[mou] Duluth RBA 6/3/04

[David Benson]

This is the Duluth Birding Report for Thursday, June 3rd, sponsored by 
the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

An ORCHARD ORIOLE appeared at the Mehans' feeders on the northwest 
corner of 62nd Ave E and Superior St in Duluth on May 29th. It has not 
been seen every day, but Don Kienholz saw it again yesterday. During 
the cold, wet weather of last weekend, there were no fewer than 4 CAPE 
MAY WARBLERS, 2 BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS, a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, 
and five other warbler species visiting the oranges and hummingbird 
feeders in this yard.

Several rarities seen over the last ten days remained into the weekend, 
including the PACIFIC LOON and WESTERN GREBE, last reported on the 
28th. Janet Riegle reported a RED KNOT from Minnesota Point on the 
29th. The PIPING PLOVER and sub-adult GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at 
Wisconsin Point were last seen on the 29th. A light-morph, adult 
PARASITIC JAEGER was there on the 29th. On the same day, three RED 
KNOTS were there, and one lingered at least until today.

There was an interesting fallout of warblers and other species in the 
fog on the morning of the 31st. Don Kienholz saw 24 warbler species. 
There are still lots of flycatchers, warblers, and flocks of CEDAR 
WAXWINGS moving through Duluth. Earl Orf reported 4 TRUMPETER SWANS 
from a lake between Hibbing and Grand Rapids in Itasca County today. 
Mike Steffes found 11 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS on territory along 
the Superior Hiking Trail on Moose Mountain in Cook Cty on the 29th,  
Bill Tefft reported two WHIMBRELS from Ely on the 30th.

I have received some reports of Lark Buntings from the Iron Range area. 
These birds are more likely to be another species; if someone can 
provide more details, I may be able to help with an identification.

The next scheduled update of this report will be on Thursday, June 10.

The telephone number of the Duluth Rare Bird Alert is 218-728-5030. 
Information about bird sightings may be left following the recorded 
message.

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 to mou@cbs.umn.edu, or visit the MOU web site at mou.mn.org.