locked when you return!