[mou] Duluth RBA 1/15/04

[David Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, January 15th, 2004, 
sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

A gray GYRFALCON was seen again this past weekend on both the 10th and 
11th in the afternoon. The bird is apparently most easily found in 
mid-afternoon, and it was seen more than once at the Peavey elevator in 
Superior, WI. These buildings can be seen from the Connors Point Road, 
southeast of the Blatnik Bridge.

On the 12th Suzanne Gucciardo found a SNOWY OWL in Grand Marais near 
the base of Artist's Point. Another bird has been seen in West Duluth 
on the harbor ice off the 40th Ave W/Erie Pier area. The best way to 
see this bird is to hike out to the harbor side of Erie Pier and scan 
the ice. Two Snowys have been seen at the Superior, Wisconsin airport 
on the runways.

HOARY REDPOLLS were seen at several locations this week. Don Kienholz 
has a bird coming to his feeders on Martin Road in Duluth. Jim Lind 
found one in Two Harbors near a feeder at 6th Ave and 8th St on the 
12th. Josh Watson reported a Hoary from his feeders north of Grand 
Marais. Laura Erickson reported one from her feeder in East Duluth on 
the 11th. A group of birders from Chicago found one at a feeder in 
Sax-Zim on Cty Rd 29, about 0.7 mile north of 133. There were also 
EVENING GROSBEAKS at this feeder this week.

GREAT GRAY OWLS continue to be seen regularly in Aitkin Cty, along Cty 
Rd 18 within a mile of the jct with Pietz's Rd. Kim Eckert found 
another on Lake Cty Rd 2, 1.3 miles north of the White Pines Wayside.

BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS have only been reported from Grand Marais (a week 
ago), Ely (almost two weeks ago), and Deerwood (last weekend). Reports 
of any sightings of this species would be appreciated.

SHARP-TAILED GROUSE have been seen at mid-morning in the Sax-Zim area 
on Cty Rd 29, 1.5 miles north of the Jehovah's Witnesses building on 
133.

The HARLEQUIN DUCK, a LONG-TAILED DUCK, and  GLAUCOUS GULL were seen 
again this week at Agate Bay in Two Harbors, as recently as yesterday.

Craig Mandel refound the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD in Grand Marais on the 
9th near 3rd Ave and 4th St. He also found a BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER at 
the east end of the campground.

Deb Buria Falkowski saw a female BELTED KINGFISHER at an open creek 
near Mashkenode, south of Virginia on the 12th. There are AMERICAN 
BLACK DUCKS with the large flock of MALLARDS at the corner of Lake 
Superior in Canal Park.

Several RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, which turned up in record numbers here 
this fall,
are overwintering. Last week a bird was seen on Swan Lake Rd in Duluth, 
and Jim Lind reported that three individuals are still present in Two 
Harbors: one at 4th Ave and 1st St, one at 7th Ave. and 17th Street 
(west of the SuperAmerica), and one at 12th Ave and 9th St.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, January 
22.

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.